Prepositions are essential to sentences because they

provide additional and necessary details. In this lesson, we

will explore the definition and roles of the preposition.

Definition
There are approximately 80-100 prepositions in the English
language. Prepositions are words that introduce the
following information to the reader:
1. Where something takes place (at the store)
2. When or why something takes place (before dinner)
3. General descriptive information (the girl with the cool
tattoo)

Examples of Prepositions
Here are commonly-used prepositions:

about above across After against

along behind below Beneath beside
besides between down During except
For From in Off on
onto opposite out Outside till
To toward under underneath until
with within without
Prepositions don't stand alone. They work in groups of
words that we call prepositional phrases. A prepositional
phrase begins with a preposition and ends in a noun. That
noun is called the object of the preposition.

Prepositional Phrases
Here are some examples of prepositional phrases:
under the desk during the lecture
across the yard after lunch
behind the tree
The word in italics is the preposition, and the words that
follow the preposition make up the prepositional phrase.
Think about a mountain, for instance. A prepositional phrase
is just about anything that we can say in relation to a
mountain, like: to the mountain, over the mountain, under
the mountain, toward the mountain. This is a good way to
test a group of words in order to see if they do, indeed, fit
the definition of prepositional phrases.

Object of the Preposition

The object of the preposition is the noun that follows the
preposition. It is also the stopping point for each
prepositional phrase. For instance, we might say, 'to the
store.' To is the preposition, and store is the object of the
preposition. Here's another example, in the light. In is the
preposition, and light is the object of the preposition.

Roles of Prepositions
Now, let's go back to that list of information we saw at the
beginning of the lesson. Prepositions, in the form of
prepositional phrases, provide specific information in a
sentence for the reader. The reader would not know key and
necessary facts about a sentence without a prepositional
phrase. For instance, here is a barebones sentence:
 PREPOSITIONS

Preposition    Meaning    Examples

  higher than or    The sun is above the
Above
over clouds.
  from one side to    It's dangerous to
Across
the other run across the road.
- following
- The boy ran after the ball.
After something
- I'll phone you after lunch.
- later than
- Stealing is against the
- in opposition to law.
Against
- in contact with - The sofa is against the
wall.
  from one end to   They are
Along
the other  walking along the street. 
  Peter was among the
Among   surrounded by 
spectators. 
- in a circle - He walked around the
Around - near, table.
approximately - It costs around 50 rupees.
- earlier than - The day before yesterday.
before
- in front of - He bowed before the king.
   Passengers sit behind the
behind    at the back of 
driver. 
below   lower than    Look below the table. 
  The pen was beneath the
beneath   under 
books. 
  The bank is beside the
beside   next to
cinema.
  in the space
  Mary sat between Tom
between separating two
and Jane. 
things 
  near, at the side   The restaurant is by the
by
of  river. 
  The school is near the
close to   near 
church. 
  from higher to   She pulled down the
down
lower  blind. 
  where
  The wind is
from something starts
blowing from the north. 
or originates
  at a point within
in   The pen is in the drawer. 
an area
in front of   directly before    The child ran out in front
 of the bus.
  on the inner part   The bird is inside the
inside
of  cage. 
  enter a closed
into   He went into the shop. 
space 
  The school is near the
near   close to 
church. 
  The bank is next to the
next to   beside 
cinema.
  down or away
off   He fell off the horse. 
from 
  in a position
on touching a   The plate is on the table.
surface 
  move to a
  The cat jumped onto the
onto position on a
roof of the car. 
surface 
   facing, on the   Eva sat opposite Tom at
opposite
other side  the table. 
- move from a
- He got out of the taxi.
out of closed space
- She's out of work.
- without
   opposite of   The garden is outside the
outside
inside  house. 
- The plane flew over the
- above/across
Atlantic.
over - on the surface
- She put a sheet over the
of
furniture.
  She drove past the
past   beyond 
supermarket. 
  in a circular   The earth moves round the
round
movement  sun. 
  from one side to   The Seine
through
the other  flows through Paris. 
  The virus
throughout   in every part of spread throughout the 
  country. 
  in the direct of /
to   On the way to the station. 
towards 
  The child ran towards her
towards   in the direction of 
father. 
   Water flows under the
under   beneath, below
bridge. 
  There was
underneath   beneath 
dust underneath the rug. 
up   towards or in a    She walked up the stairs.
 higher position