Shadowing Practice: 10 EASY Grammar Rules For PREPOSITIONS (in, at, on, to, for, etc.) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Hey guys, welcome to Lingua Marina.
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Today we're gonna talk about the subtleties, those small things called prepositions in the English grammar that we often mix up.
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And when I arrived in the States, I was like, what do I say?
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Am I at the farmer's market?
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Am I in the farmer's market?
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Like the difference is so small.
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And in this video, I'm gonna explain you everything.
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So if you want to make sure you're using the right prepositions all the time, continue watching this video really carefully and make sure you're writing things down so that you can practice them later because that's really important.
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Okay, let's start with at versus in.
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The rule that you have to remember, in is used with major big things like countries, cities, continents.
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I was born in Europe.
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Well, St.
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Petersburg is kind of Eastern Europe.
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I consider it Europe.
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He was born in Italy.
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He was born in Rome.
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I was born in Liverpool in a railroad switch house.
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We use at with smaller insignificant kind of places.
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So I'm at the farmer's market because farmer's market is relatively small.
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Same with buildings.
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I'm at the airport.
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I'm gonna meet you at the restaurant with small insignificant things we're using at.
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Work at the university stadium I'm a security guard the next set of rules is regarding all versus all of so we use all of when we have pronouns pronouns are us they them me you those are all pronouns so we say all of us are going to Malibu next week all of them have completed their TOEFL test so whenever it's a pronoun we have all of all of me however in all other cases we have all all the people are forced to stay at home all the students have to wear masks all the children need to stay at home all the gods all the heavens by the way guys if you're looking for a manual or like a book for grammar my team and i have created a grammar book with all the necessary rules that you need.
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We have prepositions, we have tenses, we have conditionals.
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Oh my God, I hate conditionals.
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What would have happened if he had come five minutes earlier?
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Like all of those clauses and consequences.
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All of that is explained in a very simple manner.
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It's a very, very visual grammar book that you can use every single day when you are doing something in English, when you have this question, oh my God, what do I use here?
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Our grammar book would be there to help you.
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Moreover, if you want more practice, we have a special practice exercise book created specifically for this grammar book.
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So you can read the topic on a specific grammar rule and then practice that grammar rule.
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It's a very affordable manual created by me and my team.
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It's brand new, it's fresh, no old fashioned words, no old fashioned rules.
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I use it all the time with my students when I'm creating different classes.
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The link will be below.
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Please make sure to download it, print it out, or you can use a PDF on your computer or your iPad.
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I, by the way, love using iPad Pro, where you can write things inside the PDF with a pen.
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But it's up to you, whatever you have at home, or just print it out, and have it on your desk at all times because this is something you can consult when you have any questions regarding grammar.
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Again, the link will be below.
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Thank you so much for downloading it, and it would really help you go through my videos as well.
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The next section, in versus on versus at, when we're talking about time.
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So when we talk about general measurements, like I'll be there in two minutes, I'll see you in two days, we're gonna travel abroad in two months.
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So this in is used with general measurements.
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I'll be there in 20 minutes.
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However, when we have a specific date and time, we use on and at.
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I will see you on Monday at 12 p.m.
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The classes start on September 21st.
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I'll go now, if I may.
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We'll see you on Friday.
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And remember that in is also used with a year.
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I was born in 1990.
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He will come back in 2025.
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That was in 1994.
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Beside versus besides.
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So beside is a preposition that means nearby.
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We were camping beside the river.
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We were camping on the shore, right?
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We're really close to the river and we're camping there.
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Beside the white chickens.
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Besides as an adverb and preposition that means in addition to.
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Besides, we need your support in this venture.
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So this is something you would start your sentence with.
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Besides two suitcases, I'm taking three boxes with me.
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So it means in addition to my boxes, I'm taking my suitcases.
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You mean beside my marriage?
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Among versus between.
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Among is used when you have a group of objects or people, usually three or more.
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She's very popular among her classmates.
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She's a very popular girl, right?
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I can choose among all your t-shirts.
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You have like 30 in your closet.
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Oh my God.
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among our homes.
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Between is when you have two objects.
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I can't decide between going to the cinema and staying at home.
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Between us.
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Yes.
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On versus upon.
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They're actually interchangeable.
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You can use both.
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But upon is really formal and unfashioned.
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Remember this?
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Once upon a time, there was this little girl who lived in the forest, blah, blah, blah.
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All the fairy tales will start like that.
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Put your book on a table.
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We usually just use on in this context.
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To versus than.
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There are several words that can only be followed by to.
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And these words are senior, junior, prefer, prior, superior, inferior, preferable.
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He is senior to me in service, right?
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We're using to.
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I prefer coffee to tea.
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I like coffee more.
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He is superior to me in terms of grades, which means he's higher than me.
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Is Matthew superior to me?
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So with these, we use to.
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In other cases, we use then.
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He's better than me.
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She's more beautiful than me, etc.
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You're no better than he is.
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In versus into.
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We use in when we have a person, an animal, or an object located in a location.
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I was sitting in the classroom.
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He was in the house when the policeman came.
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Here he is in your office.
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We use into in a sense of coming toward something.
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He came into my office.
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So he was kind of entering a closed space and he was moving toward me.
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So he came into my office.
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We're driving into garage.
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So this is this movement inside.
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Then we use into.
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Came into the store.
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For versus since.
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For measures a period.
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Since marks the start date.
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I've been vlogging for five years already.
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I've been vlogging since 2014.
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It's actually six.
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Wow.
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I've been following Lingua Marina.
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Wow, this is a great example for you to practice.
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Write this down below.
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Two sentences.
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I've been following Lingua Marina for two years.
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I've been following Lingua Marina since 2018 when I first saw her video about TOEFL.
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By the way guys let me know when did you first start watching me and why?
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What was that video that grabbed your attention and made you subscribe and made you follow me?
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This would be really useful for my future videos because I would make sure I produce more content that attracts people's attention.
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Please comment down below and thank you so much for doing that and thank you so much for practicing your English down in comments below.
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Agree with versus agree to.
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Agree with is used for agreement with a person.
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I agree with you.
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We need to practice English daily.
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I agree with our president that we need to support our economy.
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I agree with Dinesh.
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Agree to is used for agreement to a plan, proposal or idea.
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I agree to your proposal.
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Let's start a company together.
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I agree to your idea to share this video with all of my friends.
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You'll agree to anything.
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Thank you guys so much for watching this video up to the very end.
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I hope you got a lot of useful information on how to use your prepositions correctly, and I hope you made sure and downloaded my grammar book so that it's with you at all times and you make sure that you are using the right structures, that you're using the right words and the right grammar in your English language.
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The link will be below.
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Thank you so much and I will see you very soon in my next videos.
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Bye bye.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will delve into the nuances of prepositions in English grammar, focusing on the common words "in," "at," "on," and "to." Understanding how to use these prepositions correctly can significantly enhance your communication skills in English. You will practice distinguishing between larger and smaller locations, as well as how to apply these prepositions in time-related contexts. By the end of the lesson, you will be better equipped to use prepositions with confidence, improving both your spoken and written English.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • In - used for larger, more significant places (e.g., countries, cities)
  • At - used for smaller, specific places (e.g., at the airport, at the restaurant)
  • On - used for specific days and dates (e.g., on Monday, on September 21st)
  • All of - used with pronouns (e.g., all of us, all of them)
  • All - used in broader contexts (e.g., all students, all children)
  • General measurements - phrases like "in two days," "in twenty minutes"
  • Specific time - phrases like "at 12 p.m.," "on Friday"

Practice Tips

To effectively improve your English pronunciation and grasp of prepositions using this video, consider practicing shadow speech. This technique involves listening closely to the video's narration and repeating phrases in real time, mirroring the speaker's speed and tone. Take note of the rhythm and intonation as you shadow speak. Aim to replicate the nuances in pronunciation, especially when differentiating between similar prepositions like "in" and "at." This focused practice will help solidify your understanding of how these prepositions are used contextually.

Additionally, try pausing the video after key phrases to repeat what you've heard. This will reinforce your learning, and you'll find yourself becoming more fluent in everyday conversations. As you learn English with YouTube, consistent practice will not only improve your grammar but also your overall speaking skills, allowing you to express yourself more clearly and confidently.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.