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Prepositions are notoriously difficult to learn as they are one of the few elements of vocabulary that don’t have a straight translation from one language to another.

Don’t assume that because a preposition seems to have a similar equivalent in one situation that it will always be the same. Take the example of ‘in estate’ (in the summer). To translate ‘in bed‘, however, you don’t say ‘in letto’ but ‘a letto‘

The best way to learn prepositions is to memorise verbs, adjectives or nouns along with their relevant preposition. For example, don’t just learn the word ‘estate’ (summer), learn ‘in estate‘ (in the summer). And don’t just learn the verb to go, ‘andare’, but learn the phrase andare in autobus (go by bus) or andare al supermercato (go to the supermarket).

Learning fixed phrases doubles your wordpower. You will soon start to notice when expressions ‘don’t sound right’. When reading, take note of what prepositions are used in different ways.

They tend to be overlooked by a lot of students, but getting your prepositions right can make a real difference to how you sound when writing or speaking, so get studying!