This lesson explains the common uses of five small but important prepositions: on, at, by, with, and about. These words often look simple, but choosing the right one changes meaning — especially in business and professional contexts.
on — used for days, dates, and surfaces (e.g., on Monday, on the table).
at — used for specific times and specific places or points (e.g., at 9 AM, at the entrance).
by — used to indicate deadline, method, or agent (e.g., by Friday, by email, written by).
with — used for accompaniment or instruments (e.g., with the team, with a pen).
about — used to indicate topic or concern (e.g., a meeting about budget).
These prepositions are common in TOEIC tasks: reports, meeting notes, schedules, and emails. Pay attention to the context (time, place, method, accompaniment, topic).
Table
Common Uses of the Prepositions
Preposition
Typical Use
Example
on
Days, dates, surfaces, devices, and parts of documents
The report is due on Friday.
at
Specific times, specific places or points, events
The meeting starts at 9:00 AM.
by
Deadline (on or before), method, agent (passive)
Please send the contract by Tuesday. / The letter was written by John.
with
Accompaniment, instrument, features
I reviewed the file with my manager. / He signed the form with a pen.