Prepositions
What Is a Preposition?
A preposition is a short word that is employed in sentences to show the relationship
nouns, pronouns or phrases have with other parts within the respective sentences.
Prepositions are normally found positioned in the latter part of the sentence, but
before a noun or pronoun.
Definition of a Preposition
A preposition is defined as “a word that connects a noun, a noun phrase, or a
pronoun to another word, esp. to a verb, another noun, or an adjective”, according to
the Cambridge Dictionary. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary says that a preposition is
“a word or group of words, such as in, from, to, out of and on behalf of, used before a
noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or method.”
The Collins Dictionary defines a preposition as “a word such as ‘by’, ‘for’, ‘into’, or
‘with’ which usually has a noun group as its object.” The Merriam Webster Dictionary
provides a slightly different definition. According to it, a preposition is defined as “a
function word that typically combines with a noun phrase to form a phrase which
usually expresses a modification or predication.”
Uses of Prepositions
Prepositions are seen to show some key characteristics and perform some vital
functions when used in sentences. Let us look at the various uses of prepositions in
English.
They are used to show the direction of something.
They can refer to the time of something happening.
They can be used to denote the position or location of an object in the sentence.
They are also used to represent spatial relationships.
Prepositional phrases, in particular, can be used to do all of these when used in
sentences.
Types of Prepositions
Based on the different uses and functions of prepositions, they can be divided into
four main types. They are as follows:
Prepositions of Time – used to show when something is happening.
For example:
We will be meeting on Friday.
The supermarket will be closed from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Can you come after some time?
We have been asked to work from home until the end of May.
The whole country was asked to stay home during the pandemic to ensure
safety and well-being.
Prepositions of Place – indicate the place or position of something.
For example:
I have kept the book I borrowed from you on the table.
Henry hid behind the door.
The dog jumped over the fence.
Can you place the red roses in between the white daisies?
He was waiting in front of the EB office.
Prepositions of Direction – used to denote the direction in which something travels or
moves.
For example:
The girl ran toward her father the moment she saw him.
Jerry jumped into the river to help his sister.
Veena passed the book to Priya.
When will Salvia be returning from London?
Neena lives across the street.
Prepositions of Location – employed to denote the location of a particular object.
For example:
Kenny would be staying at his cousin’s place for the weekend.
Make sure you keep all the toys back in its place after you play.
I lay on the floor for a really long time.
Prepositions of Spatial Relationship – used to denote an object’s movement away
from the source and towards a source.
For example:
Navya sat leaning against the wall.
The circus was stationed opposite the children’s park.
Lakshmi sat beneath the trees.
Shankar sat beside the stairs.
We spent the evening walking around the lake.
Prepositional Phrase – a combination of a preposition and a noun(the object it is
affecting).
For example:
See to it that you reach the venue on time.
The medicines you asked for are out of stock.
Why don’t we try taking classes outside for a change.
Make sure you fill in all the forms at once.
Salmaan was able to finish it only with the help of his friends.
Examples of Prepositions Used in Sentences
To know how exactly prepositions can be used in sentences, check out the following
sentences.
I will be going to church in the morning.
She placed the plates on the dining table.
Baskar found the cat hiding under the bed.
Will you be with Raimy or Mazeeka?
I love sitting on the beach at night.
Rachel met Phoebe by the lake.
Finn stood opposite Lisa.
The grocery store is right in front of the bus stop.
My brother climbed onto the roof.
It feels great to sit beneath the trees and read.
Preposition Basics
A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or
noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships,
or to introduce an object. Some examples of prepositions are words like
"in," "at," "on," "of," and "to."
Prepositions in English are highly idiomatic. Although there are some rules
for usage, much preposition usage is dictated by fixed expressions. In
these cases, it is best to memorize the phrase instead of the individual
preposition.
A Few Rules
Prepositions of Direction
To refer to a direction, use the prepositions "to," "in," "into," "on," and
"onto."
She drove to the store.
Don’t ring the doorbell. Come right in(to) the house.
Drive on(to) the grass and park the car there.
Prepositions of Time
To refer to one point in time, use the prepositions "in," "at," and "on."
Use "in" with parts of the day (not specific times), months, years, and
seasons.
He reads in the evening.
The weather is cold in December.
She was born in 1996.
We rake leaves in the fall.
Use "at" with the time of day. Also use "at" with noon, night, and midnight.
I go to work at 8:00.
He eats lunch at noon.
She often goes for a walk at night.
They go to bed at midnight.
Use "on" with days.
I work on Saturdays.
He does laundry on Wednesdays.
To refer to extended time, use the prepositions "since," "for," "by," "during,"
"from…to," "from…until," "with," and "within."
I have lived in Minneapolis since 2005. (I moved there in 2005 and
still live there.)
He will be in Toronto for 3 weeks. (He will spend 3 weeks in
Toronto.)
She will finish her homework by 6:00. (She will finish her homework
sometime between now and 6:00.)
He works part time during the summer. (For the period of time
throughout the summer.)
I will collect data from January to June. (Starting in January and
ending in June.)
They are in school from August until May. (Starting in August and
ending in May.)
She will graduate within 2 years. (Not longer than 2 years.)
Prepositions of Place
To refer to a place, use the prepositions "in" (the point itself), "at" (the
general vicinity), "on" (the surface), and "inside" (something contained).
They will meet in the lunchroom.
She was waiting at the corner.
He left his phone on the bed.
Place the pen inside the drawer.
To refer to an object higher than a point, use the prepositions "over" and
"above." To refer to an object lower than a point, use the prepositions
"below," "beneath," "under," and "underneath."
The bird flew over the house.
The plates were on the shelf above the cups.
Basements are dug below ground.
There is hard wood beneath the carpet.
The squirrel hid the nuts under a pile of leaves.
The cat is hiding underneath the box.
To refer to an object close to a point, use the prepositions "by," "near,"
"next to," "between," "among," and "opposite."
The gas station is by the grocery store.
The park is near her house.
Park your bike next to the garage.
There is a deer between the two trees.
There is a purple flower among the weeds.
The garage is opposite the house.
Prepositions of Location
To refer to a location, use the prepositions "in" (an area or volume), "at" (a
point), and "on" (a surface).
They live in the country. (an area)
She will find him at the library. (a point)
There is a lot of dirt on the window. (a surface)
Prepositions of Spatial Relationships
To refer to a spatial relationship, use the prepositions "above," "across,"
"against," "ahead of," "along," "among," "around," "behind," "below,"
"beneath," "beside," "between," "from," "in front of," "inside," "near," "off,"
"out of," "through," "toward," "under," and "within."
The post office is across the street from the grocery store.
We will stop at many attractions along the way.
The kids are hiding behind the tree.
His shirt is off.
Walk toward the garage and then turn left.
Place a check mark within the box.
Prepositions Following Verbs and Adjectives
Some verbs and adjectives are followed by a certain preposition.
Sometimes verbs and adjectives can be followed by different prepositions,
giving the phrase different meanings. To find which prepositions follow the
verb or an adjective, look up the verb or adjective in an online dictionary,
such as Merriam Webster, or use a corpus, such as The Corpus of
Contemporary American English. Memorizing these phrases instead of just
the preposition alone is the most helpful.
Some Common Verb + Preposition Combinations
About: worry, complain, read
He worries about the future.
She complained about the homework.
I read about the flooding in the city.
At: arrive (a building or event), smile, look
He arrived at the airport 2 hours early.
The children smiled at her.
She looked at him.
From: differ, suffer
The results differ from my original idea.
She suffers from dementia.
For: account, allow, search
Be sure to account for any discrepancies.
I returned the transcripts to the interviewees to allow for revisions to
be made.
They are searching for the missing dog.
In: occur, result, succeed
The same problem occurred in three out of four cases.
My recruitment strategies resulted in finding 10 participants.
She will succeed in completing her degree.
Of: approve, consist, smell
I approve of the idea.
The recipe consists of three basic ingredients.
The basement smells of mildew.
On: concentrate, depend, insist
He is concentrating on his work.
They depend on each other.
I must insist on following this rule.
To: belong, contribute, lead, refer
Bears belong to the family of mammals.
I hope to contribute to the previous research.
My results will lead to future research on the topic.
Please refer to my previous explanation.
With: (dis)agree, argue, deal
I (dis)agree with you.
She argued with him.
They will deal with the situation.
Although verb + preposition combinations appear similar to phrasal verbs,
the verb and the particle (in this case, the preposition) in these
combinations cannot be separated like phrasal verbs. See more about this
on our verb choice page.
Some Common Adjective + Preposition Combinations
About At By From For In Of To With
Accustomed X
Aware X
Beneficial X
Capable X
Characteristic X
Composed X X
Different X
Disappointed X X
Employed X X
Essential X
About At By From For In Of To With
Familiar X
Good X X
Grateful X X
Interested X
Happy X X X
Opposed X
Proud X
Responsible X
Similar X
Sorry X X
