Prepositions

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Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.

Prepositions — High-Frequency MDCAT Points

• Most Tested Prepositions in MDCAT:

  • Time: at (specific time), on (days/dates), in (months/years/longer periods)
  • Place: in (enclosed space), on (surface), at (point/location)
  • Movement: to (direction), into (inside), through ( passage), across ( surface)
  • Instrument/Medium: by (method), with (tool/accompaniment)

• MDCAT Quick Rules:

  • “Arrive in a country/city” → “Arrive at a station/place”
  • “Good at” but “Clever at” and “Expert in” — each adjective takes its own preposition
  • “Die of” (disease), “die in” (war), “die for” (cause), “die from” (injury)
  • “Consist of” (has parts) — NOT “consist in”
  • “Prefers A to B” — keep the same grammatical form after both

• Top 10 Confusable Pairs:

  • Look at vs. Look for (seek) vs. Look after (care for) vs. Look into (investigate)
  • Pay attention to vs. Pay for (purchase) vs. Pay by (method)
  • Depend on vs. Rely on (both mean rely; “depend on” is more common)
  • Agree to (plan/proposal) vs. Agree with (person/opinion)

• Exam Tip: MDCAT grammar questions frequently test prepositions after verbs and adjectives. When in doubt, substitute with the most common collocation in standard English.

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students with a few days to months.

Prepositions — MDCAT Study Guide

Why Prepositions Appear in MDCAT

Preposition questions test your command of standard English collocations — the habitual pairings between words that native speakers use automatically. In the MDCAT English section, approximately 5-8 questions focus directly or indirectly on preposition usage, often embedded within sentence correction, fill-in-the-blank, or error identification questions.

Categorical Breakdown of Prepositions

1. Prepositions of Time

Preposition	Usage	Example
at	Specific point in time	at 9 o’clock, at noon, at night
on	Specific day/date	on Monday, on 14th August, on my birthday
in	Longer periods	in 2025, in December, in the morning (but “at night”)

• MDCAT Rule: “In the morning/afternoon/evening” BUT “at night.” Exception: “on a cold morning” — the article changes when an adjective modifies the time.
• Common mistake: Saying “in Monday” — correct is “on Monday.” Only use “in” with groups of days (in the week, in the holidays) or general time periods.

2. Prepositions of Place

Preposition	Usage	Example
in	Inside enclosed space (country, city, room, box)	in Pakistan, in Lahore, in the box
on	On a surface (table, wall, page)	on the table, on the wall, on page 10
at	Specific point/location (address, events, abstract positions)	at the door, at the station, at school

• Critical Distinction:
  • “She’s in the kitchen” (inside the kitchen)
  • “She’s at the kitchen” (located at that point — usually means cooking or doing kitchen-related work)
  • “She’s on the kitchen counter” (physically on top of the surface)
• Key MDCAT Rule: “At home” vs “In home” — always say “at home,” never “in home.”

3. Prepositions of Movement

• to — movement toward a destination: walk to school, go to bed
• into — movement inside something: jump into the pool, enter into an agreement
• through — movement across a passage or opening: drive through the tunnel, pass through the forest
• across — movement over a surface: swim across the river, walk across the road
• along — movement along a line: walk along the road, travel along the coast
• onto — movement onto a surface: step onto the platform, jump onto the horse
• towards — direction (less specific than “to”): walk towards the building, move towards the exit
• Difference between “into” and “in”: “into” indicates entry/movement; “in” indicates state (e.g., “sit in the chair” = state, not movement).

4. Prepositional Combinations with Verbs (Collocations)

These are the MOST frequently tested in MDCAT:

• Agree — agree to (a plan/proposal), agree with (a person or idea), agree on (a topic/decision)
• Depend/Rely — depend on, rely on
• Believe — believe in (existence/trust): believe in God, believe in hard work
• Consist — consist of (NOT “consist in”)
• Consist — consist in (meaning/essence): The beauty of the plan consists in its simplicity
• Die — die of (illness), die from (cause), die in (war/accident), die for (cause/noble reason)
• Laugh — laugh at (person/mistake), laugh about (event)
• Look — look at (direct gaze), look after (take care of), look for (search), look into (investigate), look forward to (anticipate with pleasure)
• Pay — pay attention to, pay for (buy), pay by (method)
• Prepare — prepare for (exam), prepare to (action), be prepared for (eventuality)
• Result — result in (cause), result from (come from)
• Suffer — suffer from (illness), suffer in (situation)
• Wait — wait for (person/thing), wait at (location), wait in (queue/line)

5. Prepositional Combinations with Adjectives (MDCAT High-Yield)

Many adjectives are followed by specific prepositions — memorizing these pairs is essential:

• Good at / Bad at — She’s good at biology.
• Similar to / Different from — This case is similar to that one. (NOT “different than”)
• Fond of / Afraid of / Tired of / Conscious of — Fond of music, afraid of heights, tired of waiting, conscious of the problem
• Proud of / Jealous of / Sure of / Certain of — Proud of her achievement, jealous of his success
• Angry with (person) / Angry about (situation) — Angry with him, angry about the decision
• Happy about (event) / Happy with (something received) — Happy about the result, happy with the service
• Keen on / Eager for — Keen on sports, eager for results
• Familiar with / Familiar to — I’m familiar with this topic (I know it well). This topic is familiar to me.
• Patient with / Impatient with — Be patient with students.
• Responsible for / Guilty of — Responsible for the damage, guilty of murder
• Adequate for / Sufficient for / Enough for — Adequate for the task
• Full of / Short of / Capable of / Independent of / Dependent on

6. Prepositions After Nouns

• Reason for (the reason for the delay)
• Cause of (the cause of the fire)
• Solution to (the solution to the problem)
• Attitude toward/towards (positive attitude towards studies)
• Effect on/upon (side effects of medication)
• Relationship between/with (relationship between variables)
• Increase of/in/by (increase of 10%, increase in prices, increase by 20%)
• Lack of (lack of water)

Fixed Prepositional Expressions (MDCAT Memorize List)

These phrases appear repeatedly in MDCAT and other medical entrance tests:

• In advance — Book in advance
• At least — At least five students
• On behalf of — Speaking on behalf of the committee
• In addition to — In addition to studying
• In contrast to/with — In contrast to previous results
• In terms of — In terms of quality
• With respect to / With regard to — With respect to the new policy
• By means of — By means of communication
• In order to / In order for — In order to succeed
• In spite of / Despite — In spite of the difficulty (note: no “of” after despite)
• Because of / Due to / Owing to — All mean cause, but due to/owing to follow “be” verb more strictly
• According to — According to the report
• In accordance with — In accordance with the rules
• In reference to / With reference to — With reference to your letter

Distinguishing “Due to,” “Owing to,” and “Because of”

• Due to — Traditionally used as predicate complement (after “be”): “The delay was due to traffic.” (Correct: delay = due to traffic)
• Because of — Used before verb: “The match was postponed because of rain.” (Correct: because of modifies “postponed”)
• Owing to — Functions like “due to” but more formal: “Owing to the rain, the match was postponed.” (Works as an introductory phrase)
• MDCAT Rule: Avoid “due to” at the beginning of a sentence — use “owing to” or “because of” instead.

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🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.

Prepositions — Comprehensive MDCAT Notes

Linguistic Theory: Why Prepositions Are Difficult

Prepositions are among the most idiosyncratic elements in English. Unlike most grammar rules that follow patterns, prepositions are largely arbitrary conventions determined by centuries of usage. There is often no logical reason why we say “interested in” but “good at” — you simply must learn them as fixed combinations. This explains why preposition errors are among the most persistent even among advanced English speakers, and why MDCAT tests them specifically.

The Semantic Range of “At,” “On,” and “In” in Medical Contexts

MDCAT often uses medical and scientific vocabulary in its English section. Understanding the spatial logic of prepositions helps resolve ambiguity:

• At — denotes a point in space or time; treated as dimensionless
  • At the cellular level, at the point of infection, at this stage, at normal temperature
• On — denotes contact or support; surface or boundary
  • On the surface, on the skin, on the mend (recovering), on medication, on the increase
• In — denotes containment within a space or state
  • In the body, in the blood, in recovery, in a coma, in pain, in detail

Medical collocations with prepositions:

• On examination: On palpation, on auscultation (note: “on” — upon/at the time of)
• In the presence of: In the presence of pathogens
• At the site of: At the site of infection
• In the event of: In the event of cardiac arrest
• On the basis of: Diagnosis made on the basis of symptoms

Verb + Preposition + Object Structures (Comprehensive List)

When a verb takes a preposition, the preposition is determined by the verb itself — this is called prepositional verb vs phrasal verb distinction. The preposition cannot be changed arbitrarily.

Prepositional Verbs (verb + preposition + object; preposition is fixed):

• Listen to the heartbeat (not “listen at” or “listen for” when meaning hear)
• Look at the X-ray (not “look on”)
• Arrive in (country/large city) / at (building/point)
• Depend on / Count on / Rely on
• Benefit from / Suffer from
• Object to / Objection to
• Access to / Access to information
• Approve of / Disapprove of
• Conspire against / Advise against
• Dream of / Dream about (both acceptable, slight difference)
• Insist on / Persist in
• Invest in / Prevent from / Protect from
• Respond to / React to
• Retort on / Blame for (blame can take “for” directly as in “blame someone for something” or with “blame on someone”)

Phrasal Verbs with PostParticles (verb + adverb; object can come before or after):

• Look up (search) — Look it up / Look up the word
• Put off (postpone) — Put off the appointment / Put the appointment off
• Give in (surrender) — Give in / Give in the form
• Go over (review) — Go over notes
• Come across (encounter) — Come across an interesting case
• Point out (identify) — Point out the error

Distinction: Prepositional verbs cannot be separated; phrasal verbs with particles can. “Look at the board” (cannot say “Look the board at”) vs. “Look up the word” (can say “Look the word up”).

Prepositions After Specific Medical/Academic Adjectives

For MDCAT, you must memorize these fixed patterns — they appear frequently:

Adjective + Preposition	Example in Medical Context
Angry at (action) / Angry with (person)	The doctor was angry at the delay.
Capable of / Incapable of	Capable of making independent decisions.
Conscious of / Unconscious of	Patient remained conscious of the pain.
Desperate for / Desperate to	Desperate for immediate medical attention.
Due for (expected)	Patient is due for discharge tomorrow.
Eligible for / Qualified for	Eligible for the medical program.
Equivalent to / Equal to	The dose is equivalent to 500mg.
Exclusive of / Inclusive of	Fees exclusive of laboratory charges.
Immune to / Immune from	Immune to chickenpox after vaccination.
Indifferent to / Sensitive to	Sensitive to penicillin.
Inferior to / Superior to	Inferior to the standard treatment.
Prior to / Subsequent to	Prior to surgery, the patient fasted.
Proportional to / Inversely proportional to	Pressure is proportional to temperature.
Prioritised by / Prioritised according to	Cases prioritised according to severity.
Relevant to / Irrelevant to	Findings relevant to the diagnosis.

Idiomatic Prepositional Expressions (Medical Context)

These appear frequently in MDCAT reading comprehension passages and must be recognized:

• In the first place — First and foremost; initially
• At all times — Always; continuously
• At stake — At risk; in danger
• In the long run — Eventually; over a prolonged period
• By and large — Generally; for the most part
• At any rate — Whatever the case; anyway
• In view of — Considering; because of
• With a view to — In order to; for the purpose of
• In the light of — Considering; based on new information
• Under the circumstances — Given the situation
• On the assumption that — Assuming that
• At the expense of — Damaging or sacrificing
• In relation to / With relation to — Concerning; about
• On the part of — Coming from or performed by a particular person

NCLEX and Medical Entrance Pattern: Prepositions in Clinical Instructions

MDCAT sometimes uses clinical scenario sentences to test preposition knowledge:

• “Administer the medication at 8-hour intervals” (NOT “in 8-hour intervals”)
• “The drug is administered via the intravenous route” (via = by way of)
• “The patient is on nil-by-mouth status” (on = in a state of)
• “The diagnosis is based on clinical findings” (based on = derived from)
• “Blood samples were collected from the patient” (from = originating source)
• “The treatment was effective in reducing symptoms” (in = during/in the process of)

Common Errors in Preposition Usage (MDCAT Pitfall Analysis)

Error 1: “Different from” vs. “Different than”

• Correct: “This result is different from that one”
• “Different than” is acceptable mainly in American English when a clause follows: “The result was different than we expected”
• MDCAT prefers British English conventions — use “different from”

Error 2: “Married to/with” vs. “Married”

• “She married him” (no preposition needed between married and the person)
• “She is married to a doctor” (use “to” for the passive construction)
• NOT “married with” for the spouse relationship

Error 3: “In behalf of” vs. “On behalf of”

• Use “on behalf of” — “I speak on behalf of the committee”
• “In behalf of” is a common error

Error 4: “Between you and I” vs. “Between you and me”

• Object pronoun after preposition: “between you and me”
• “Between you and I” is hypercorrection — avoid

Error 5: “Like” as conjunction instead of “as”

• MDCAT grammar corrections: Use “as” or “as if” not “like” for verb clause connections
• “He behaves as if he were a doctor” (NOT “like he was a doctor”)
• “Work as a doctor does” (compares verb actions)

Mnemonics and Memory Aids for MDCAT

• Time prepositions: Think “At a point, On a line, In an area” — from smallest to largest time unit
• Place: At = spotlight (a point), On = table (surface), In = room (enclosed)
• Verb + preposition: Learn prepositions with the verbs as unbreakable pairs — never separate them in your mind
• Adjective + preposition: Create a sentence for each one and write it in your notes

Practice Test Items

Q1: The patient was admitted ____ the emergency department. (a) in (b) at (c) to (d) into

Answer: (b) at Explanation: We use “at” for specific locations/points. “Admitted at the emergency department” treats the department as a specific point of admission. However, “admitted to the hospital” uses “to” because it indicates direction of admission. The key word here is “emergency department” treated as a specific service point.

Q2: The doctor insisted ____ the patient resting for 48 hours. (a) on (b) to (c) for (d) with

Answer: (a) on Explanation: “Insist on” is the correct collocation. “Insist to” would require an indirect object: “insist to someone that…” — not “insist someone to rest.”

Q3: The clinical findings were consistent ____ the diagnosis. (a) for (b) to (c) with (d) of

Answer: (c) with Explanation: “Consistent with” is the fixed academic/medical collocation meaning “matching” or “in agreement with.”

Q4: She is good ____ mathematics but weak ____ physics. (a) at / in (b) in / at (c) with / for (d) for / with

Answer: (a) at / in Explanation: “Good at” and “weak at” are both acceptable, but “good in” and “weak in” are also used for academic subjects. MDCAT typically accepts “good at mathematics” as the primary form, and “weak in physics” is commonly used for school/academic subjects. Watch the pattern.

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