For time, use at with a clock time, on with a day or date, and in with a month or year.
For position, in often means inside; on can mean touching a surface; between places something in the space separating two others.
For movement, into means from outside to inside, and across means from one side to the other. Read the whole scene before choosing.
See it. Say it. Understand it.
Easy / Start here
The lesson starts at nine on Monday in November. → Clock time, day and month need different words.
පාඩම නොවැම්බර් මාසයේ සඳුදා නවයට ඇරඹේ.
Moderate / Add a little
The bag is on the desk, and the ball is in the box between two chairs. → On shows a surface; in shows inside; between relates the box to the chairs.
බෑගය මේසය මතය; පුටු දෙක අතර පෙට්ටිය තුළ බෝලය ඇත.
Challenge / Try when ready
Walk across the yard and into the room beside the office. → First cross from one side of the yard to the other, then enter the room next to the office.
මිදුල හරහා ගොස් කාර්යාලය අසල කාමරයට ඇතුළු වන්න.
Try it / පුහුණු වෙමු
Complete: 1 ___ seven o’clock. 2 ___ Friday. 3 ___ January. 4 Put the book ___ the desk’s top surface. 5 Walk from outside ___ the classroom. 6 A box has one chair on each side. The box is ___ the chairs.
1 at. 2 on. 3 in. 4 on. 5 into. 6 between. Each answer follows the stated relation: on the surface, into from outside, and between two chairs.
පිළිවෙළින් at, on, in, on, into, between යෙදේ; පදය තෝරන්නේ කියන සම්බන්ධය අනුවය.
More detail for teachers and confident learners
Prepositions link a noun phrase to another part of the sentence. At often marks a precise time or point, on a day or surface, and in a month, year or enclosed area. Movement words such as into and across express direction rather than a static position. These are useful patterns, but many combinations are conventional and need to be learned in context. A natural phrase is more reliable than a word-for-word translation.
In directions, give one clear step at a time and use landmarks that the listener can recognise. Between usually connects distinct things, and among relates to membership within a group. Distinguish a starting point from a destination and a duration from a deadline. After writing, trace the route or timeline yourself: a grammatically possible sentence may still give confusing practical information.
At this stage, connect the rule with familiar people, school activities and short messages. A clear complete sentence matters more than a long one. Notice how the model names its subject and establishes a simple situation before adding detail.
වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.
Optional extra unit worksheet
Practise the whole unit and receive a separate answer or model guide.
The club usually meets inside, but it is meeting outside this week because the room is being repaired. → Meets is the routine; is meeting shows this week’s temporary change. The repair explains the change.
1 Complete: She ___ writing now. 2 Correct: They playing cricket. 3 Make a question: Ravi is reading. 4 Choose: We usually (walk / are walking) to school, but today we (take / are taking) the bus.
1 is. 2 They are playing cricket. 3 Is Ravi reading? 4 walk; are taking. Usually describes the routine, while today’s bus journey contrasts with it.
is හා are යොදා ක්‍රියාව සම්පූර්ණ කරන්න; Is Ravi reading? ප්‍රශ්නයයි. පුරුද්දට walk ද අද වෙනසට are taking ද යෙදේ.
More detail for teachers and confident learners
Use am, is or are plus an -ing form for an action in progress around the time of speaking, or a temporary situation. The helper agrees with the subject: I am, she is, and they are. Put not after the helper to make a negative. Move the helper before the subject in a question. Do not add do or does to this pattern. Many verbs about knowledge and possession, such as know and own, normally use a simple form in their usual meanings.
Contrast the time frame rather than memorising one signal word. A learner may usually travel by bus but be walking this week. An -ing ending alone does not make a complete verb: the appropriate form of be is also needed. When describing a picture, identify visible actions and avoid inventing information outside the picture.
At this stage, connect the rule with familiar people, school activities and short messages. A clear complete sentence matters more than a long one. Notice how the model names its subject and establishes a simple situation before adding detail.
වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.
Optional extra unit worksheet
Practise the whole unit and receive a separate answer or model guide.
Description helps a reader imagine a person, place or scene.
Select a clear viewpoint and organise details, for example from near to far or from a general impression to important features.
Use precise nouns and verbs, then add adjectives only where they contribute useful information.
See it. Say it. Understand it.
Easy / Start here
A scene can be organised from the entrance of the community library to the activity inside.
Moderate / Add a little
Describe visible evidence before inferring a character's feelings.
More detail for teachers and confident learners
Description helps a reader imagine a person, place or scene. Select a clear viewpoint and organise details, for example from near to far or from a general impression to important features. Use precise nouns and verbs, then add adjectives only where they contribute useful information. Sensory detail can create atmosphere, but a description should not become an unrelated list of colours, sounds and smells.
Distinguish what is visible from what you infer. A person holding a bag is observable; deciding that the person is returning from a long journey may require evidence. In a picture task, use the present continuous for visible actions and suitable prepositions for position. In a remembered scene, a past tense may be more appropriate. Keep the purpose in mind: describing a route, a friend and a festival calls for different selections of detail.
At this stage, connect the rule with familiar people, school activities and short messages. A clear complete sentence matters more than a long one. Notice how the model names its subject and establishes a simple situation before adding detail.
වැඩි විස්තර අවශ්‍ය විට පමණක් මෙම කොටස කියවන්න.
Optional extra unit worksheet
Practise the whole unit and receive a separate answer or model guide.
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