Grammar May 3, 2026 8 min read By Enable Academy

Common Preposition Errors Indians Make in English

Imagine Ravi, a brilliant software engineer in Bengaluru, is in a high-stakes meeting with a client from London. He says, “Don’t worry, we will discuss about the server issues and revert back to you by evening.” To Ravi, this sounds perfectly polite and professional. But to the client, those two extra words—about and back—stick out like a sore thumb.

Prepositions are the salt of the English language. When used correctly, you don’t notice them. When they’re wrong, the whole sentence feels off. In India, most of us grew up speaking languages like Hindi, Tamil, or Bengali, where prepositions don’t exist as separate words before a noun; instead, we use post-positions that come after the noun (like kamre mein for in the room or table par for on the table). This mental translation often leads to the preposition pitfalls we see in Indian offices and college campuses every day.

The Redundancy Trap: Adding What Isn’t Needed

One of the most common habits in Indian English is adding a preposition after a verb that already includes its meaning. These extra words make sentences sound unnatural to native speakers.

Discuss vs. Discuss About

In Hindi, we say baare mein baat karna (talk about). So, it’s natural to translate this as discuss about. However, discuss already means to talk about.

Correct vs Incorrect Usage of 'Discuss'
Incorrect	Correct
Let’s discuss about the placement drive.	Let’s discuss the placement drive.

Revert Back / Return Back

Revert means to return to a previous state, condition, or topic. Return means to come back. Adding back is like saying “I will come back back.”

Correct vs Incorrect Usage of 'Revert' and 'Return'
Incorrect	Correct
I will revert back to your email by EOD.	I will reply to your email by EOD.
She will return back from Mumbai tomorrow.	She will return from Mumbai tomorrow.

Order For

When you’re at a restaurant in Mumbai, you might say, “I will order for a cutting chai.” But in English, you order the item directly.

Correct vs Incorrect Usage of 'Order'
Incorrect	Correct
Priya ordered for a coffee.	Priya ordered a coffee.

Key Point: Verbs like discuss, reach, and order are transitive and take their object directly without a preposition. Verbs like revert and return can be intransitive when describing a movement or change of state and often require prepositions (such as to or from), but adding the word back is redundant since that meaning is already built into the verb.

The “Cope Up With” Confusion

This is perhaps the most persistent error in the Indian corporate world. We often say cope up with when we mean managing a difficult situation.

There is no such phrase as cope up with. You either cope with something (handle it) or you keep up with someone (match their speed).

Correct vs Incorrect Usage of 'Cope'
Incorrect	Correct
It is hard to cope up with the workload in an IT firm.	It is hard to cope with the workload in an IT firm.

In, On, and At: The Maze of Time and Place

We often mix up in, on, and at, especially with specific locations or times. Think of it as a funnel: In is for big, general things; On is for specific days or surfaces; At is for very precise points.

Place

In for cities, countries, or large areas: She lives in Mumbai.
At for specific spots: Let’s meet at the Gateway of India.

Time

In for months, years, or parts of the day: We’ll launch the product in July.
On for days or dates: The meeting is on Monday.
At for specific times: The train departs at 5:30 PM.

Correct vs Incorrect Usage of Time and Place Prepositions
Incorrect	Correct
I will meet you in 5:00 PM on the station.	I will meet you at 5:00 PM at the station.

Since vs. For: The Duration Dilemma

If you’re preparing for exams like the IELTS or UPSC, this distinction is crucial. Indian speakers frequently use since to describe a duration of time, which is incorrect.

Since is for a specific starting point: I have been living in Delhi since 2019.
For is for a duration or length of time: I have been living in Delhi for five years.

Correct vs Incorrect Usage of 'Since' and 'For'
Incorrect	Correct
I have been living in Delhi since five years.	I have been living in Delhi for five years.
She has been working here for Monday.	She has been working here since Monday.

Reached To / Married With and Other Common Mistakes

In many Indian languages, we say we reached to a place (pahunch gaye). In English, reach is a transitive verb and doesn’t need to. Similarly, we often translate shadi hui as married with, but the correct preposition is to.

Correct vs Incorrect Usage of Common Verbs and Prepositions
Incorrect	Correct
We reached to the airport late because of the rain.	We reached the airport late because of the rain.
Arjun is married with a doctor.	Arjun is married to a doctor.
She is angry on her brother.	She is angry with her brother.

The Preposition Cheat Sheet: 15 Common Errors

Here’s a quick reference for the most frequent preposition mistakes made by Indian English speakers:

Common Preposition Errors and Corrections
Incorrect	Correct	Example
Discuss about	Discuss	Let’s discuss the budget.
Cope up with	Cope with	She can’t cope with the stress.
Revert back	Reply / Respond	Please reply at your earliest convenience.
Married with	Married to	He is married to my cousin.
Since 2 hours	For 2 hours	I’ve been waiting for two hours.
Congratulate for	Congratulate on	Congratulate him on his promotion.
Comprise of	Comprise / Consist of	The team comprises ten engineers.
Listen me	Listen to me	Please listen to the instructions.
Angry on	Angry with	Ravi is angry with his roommate.
Request for	Request	I requested a leave of absence.
On last Monday	Last Monday	I met her last Monday.
Enter into	Enter	Don’t enter the room without knocking.
Awaiting for	Awaiting / Waiting for	We are awaiting the results.
Reached to	Reached	They reached Bengaluru at dawn.
Pay attention on	Pay attention to	Pay attention to the teacher.

Pro Tip: Bookmark this table and refer to it whenever you’re writing emails, essays, or cover letters. Over time, these corrections will become second nature.

Why Does This Matter?

You might think, “If the other person understands me, why does it matter?” In casual conversation over chai, it probably doesn’t. But if you’re writing a cover letter for a job at a multinational company or appearing for a visa interview, these small errors can subtly signal a lack of polish. Precision in prepositions shows that you’ve moved beyond literal translation and have truly mastered the rhythm of English.

Final Thought

English prepositions don’t always follow logic, so stop translating from your mother tongue and start noticing how native speakers—or high-quality newspapers like The Hindu—use them. Master these small but significant details, and you’ll sound more confident and professional in both written and spoken English. Precision in prepositions is the hallmark of fluency.