Prepositions: In vs Into // Prepositions: On vs Onto
Prepositions: In vs Into
1. In
Meaning: Inside / Position (No movement) : āĻ ā§°ā§āĻĨ: āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ / āϏā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤāĻŋ (āĻā§āύ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋ āύāĻžāĻ)
Rule: IN is used when something is already inside a place and there is no movement. : āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻŽ: IN āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āϝā§āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻā§āύ⧠āĻŦāϏā§āϤ⧠āĻŦāĻž āĻŦā§āϝāĻā§āϤāĻŋ āĻāϤāĻŋāĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§ āĻā§°ā§ āĻā§āύ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋ āύāĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤
Example: i. The ball is in the box. : āĻŦāϞāĻā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ ii. She is in the room. : āϤāĻžāĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻžā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
2. Into
Meaning: Moving inside / Motion : āĻ ā§°ā§āĻĨ: āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋ āĻā§°āĻž
Rule: INTO is used when something moves from outside to inside. āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻŽ: INTO āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ āϝā§āϤāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻž āĻā§āύ⧠āĻŦāϏā§āϤ⧠āĻŦāĻžāĻšāĻŋā§°ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Example: i. The ball went into the box. : āĻŦāϞāĻā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āĻ’āϞāĨ¤ ii. She walked into the room. : āϤāĻžāĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻžā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āϏā§āĻŽāĻžāϞāĨ¤
Key Difference
IN → Where? (place / position) : IN → āĻ’āϤ āĻāĻā§? (āϏā§āĻĨāĻžāύ)
INTO → Where to? (movement / direction) : INTO → āĻ’āϞ⧠āĻ’āϞ? (āĻāϤāĻŋ / āĻĻāĻŋāĻļ)
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Prepositions: On vs Onto
1. On = On the surface (No movement)
Meaning: Used when something is already resting on a surface. āĻ ā§°ā§āĻĨ: āĻā§āύ⧠āĻŦāϏā§āϤ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋāĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠āĻāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āώā§āĻ ā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋāϞ⧠“on” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Example: The book is on the table. : āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ: āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒāĻāύ āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
More Examples:
- The cat is on the roof. : āĻŦāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻāĻžāĻĻā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
- There is a picture on the wall. : āĻĻā§ā§ąāĻžāϞāϤ āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻŦāĻŋ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
2. Onto = Movement to a surface
Meaning: Used when something moves from one place to a surface.
āĻ
ā§°ā§āĻĨ: āĻā§āύ⧠āĻŦāϏā§āϤ⧠āĻŦāĻžāĻšāĻŋā§°ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻā§ āĻā§āύ⧠āĻĒā§āώā§āĻ ā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻ āĻŋāϞ⧠“onto” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Example: The boy jumped onto the table.
āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ: āϞ’ā§°āĻžāĻā§ā§ąā§ āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻāĻĒāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻ āĻāĻ āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
More Examples:
- The cat jumped onto the roof. : āĻŦāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻāĻžāĻĻā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻāĻĒāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻ āĻāĻ āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
- He climbed onto the horse. : āϤā§āĻāĻ āĻā§āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻžā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻ āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
Key Difference
On → Position (Already on the surface)
Onto → Movement to the surface
Example:
- The ball is on the table. : āĻŦāϞāĻā§ āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
- The ball rolled onto the table. : āĻŦāϞāĻā§ āĻāĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻ āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻ āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
Quick Trick
- On = Where? (Position) : āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ: The pen is on the desk.
- Onto = Where to? (Movement) : āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ: He threw the pen onto the desk.
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MCQ : Prepositions: In & Into
Q1. She is sitting ___ the room. : āϤāĻžāĻ āĻā§āĻ āĻžā§° ___ āĻŦāĻšāĻŋ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) at
Ans: (a) in
Explanation: “In” is used because it shows position inside the room without movement. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: “In” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšā§āĻā§ āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāϤāĻŋāĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠āĻā§āĻ āĻžā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻāĻā§, āĻā§āύ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋ āύāĻžāĻāĨ¤
Q2. The cat jumped ___ the box. : āĻŦāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻā§° ___ āĻāĻāĻĒāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāϞā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) at (d) by
Ans: (b) into
Explanation: “Into” shows movement from outside to inside. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: “Into” āĻŦāĻžāĻšāĻŋā§°ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Q3. There is milk ___ the glass. : āĻā§āϞāĻžāĻāϤ ___ āĻāĻžāĻā§ā§° āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) to
Ans: (a) in
Explanation: It shows the position of milk inside the glass. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻā§āϞāĻžāĻā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻāĻžāĻā§ā§° āĻāĻā§, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ “in” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšā§āĻā§āĨ¤
Q4. He walked ___ the classroom quietly. : āϤā§āĻāĻ āύā§ā§°ā§ąā§ āĻā§āϞāĻžāĻā§°ā§āĻŽā§° ___ āϏā§āĻŽāĻžāϞāĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) for
Ans: (b) into
Explanation: Walking indicates movement into the classroom. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: “Walked” āĻāϤāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻā§ā§ąāĻžāϝāĻŧ, āϏā§āϝāĻŧā§ “into” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšā§āĻā§āĨ¤
Q5. The keys are ___ my pocket. : āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻŦā§ā§° āĻŽā§ā§° āĻĒāĻā§āĻā§° ___ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) at (d) on
Ans: (a) in
Explanation: Keys are already inside the pocket. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻŦā§ā§° āĻĒāĻā§āĻā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻāĻā§, āĻāϤāĻŋ āύāĻžāĻāĨ¤
Q6. The ball fell ___ the river. : āĻŦāϞāĻā§ āύāĻĻā§ā§° ___ āĻĒā§°āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) from
Ans: (b) into
Explanation: Falling shows movement from outside to inside. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: “Fell” āĻŦāĻžāĻšāĻŋā§°ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻā§ā§ąāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Q7. The children are playing ___ the park. : āϞ’ā§°āĻžāĻā§ā§ąāĻžāϞā§āĻŦā§ā§° āĻĒāĻžā§°ā§āĻā§° ___ āĻā§āϞāĻŋ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) at (d) over
Ans: (a) in
Explanation: They are already inside the park. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āϏāĻŋāĻšāĻāϤ āĻĒāĻžā§°ā§āĻā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
Q8. He threw the stone ___ the water. : āϤā§āĻāĻ āĻļāĻŋāϞāĻā§ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° ___ āύāĻŋāĻā§āώā§āĻĒ āĻā§°āĻŋāϞā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) at (d) by
Ans: (b) into
Explanation: Throwing shows movement into water. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻļāĻŋāϞāĻā§ āĻĒāĻžāύā§ā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤
Q9. There are many books ___ the bag. : āĻŦā§āĻā§° ___ āĻŦāĻšā§āϤ⧠āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) from
Ans: (a) in
Explanation: Books are inside the bag. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒāĻŦā§ā§° āĻŦā§āĻā§° āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϤ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
Q10. She poured water ___ the bottle. : āϤāĻžāĻ āĻŦāĻāϞāϤ āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠___ āĻĸāĻžāϞāĻŋāϞā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) by
Ans: (b) into
Explanation: Pouring indicates movement of water into bottle. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒāĻžāύ⧠āĻŦāĻāϞ⧰ āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤
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Tricky Preposition MCQs (SSC / ADRE Level) : In – Into – On – Onto
Q1. He fell ___ the river while crossing the bridge. : āϤā§āĻāĻ āϏā§āϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžā§° āĻšāĻāĻāϤ⧠āύāĻĻā§ā§° ___ āĻĒā§°āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (b) into
Explanation: “Into” shows movement from outside to inside. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž : āĻŦāĻžāĻšāĻŋā§°ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻāĻŋāϤ⧰āϞ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋ āĻšā§ā§ąāĻž āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ “into” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Q2. There is a picture ___ the wall. : āĻĻā§ā§ąāĻžāϞāϤ āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻŦāĻŋ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (c) on
Explanation: “On” is used for something attached to a surface. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻā§āύ⧠āĻŦāϏā§āϤ⧠āĻĒā§āώā§āĻ ā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋāϞ⧠“on” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Q3. She put the books ___ the table. : āϤāĻžāĻ āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒāĻŦā§ā§° āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ ___ ā§°āĻžāĻāĻŋāϞā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (c) on
Explanation: Books are placed on the surface of the table. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒāĻŦā§ā§° āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ ā§°āĻžāĻāĻž āĻšā§āĻā§āĨ¤
Q4. The boy jumped ___ the moving train. : āϞ’ā§°āĻžāĻā§ āĻāϞāύā§āϤ ā§°ā§āϞāĻāĻžāĻĄāĻŧā§ā§° ___ āĻāĻāĻĒāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāϞā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (d) onto
Explanation: “Onto” shows movement to a surface. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻā§āύ⧠āĻĒā§āώā§āĻ ā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāϤāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāĻŦāϞ⧠“onto” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Q5. The cat is sleeping ___ the chair. : āĻŦāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻāĻā§ āĻā§āϝāĻŧāĻžā§°ā§° ___ āĻļā§āĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (c) on
Explanation: The cat is on the surface of the chair. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻā§āϝāĻŧāĻžā§°ā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻĨāĻāĻž āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ “on” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšā§āĻā§āĨ¤
Q6. There is a stain ___ your shirt. : āϤā§āĻŽāĻžā§° āĻāĻžā§°ā§āĻā§° ___ āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (c) on
Explanation: Stains appear on the surface. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻĒā§āώā§āĻ ā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻĻāĻžāĻ āĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋāϞ⧠“on” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Q7. The dog climbed ___ the sofa. : āĻā§āĻā§ā§°āĻā§ āϏā§āĻĢāĻžā§° ___ āĻāĻ āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (d) onto
Explanation: Movement to the surface of sofa. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āϏā§āĻĢāĻžā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻ āĻžā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ “onto” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšā§āĻā§āĨ¤
Q8. The book is ___ the table. : āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒāĻāύ āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ ___ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (c) on
Explanation: The book is resting on the surface. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻŋāϤāĻžāĻĒāĻāύ āĻā§āĻŦā§āϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
Q9. The boy climbed ___ the tree. : āϞ’ā§°āĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻā§° ___ āĻāĻ āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (d) onto
Explanation: Movement to the surface/branch. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻ āĻž āĻŦā§āĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
Q10. He jumped ___ the stage. : āϤā§āĻāĻ āĻŽāĻā§āĻā§° ___ āĻāĻāĻĒāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāϞā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (d) onto
Explanation: Jumping to a surface. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻŽāĻā§āĻā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻ āĻžā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ “onto”āĨ¤
Q11. The picture hangs ___ the wall. : āĻāĻŦāĻŋāĻāύ āĻĻā§ā§ąāĻžāϞ⧰ ___ āϞāĻāĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (c) on
Explanation: “On” is used because the picture is attached to the surface of the wall. It shows position, not movement.
āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: “On” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšā§āĻā§ āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻāĻŦāĻŋāĻāύ āĻĻā§ā§ąāĻžāϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āϞāĻāĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāϝāĻŧāĻžāϤ āĻā§āύ⧠āĻāϤāĻŋ āύāĻžāĻ, āĻŽāĻžāϤā§ā§° āĻ
ā§ąāϏā§āĻĨāĻžāύ āĻŦā§āĻā§ā§ąāĻž āĻšā§āĻā§āĨ¤
Q12. The child climbed ___ his father’s shoulders. : āĻļāĻŋāĻļā§āĻā§ā§ąā§ āĻĻā§āĻāϤāĻžāĻā§° āĻāĻžāĻāϧ⧰ ___ āĻāĻ āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) onto
Ans: (d) onto
Explanation: “Onto” is used because the child moves upward and reaches the surface of his father’s shoulders. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: “Onto” āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻā§°āĻž āĻšā§āĻā§ āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖ āĻļāĻŋāĻļā§āĻā§ā§ąā§ āĻāϤāĻŋ āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻāϤāĻžāĻā§° āĻāĻžāĻāϧ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻāĻ āĻŋāĻā§āĨ¤