Thousands of years ago, fish were caught in nets and traps

the word (in) is it a preposition in this sentence.

The word "in" is a preposition, yes.

Yes, the word "in" in the sentence is indeed a preposition. It is used to indicate the location or position of the action of catching fish. In this case, it shows that the fish were caught within the nets and traps.

To identify whether a word is a preposition, you can follow these steps:
1. Recognize the word in question, such as "in."
2. Understand its function in the sentence. Does it show location, direction, time, manner, or other relationships between words?
3. Determine if it is followed by a noun, pronoun, gerund, or noun phrase, as prepositions typically require an object.
4. Verify if it introduces a prepositional phrase, which consists of the preposition, its object, and any modifiers.

By applying these steps, you can identify prepositions and their usage in various sentences.

Yes, the word "in" is a preposition in the given sentence. It indicates the location or position of the fish in relation to the nets and traps.