Behind on/in/- something and behind schedule on/in/- something (2024)

Which preposition should I use after "behind" ? I am little confused about it.

1- I'm a little behind in my work right now
1a- I'm a little behind on my work right now
1b- I'm a little behind my work right now
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2- I keep falling further and further behind in paying off my student loans.
2a- I keep falling further and further behind on paying off my student loans.
2b- I keep falling further and further behind paying off my student loans.
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3- I am behind in schedule because I was out sick
3a- I am behind on schedule because I was out sick
3b- I am behind schedule because I was out sick
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4- We are a little behind in our rent
4a- We are a little behind on our rent
4b- We are a little behind our rent
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5- I'm now behind schedule in my party preparations.
5a- I'm now behind schedule on my party preparations.
5b- I'm now behind schedule my party preparations.

These don't work:

3- I am behind in schedule because I was out sick.
3a- I am behind on schedule because I was out sick.
5b- I'm now behind schedule my party preparations.

This one probably doesn't work:

4b- We are a little behind our rent.

The preposition can vary depending on the phrase that is appropriate for the situation, taceev.

Here are the versions of your sentences that seem better to me: 1; 2; 3b; 4a; 5

Cross-posted with Franco-filly. PS. Now The Newt has joined the discussion.

Franco-filly said:

I think I'd use "with my/our" for the above.

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For all of the examples above?

owlman5 said:

The preposition can vary depending on the phrase that is appropriate for the situation, taceev.

Here are the versions of your sentences that seem better to me: 1; 2; 3b; 4a; 5

Cross-posted with Franco-filly. PS. Now The Newt has joined the discussion.

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I just don't understand why we use "behind on taxes or rent or plan" but use "behind in my work or in paying loans"

taceev said:

I just don't understand why we use "behind on taxes or rent or plan" but use "behind in my work or in paying loans"

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taceev said:

I just don't understand why we use "behind on taxes or rent or plan" but use "behind in my work or in paying loans"

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I can't think of any reason other than custom for using on rather than in before taxes and rent. Although I have heard behind on my rent frequently, I wouldn't hesitate to use behind in my rent if I needed to refer to such an unfortunate situation.

owlman5 said:

I can't think of any reason other than custom for using on rather than in before taxes and rent. Although I have heard behind on my rent frequently, I wouldn't hesitate to use behind in my rent if I needed to refer to such an unfortunate situation.

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So which preposition to use depends on the noun after "behind" .

For example :

a- I am little behind in my work.

b- I am little behind on my training plan.

What about using gerund after "behind" ?

c- I keep falling further and further behind in paying off my student loans.

d- I keep falling further and further behind on paying off my student loans.

e- I keep falling further and further behind with paying off my student loans.

taceev said:

So we decide which prepositions to use by the noun after "behind" .

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That sounds right, taceev.

Of course, we native speakers don't make many conscious decisions about grammar or vocabulary as we speak spontaneously in conversations and exchanges with other native speakers. I suppose that phrases are stored intact somewhere in our minds so that we don't have to think about which preposition to use in a sentence like I'm behind in my work. I'll bet the same thing is true for Turks as they converse with each other in Turkish.

taceev said:

What about using gerund after "behind" ?

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In paying my rent sounds better to me, taceev. On paying my rent is possible, but I see no advantage in trying to memorize that version: I'm sorry that I am a little behind in paying the rent.

I'm sorry that I am a little behind on/with paying the rent/getting my assignment handed in, etc. -- The last two prepositions sound okay here, but there isn't any point in trying to memorize them or going out of your way to use them.

@owlman5

Thank you so much

taceev said:

@owlman5

Thank you so much

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You are very welcome. It's too bad that we grown-ups can't learn foreign languages as easily and naturally as we learned our first languages, but I guess it just isn't in the cards for us to do that.