Prepositions 3: Useful Phrases

English has a lot of prepositional phrases:

on schedule, on track, under pressure, on fire, off limits, on call, under cover, in stock, in denial, at war, off work, with regret, out of curiosity, in luck, by heart, on duty

Note that in all these phrases there is no article used.

These phrases are very efficient and are widely used in everyday English.

Often they are used to replace a longer verb phrase:

The painting has been borrowed from the National Gallery.
> The painting is on loan from the National Gallery.

Jim does not get on with his colleague Brian.
> Jim is at odds with his colleague Brian.

But more often an adjective:

I immediately felt comfortable in the new office.
> I was immediately at ease in the new office.

Here are some more useful phrases with a preposition and without an article.
How many do you know?

on trial, on probation, in custody, under arrest, under investigation,
under review, beyond repair, in danger, on good terms with, by mistake,
at sea, at home, in flight, in error, on trust, in remission, on drugs, at play,
in earnest, on target, for good, with reluctance, by chance, in doubt, in love