1st grade identifying prepositions worksheets
Prepositions are little where-words that tell where something is or where it's going: in, on, under, by. First graders find the where-word in short sentences, a skill their hands already know from putting toys in boxes and cups on tables.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.1.1.i.
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The kind of sentences you'll get
Underline every preposition in each sentence.
-
Ben waves to his pals.
Answer: to
- Leo rests on his mat.
- The man sells sweet corn at the stand.
Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Identify. Underline every preposition in each sentence. 12 questions per page.
- Multiple choice. Circle the letter of the word that is a preposition. 10 questions per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
Act it out with any small toy: put the block ON the book, IN the cup, UNDER the chair, and say each little word with drama. Then hunt the same words in sentences. Position words stick fastest when the body does the positioning first.
Watch for: Many prepositions are tiny words (in, on, at, of), so students read past them. Small doesn't mean unimportant. A preposition always has a partner noun after it: under the porch, with my friend. If there's no partner, it's working as a different part of speech.
Common questions about identifying prepositions
- Isn't preposition a big word for 1st grade?
- The label is big; the idea is tiny. Call them where-words and first graders find them easily: in, on, under, by, up. The formal name can wait; the finding is what the grade needs.
- Which prepositions should we practice first?
- The physical ones a child can demonstrate: in, on, under, by, to. Time prepositions like during or abstract ones like about belong to later grades. If your child can act it out with a stuffed animal, it's fair game now.
Related worksheets
- 2nd grade identifying prepositions A step harder, same skill
- 3rd grade identifying prepositions A step harder, same skill
- 4th grade identifying prepositions A step harder, same skill
- 1st grade action verbs Same grade, nearby skill
- 1st grade articles (a, an, the) Same grade, nearby skill
- 1st grade common and proper nouns Same grade, nearby skill
- Identifying prepositions, all grades The full progression
- All 1st grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 1st grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core L.1.1.i. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.
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