Video summary

АНГЛИЙСКИЕ предлоги | лучшее объяснение

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / lessons

  • English prepositions can’t be translated literally from Russian: Russian prepositions/cases don’t map one-to-one to English usage.
  • The video explains why learners should choose the correct preposition by identifying the core “logic/meaning” behind each:
    • of (possession / “genitive-like” relation)
    • to (direction / pointing arrow)
    • in (being “inside / surrounded by”)
    • for (reason / purpose / duration)
    • on (being “on a surface / physically on something,” plus other common uses)
  • It ends with a learning methodology to avoid mistakes: practice, memorize phrases with prepositions, and learn prepositions in context rather than only by abstract meaning.

Methodology & key instruction-style points (detailed)

How to remember and use prepositions correctly

  • Watch/learn the basic meaning logic first, but:
    • Don’t rely only on translation of Russian structures into English.
    • Even if you understand the “meaning,” real speech still causes errors.
  • Write down the common uses of each preposition.
  • Do many exercises (mistakes are expected; that’s part of learning).
  • Learn words with their typical prepositions:
    • When you learn a new word, check it in a dictionary and note which preposition it most often takes.
    • Prefer learning complete phrases (ideally in context), not isolated words.
    • Example principle: learn “interested in …” as a chunk (not just “interested”).
  • Use more input and practice:
    • Read/listen/speak English so your brain naturally internalizes correct patterns.

Prepositions explained (main concepts + examples)

1) off

  • Presented as “the easiest way to remember it” by linking to the Russian genitive case concept (answers “who/what”).
  • The subtitle text is a bit corrupted around this, but the main “genitive-like” idea is used to motivate the next examples.

2) of

Core idea: “genitive-like” relation = possession / belonging / “of + noun” relationship.

  • Possession / “of whom/what”

    • a cup of tea
    • the capital of France
    • the end of the movie
    • a bottle of water
    • the color of her eyes

  • Ownership made explicit

    • the roof of the house
    • the car of my friend (noted as somewhat formal; “my friend’s car” may sound more natural, but “car” alone can be understood/acceptable)

3) to

Core idea: direction—think of an arrow pointing toward something.

  • Direction to a place

    • go to school / go to London
    • fly to London
    • come to the party
    • walk to the station

  • Direction toward a person/object

    • talk to someone
    • write to a friend (sending a message “toward” the friend)
    • send a message to someone
    • give something to someone

  • Common fit with “listen to”

    • listen to music (attention directed toward music)

  • Time usage (until what point)

    • from 9 to 5 / 9:00–5:00
    • “quarter to” style (shown as example of “approaching” a time)
      • a quarter to 7 (15 minutes left before 7)

4) in

Core idea: being inside / surrounded by something.

  • Physical inside

    • in the room
    • in the box
    • in your bag
    • in the building

  • Inside larger areas

    • in Tbilisi
    • in Turkey
    • in Europe
    • in the city center

  • Time periods

    • in January / in 2026
    • in the 21st century
    • in the morning / in the afternoon / in the evening

  • “After some time”

    • in an hour
    • in a few minutes

  • States / conditions

    • in love
    • in trouble
    • in a hurry
    • in a good mood

  • Note about set phrases / exceptions

    • Some expressions “fit the logic” but are fixed and should be memorized:
      • say it in English
      • in writing

5) for

Core idea: “united by the same logic,” generally answering:

  • reason / purpose (“for what/why”)
  • duration (“for how long”)

  • Often interpreted as “for whom/for what” in purpose/target sense.

  • Purpose / reason / who it’s for

    • This is for you
    • a gift for mom
    • medicine for headache
    • this restaurant is famous for its food
    • arrested for stealing
    • thank you for your help
    • sorry for the mistake

  • Exchange / price

    • I bought it for $10

  • Favor / support

    • Are you for or against?
    • I am for this idea

  • Duration

    • I lived there for three years
    • We waited for an hour

6) on

Core idea: being on a surface / physically on something (physical contact with a surface).

  • On a surface

    • on the table
    • on the shelf
    • on the floor
    • on the wall

  • Transport (standing/sitting on the vehicle surface)

    • on the bus
    • on the plane
    • on the bicycle
    • on the train
    • Rule emphasized: use “on” when you can stand upright on the transport floor.
    • If not (e.g., smaller transport like a car/kayak), use in instead:
      • in a car / in a kayak (inside/surrounded by it)

  • Dates and specific days

    • on Monday
    • on July 5th
    • on your birthday

  • Other uses

    • Communication/media channels
      • on the Internet
      • on TV
      • on the radio
      • on the phone
    • Topic
      • a book on history
      • a lecture on economics
      • research on climate change
    • Fixed state phrases (overlapping with in, so memorize)
      • on fire (burning)
      • on sale
      • on vacation
      • on holiday

Speakers / sources featured

  • Valery (speaker; “Hello, Valery here.”)

Original video