SSC Class 10 · English Grammar · Board Exam 2026

Usage of Prepositions

FOR & SINCE · OVER, ABOVE, BELOW & UNDER — Rules, Differences & 10 Practice MCQs

📘 SSC Class 10✏️ English Grammar🗓️ Board Exam 2026

Prepositions are among the most frequently tested topics in SSC Board Exam English Grammar. A common mistake students make is confusing prepositions that look similar but have different uses. This article focuses on two important groups — FOR vs SINCE and OVER, ABOVE, BELOW, UNDER — with clear rules, examples, and 10 Board-level MCQs with answers.

PART 1 — FOR and SINCE

Both FOR and SINCE are used with the Perfect Tense to talk about time. But they are used in very different ways.

FOR	SINCE
Used for a period / duration of time	Used for a point / starting moment in time
Answers the question: "How long?"	Answers the question: "Since when?"
for two hours, for three days, for a week, for many years	since Monday, since 2010, since morning, since childhood
She has been waiting for two hours.	She has been waiting since 9 o'clock.
I have lived here for five years.	I have lived here since 2019.
He has not eaten for a long time.	He has not eaten since last night.

🧠 Quick Trick to Remember:

If the time expression is a number or quantity (two hours, three days, a week, many years) → use FOR.
If the time expression is a specific point (Monday, 2010, morning, childhood, last year) → use SINCE.

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid:

✗ I have known him since ten years.	✓ I have known him for ten years.
✗ She has been ill for last Monday.	✓ She has been ill since last Monday.
✗ He has not slept since three days.	✓ He has not slept for three days.

PART 2 — OVER, ABOVE, BELOW and UNDER

These four prepositions are often confused because they all deal with position or level. The key difference lies in whether there is contact and whether we mean movement or static position.

① ABOVE vs OVER

ABOVE	OVER
Higher in level or position — but NOT directly on top; no contact or movement	Directly on top of OR covering OR moving across — can involve contact or motion
The picture is above the fireplace. (higher position, not touching)	She put a blanket over the child. (covering — contact)
The temperature is above 40°C. (more than — level)	The plane flew over the city. (movement across)
He is above me in rank. (higher in status)	There is a bridge over the river. (spanning/crossing)

② BELOW vs UNDER

BELOW	UNDER
Lower in level or position — but NOT directly beneath; no contact; used for levels, scales, ranks	Directly beneath something, often with contact or covering; also used for age, authority, conditions
The temperature is below zero. (level on a scale)	The cat is sitting under the table. (directly beneath)
His performance is below average. (standard/level)	Children under 12 get free entry. (age limit)
The valley lies below the mountain. (lower in landscape)	She is working under a doctor. (authority / supervision)
Sign your name below the line. (lower on a page)	The tunnel goes under the river. (passing through beneath)

📌 All Four — One-Line Memory Summary

Preposition	One-Line Rule	Quick Example
ABOVE	Higher than — no contact, no movement, used for level/rank/scale	above sea level · above average
OVER	Directly on top of, covering, or moving across something	a bridge over the river · flew over the town
BELOW	Lower than — no contact, used for level/rank/standard/scale	below freezing · below average
UNDER	Directly beneath, touching or enclosed; also for age, authority	under the bed · under 18 · under construction

Practice MCQs — Prepositions

Questions 1–5: FOR and SINCE | Questions 6–10: OVER, ABOVE, BELOW, UNDER

Each question carries 1 mark. No negative marking. Choose the most appropriate preposition.

FOR / SINCE

Q1. She has been learning classical music ______ five years.

(A) since

(B) for

(D) in

FOR / SINCE

Q2. He has not visited his village ______ last Diwali.

(A) for

(B) from

(D) during

FOR / SINCE

Q3. The two countries have been at peace ______ the treaty was signed.

(A) for

(B) since

(D) after

FOR / SINCE

Q4. I have been waiting here ______ half an hour.

(A) since

(B) from

(D) for

FOR / SINCE

Q5. Grandma has been unwell ______ her birthday last month.

(A) for

(B) since

(D) during

✦ Questions 6 to 10 — OVER · ABOVE · BELOW · UNDER ✦

OVER / ABOVE / BELOW / UNDER

Q6. The helicopter flew ______ the flooded village to drop supplies.

(A) above

(B) over

(D) below

OVER / ABOVE / BELOW / UNDER

Q7. His score in the test was ______ average — he needs to improve.

(A) under

(B) over

(D) above

OVER / ABOVE / BELOW / UNDER

Q8. The new road passes ______ the mountain through a long tunnel.

(A) above

(B) below

(D) under

OVER / ABOVE / BELOW / UNDER

Q9. The notice board is fixed ______ the classroom door on the wall.

(A) over

(B) under

(D) above

OVER / ABOVE / BELOW / UNDER

Q10. The construction of the flyover is still ______ progress.

(A) above

(B) below

(D) under

✅ Answers with Explanation

Q	Answer	Rule / Reason
1	(B) for	"Five years" is a duration (period of time) → use FOR. (for five years, for two days, for a long time)
2	(C) since	"Last Diwali" is a specific point in time (a past event) → use SINCE. (since Diwali, since Monday, since 2020)
3	(B) since	"The treaty was signed" is a specific past event / point in time → use SINCE. SINCE can be followed by a clause (since + subject + verb).
4	(D) for	"Half an hour" is a period / duration → use FOR. It tells "how long" — not "since when."
5	(B) since	"Her birthday last month" is a specific point in the past → use SINCE. It marks the starting moment of her illness.
6	(B) over	OVER = movement across or above, covering an area. The helicopter moves across the village → use OVER. ABOVE would suggest static height only.
7	(C) below	BELOW = lower than a standard, level, or scale (below average, below zero, below the pass mark). UNDER is for physical position beneath an object.
8	(D) under	UNDER = directly beneath, passing through beneath. A tunnel goes through/beneath the mountain → use UNDER. BELOW is for level/standard, not physical passing beneath.
9	(D) above	ABOVE = at a higher position but not directly on top, not covering, not moving. A notice board fixed on the wall higher than the door → ABOVE. OVER would imply covering/moving across.
10	(D) under	UNDER is used in fixed expressions of condition/status: under construction, under repair, under discussion, under pressure, under arrest. These are standard English phrases — always use UNDER here.

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