GRAMMARB1PrepositionsItalian learner editionEdizione per studenti italiani

B1 Prepositions & Dependent PrepositionsB1 Prepositions & Dependent Prepositions

Master the prepositions that B1 learners need for time, place and movement, together with essential combinations such as interested in, good at, depend on, listen to, wait for and apologise for.Impara le preposizioni essenziali B1 di tempo, luogo e movimento, insieme alle combinazioni fondamentali come interested in, good at, depend on, listen to, wait for e apologise for.

at / on / into / into / frominterested ingood atdepend onlisten to

Student detailsDati studente

If the student is logged in, these fields can be auto-filled by the platform. Otherwise, the student can complete them manually.Se lo studente ha effettuato l’accesso, questi campi possono essere compilati automaticamente dalla piattaforma. Altrimenti può completarli manualmente.

Progress: 0%Progresso: 0%

1. See the prepositions in context1. Osserva le preposizioni nel contesto

“We arrived at the station at 7:30 and got on the train to Florence. I sat next to a woman who was interested in Italian art. We talked about museums, and she told me that the quality of a trip often depends on the people you meet.”“Siamo arrivati alla stazione alle 7:30 e siamo saliti sul treno per Firenze. Mi sono seduto accanto a una donna interessata all’arte italiana. Abbiamo parlato di musei e lei mi ha detto che la qualità di un viaggio spesso dipende dalle persone che incontri.”
Why these prepositions?Perché queste preposizioni?

at the station: un punto o luogo specifico.

at 7:30: un orario preciso.

on the train: trasporto pubblico o mezzo su cui possiamo muoverci.

interested in, talk about e depend on: combinazioni fisse da imparare come blocchi completi.

2. The B1 preposition map2. La mappa delle preposizioni B1

Core idea:Idea centrale:

Some prepositions express a logical relationship of time, place or movement. Others are dependent prepositions: they are fixed after a particular adjective, verb or noun and must be learnt as complete chunks.Alcune preposizioni esprimono una relazione logica di tempo, luogo o movimento. Altre sono dependent prepositions: seguono in modo fisso un particolare aggettivo, verbo o nome e vanno imparate come espressioni complete.

Time: at, on and inTempo: at, on e in

at + exact timeon + day/datein + month/year/period

at 6 o’clock, at night, at the weekend

on Monday, on 15 July, on Monday morning

in August, in 2026, in the morning

Italian trap: non usare una preposizione con last, next, every, this: last week, non in last week.

Place and transportLuogo e mezzi di trasporto

at = point / activityin = inside / areaon = surface / public transport

at home, at work, at the station

in a room, in Rome, in a car/taxi

on the table, on a bus/train/plane

Italian trap: diciamo in a car ma on a bus. Impara queste combinazioni come chunks.

MovementMovimento

to / from / into / ontothrough / across / along / past

go to school; come from Spain

walk into the room; jump onto the table

walk through a tunnel; swim across a river

Italian trap: con arrive non usare to: arrive in Rome, arrive at the hotel, arrive home.

Dependent prepositionsDependent prepositions

adjective / verb / noun + fixed preposition

interested in, good at, afraid of, famous for

depend on, listen to, wait for, apologise for

reason for, solution to, difference between

Italian trap: la preposizione inglese spesso non corrisponde a quella italiana. Non tradurre parola per parola: impara responsible for e married to come unità.
High-value B1 chunks:Chunks B1 da ricordare:
  • interested in / good at / worried about / proud of
  • famous for / responsible for / similar to / different from
  • depend on / belong to / listen to / wait for
  • ask for / pay for / apologise for / agree with
  • talk to somebody / talk about something
  • look at something / look for something
  • arrive in a city or country / arrive at a building or point

3. Italian brain vs English brain3. Cervello italiano vs cervello inglese

Dependent prepositions cannot usually be predicted by translating the Italian preposition. Learn the whole English expression.Le dependent prepositions normalmente non si possono prevedere traducendo la preposizione italiana. Impara l’intera espressione inglese.

ItalianoCommon mistakeNatural English
Sono interessato alla storia.I am interested to history.I am interested in history.
Dipende dal tempo.It depends from the weather.It depends on the weather.
Ascolto la musica.I listen music.I listen to music.
È molto brava in matematica.She is very good in maths.She is very good at maths.
Siamo arrivati a Roma.We arrived to Rome.We arrived in Rome.
È sposato con Anna.He is married with Anna.He is married to Anna.

4. Using prepositions in real context4. Usare le preposizioni nel contesto reale

Choose the preposition according to meaning, but remember that dependent combinations are fixed.Scegli la preposizione in base al significato, ma ricorda che le combinazioni dipendenti sono fisse.

Time
at 9:00, on Friday, in September, no preposition with next week
Travel
at the airport, in a taxi, on the plane, arrive in London
Opinions & relationships
agree with, worried about, proud of, responsible for
Natural mini-paragraph:
I arrived at the office at nine and apologised to my manager for being late. We talked about a new project that depends on several external partners. I am responsible for the timetable, so I asked for more information and agreed with my manager on the next steps.

5. Common mistakes5. Errori comuni

❌ We arrived to the airport at six.

Use arrive at for a building or specific point.Usa arrive at con un edificio o punto specifico.

✅ We arrived at the airport at six.
❌ It depends from the price.

Depend is followed by on.Depend è seguito da on.

✅ It depends on the price.
❌ She is responsible of the bookings.

The fixed adjective phrase is responsible for.La combinazione fissa è responsible for.

✅ She is responsible for the bookings.
❌ I am looking my keys.

Look for means try to find. Look at means direct your eyes towards something.Look for significa cercare. Look at significa guardare.

✅ I am looking for my keys.

6. Concept Check Questions6. Domande di controllo del concetto

Check the meaning and logic before practising the forms.Controlla significato e logica prima di esercitarti sulle forme.

1. Which preposition is used with an exact time?1. Quale preposizione si usa con un orario preciso?
2. Which sentence is correct?2. Quale frase è corretta?
3. Why should you learn “interested in” as a complete chunk?3. Perché bisogna imparare “interested in” come espressione completa?
4. Which pair is correct?4. Quale coppia è corretta?

7. Quick Check — choose the correct preposition7. Quick Check — scegli la preposizione corretta

1. Let’s meet _____ 6:30.1. Incontriamoci _____ 6:30.
2. I am very interested _____ photography.2. Sono molto interessato _____ fotografia.
3. The final decision depends _____ the cost.3. La decisione finale dipende _____ costo.
4. We arrived _____ Madrid late at night.4. Siamo arrivati _____ Madrid a tarda notte.
5. Marta is really good _____ solving problems.5. Marta è molto brava _____ risolvere problemi.

8. Challenge Check — fixed combinations and meaning8. Challenge Check — combinazioni fisse e significato

1. Sofia is responsible _____ customer enquiries.1. Sofia è responsabile _____ richieste dei clienti.
2. He apologised _____ arriving late.2. Si è scusato _____ essere arrivato tardi.
3. We need to find a solution _____ this problem.3. Dobbiamo trovare una soluzione _____ questo problema.
4. The square was crowded _____ tourists.4. La piazza era affollata _____ turisti.
5. I can’t find my phone. I’m looking _____ it.5. Non trovo il telefono. Lo sto cercando.

9. Write it in English9. Scrivi in inglese

Translate the sentence using the correct preposition or dependent-preposition chunk.Traduci la frase usando la preposizione o il chunk corretto.

1. Sono interessato alla storia europea.
2. Dipende dal tempo.
3. Siamo arrivati a Roma alle nove.
4. Lei è molto brava in matematica.
5. Mi sono scusato per il ritardo.

10. Cambridge-style transformations and correction10. Trasformazioni stile Cambridge e correzione

Rewrite the sentence using the word given. Do not change the word.Riscrivi la frase usando la parola data. Non cambiare la parola.

1. Rewrite using the word given:Riscrivi usando la parola data: INTERESTED

I am keen on photography.

2. Rewrite using the word given:Riscrivi usando la parola data: GOOD

Peter is very skilled at tennis.

3. Rewrite using the word given:Riscrivi usando la parola data: ARRIVED

We reached the airport at seven.

4. Rewrite using the word given:Riscrivi usando la parola data: DEPENDS

The result is determined by several factors.

5. Rewrite using the word given:Riscrivi usando la parola data: APOLOGISED

She said sorry because she was late.

11. Mini dialogue practice11. Mini dialogo pratico

Choose the most natural reply.Scegli la risposta più naturale.

A: “Where shall we meet, and how are you getting there?”A: “Dove ci incontriamo e come ci arrivi?”

12. Guided writing task12. Writing guidato

Write about a journey, a typical working or study day, or your interests and responsibilities. Use at least seven target preposition chunks.Scrivi di un viaggio, di una tipica giornata di lavoro o studio, oppure dei tuoi interessi e responsabilità. Usa almeno sette chunks con le preposizioni target.

time preposition
place / transport
arrive in / at
adjective + preposition
verb + preposition
for chunks
meaning contrast
Clear punctuation + 65+ words
Model answer:

Last Friday, I arrived at the station at 7:15 and got on a train to Florence. I am interested in art, so I wanted to visit a famous exhibition. On the train, I listened to a podcast about the city and talked to another passenger about local museums. The success of a short trip often depends on good organisation, and I was responsible for booking the tickets. When we arrived in Florence, we walked through the centre and looked for a small restaurant near the cathedral.

13. How to use this grammar in real life13. Come usare questa grammatica nella vita reale

Accurate prepositions make everyday English clearer and more natural, especially when discussing time, travel, work, interests and relationships.Preposizioni accurate rendono l’inglese quotidiano più chiaro e naturale, soprattutto quando parli di tempo, viaggi, lavoro, interessi e relazioni.

Use them in speakingUsale nello speaking

Practise complete chunks instead of translating individual prepositions.Esercitati con chunks completi invece di tradurre singole preposizioni.

Example:
I’m interested in marketing, and I’m responsible for social media at work.

Use them in writingUsale nel writing

Check dependent prepositions carefully when writing emails, stories and reports.Controlla attentamente le dependent prepositions quando scrivi email, storie e report.

Example:
I apologise for the delay and would like to ask for further information about the course.
Want a lasting method to really learn English?Vuoi un metodo duraturo per imparare davvero l’inglese?

Book a consultation with us and we will help you understand the best path for your level, objectives and timetable.Prenota un colloquio con noi: ti aiuteremo a capire il percorso più adatto al tuo livello, ai tuoi obiettivi e ai tuoi tempi.

Book a consultationPrenota un colloquio

14. Final score and report14. Punteggio finale e report

Check the score, identify weak areas and download or save the result.Controlla il punteggio, identifica le aree deboli e scarica o salva il risultato.

Your resultIl tuo risultato

0/45