10 CLASS BOARD EXAMINATION-ENGLISH GRAMMAR-usage of prepositions

 

Prepositions Simplified: Nailing Time & Space for SSC 2026

Hey, SSC Class of 2026! 🎓 Welcome back to your ultimate grammar toolkit.

Let’s be honest: prepositions are tiny words that create massive confusion. They are the "sticky tape" of the English language, holding your sentences together. But use the wrong tape, and your whole sentence falls apart.

In your 10th Class Board Exam, prepositions aren't just one topic; they are scattered across the Language Study, Editing, and Fill-in-the-Blanks sections.

Today, we are going to master two of the most treacherous preposition territories: Time (For vs. Since) and Space (Over/Above vs. Below/Under). Let’s get you board-ready.

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Part 1: The Ultimate Battle — For vs. Since

If I had a rupee for every time a student confused these two, I’d be retired by now. Both talk about starting points or duration, but their roles are distinct.

Preposition	What it measures	The Formula	Examples
FOR	Duration / Length of time	FOR + A period of time	* For 2 hours * For 10 years * For a long time
SINCE	Starting Point	SINCE + A specific point in time	* Since morning * Since 2010 * Since Monday

Pro-Tip for Boards: If you can answer the question "How long?", use FOR. If you can answer "When did it start?", use SINCE.

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Part 2: Mapping Space — Above, Over, Below, Under

These prepositions of place determine where something is relative to something else.

⬆️ High Positions: Above vs. Over

While both mean 'higher than', they have subtle differences:

1. OVER: Used when something is directly high up, often implies movement from one side to another, or implies covering something.

   • Directly overhead: The fan is over my head.

   • Movement: The bird flew over the bridge.

   • Covering: Put a blanket over the child.

2. ABOVE: Used when something is higher but not necessarily directly directly directly overhead. It implies one level is higher than another.

   • Level/Position: The stars are above us.

⬇️ Low Positions: Below vs. Under

The opposites of above and over follow similar rules:

1. UNDER: Used when something is directly lower, covered by something, or implies being supervised/managed.

   • Directly lower: The cat is under the table.

   • Covered: She wore a shirt under her jacket.

2. BELOW: Used when something is lower in level or rank, or implies being "less than."

   • Level: The sun sank below the horizon.

   • Rank/Measure: His marks are below average.

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📝 SSC 2026 Practice Mock Quiz: Prepositions

Test your understanding! Choose the most appropriate preposition for each blank. Do not scroll down to the answers until you finish!

1. He has been studying in this school _______ five years.

A) for

B) since

C) from

D) during

2. I haven’t seen Rahul _______ last Monday.

A) for

B) since

C) from

D) by

3. The plane flew _______ the clouds to avoid the storm.

A) above

B) over

C) under

D) beside

4. The water level in the river has dropped _______ the danger mark.

A) below

B) under

C) over

D) above

5. She placed a sheet _______ the old furniture to protect it from dust.

A) above

B) over

C) under

D) below

6. My grandparents have lived in Mumbai _______ 1947.

A) for

B) since

C) during

D) until

7. The village is situated _______ sea level.

A) below

B) under

C) up

D) above

8. Don't hide the truth. Tell us what happened_______ the meeting.

A) for

B) since

C) during

D) among

9. The traveler rested _______ the shade of a huge mango tree.

A) under

B) below

B) beside

D) above

10. I waited at the station _______ three hours before the train arrived.

A) for

B) since

C) until

D) during

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✅ Answer Key & Explanations

Q. No	Answer	Why?
1	A) for	"Five years" is a duration/period of time.
2	B) since	"Last Monday" is a specific starting point.
3	B) over	Implies movement across and at a higher level than the clouds.
4	A) below	"Danger mark" is a fixed level. We use below to indicate rank/measure.
5	B) over	We use 'over' when something covers another object.
6	B) since	"1947" is a specific starting date.
7	A) below	Sea level is a standard level/measure.
8	C) during	Used for events happening within a particular time period (the meeting).
9	A) under	Directly lower and covered by the canopy of the tree.
10	A) for	"Three hours" is a duration.