PREPOSITION
A preposition is a word usually placed before a noun, pronoun to show its connection with another word.
It shows the relation between a noun or pronoun and the other part of the sentence.
Pre + position = placement / position before i.e. it is placed before the noun or pronoun.
Types of prepositions:
- Single prepositions: in, on, after, at, with, under etc.
- Complex prepositions (Preposition phrases): along with, due to, in spite of etc.
List of prepositions:
- Single word prepositions: above, abroad, across, about, after, along, among, against, around, as, at, before, below, behind, between, beneath, beyond, but, by, despite, down, during, except, failing, following, for, from, in, inside, into, like, minus, near, next, of, off, on , onto, opposite, out, outside, over, plus, past, regarding, since, the, through, throughout, till, to, toward, towards, under, underneath, unlike, until, up, upon, via, with, within, without.
- Multi – word prepositions: according to, ahead of, along with, as for, aside from, because of, close to, due to, except for, far from, near to, next to, out of, outside of, prior to, regardless of, as far as, as well as, in addition to, in case of, in front of, on account of, on behalf of, on top of.
| A prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition and a noun phrase. We use prepositional phrases for many purposes, for example: As adverbials of time and place:We will be back in a few days.They drove to Glasgow.As a postmodifier in a noun phrase:Helen is the girl in the red dress. We’ve got a new television with a thirty-two-inch screen.To show who did something:The lion was killed by the hunter.I saw a wonderful painting by Van Gogh.With double object verbs like give and get:We gave five pounds to the woman on the corner.They got a drink for me.After certain verbs, nouns and adjectives:The book belongs to me.I had an argument with my brother.I feel sorry for you. |
Prepositional phrases modify nouns and verbs while indicating various relationships between subjects and verbs. They are used to color and inform sentences in powerful ways.
Formal functions of prepositions:
Prepositions perform three formal functions in sentences. They can act as an adjective modifying a noun, as an adverb modifying a verb, or as a nominal when used in conjunction with the verb form to be.
Prepositions functioning as ‘adjectives’:
In the following sentences, prepositional phrases perform the function of modifying the nouns boat, pen and car:
Look at the boat with the blue sail.
Please hand me the pen next to the telephone.
Please park the car beside the fence.
Prepositions functioning as ‘adverbs’:
In these examples, notice how the prepositional phrases perform adverbial functions by modifying the verbs stalled, after and won:
The coyote runs after the rabbit.
The car stalled despite the tune – up.
The team won without the starting quarterback.
Prepositions functioning as ‘nominals’:
In English, sometimes words function as nouns but aren’t themselves nouns. These words are called nominals. Prepositions sometimes perform this important function in sentences when they are used in conjunction with the verb to be. For example:
The park is next to the hospital.
The student is between an A and a B.
The fight scene is before the second act.
Rules of prepositions:
- There are some words with prepositions which take gerunds after them.
-Ex: abstain from drinking, prevent from drinking, bent upon doing, insist on doing, capable of writing etc.
-She is scared of going out alone.
- Some words with prepositions take the infinitive.
-Ex: She is scared to go out alone at night.
- Verbs take gerund form when the are placed immediately after the prepositions.
-Ex: Mother insisted on buying washing machine.
- Intransitive verbs become transitive verbs when prepositions are placed after them.
-Ex: prevail on, listen to, laugh at etc.
- Certain words are used as prepositions or adverbs. They depend on their placement in the sentence.
-Ex: About, before, down, across etc.
-Ex: He was here ‘before’ ten. (preposition)
He had done this ‘before’. (adverb)
- A preposition that can be placed at the end of the sentence when there is a relative pronoun.
-Ex: Here is the book ‘which’ you are looking for.
What are you looking at?
- A preposition is places after the infinitive.
-Ex: This is a good hotel to stay ‘at’.
- Sometimes prepositions can be placed at beginning of some questions.
-Ex: With whom did you go to the market?
- When the indirect object comes after the direct object, a preposition is paced before the indirect object.
-Ex: I sent a gift to my brother. (my brother is indirect object)
- When the indirect object comes before the direct object, a preposition is not necessary.
-Ex: I sent my brother a gift.
Relations shown by prepositions:
Prepositions show various kinds of relations. The chief among them are given below.
Place:
Important place prepositions are in, at, on, across, among, behind, under, below, above, over etc.
The boy ran across the road.
She stood behind the door.
I met him at the club.
The cat is under the bed.
She sat among the children.
Time:
Important time prepositions are at, before, till, until, for, since, after, in etc.
We started in the morning.
The meeting is at 10 o’clock.
We must return before sunset.
We will wait till tomorrow.
He stayed for a month.
It has been raining since morning.
Method and manner:
Prepositions: by and with
He killed the spider with a stone.
He killed the spider by hitting it.
The letter came by post.
They fought with courage.
Reason and purpose:
Prepositions: with, of, for
She trembled with anger.
He died of malaria.
Exercise is good for health.
They struggled for freedom.
Reason and purpose:
Important prepositions indicating possession are of, with and by.
Delhi is the capital of India.
I saw a boy with red hair.
He is a man of character.
He came by a lot of money.
Direction and motion:
Important prepositions indicating direction and motion are into, on to, up, around and towards.
He fell into the well.
He walked towards the market.
He climbed up the tree.
The earth moves around the sun.
Prepositions of place
| Preposition of place | Explanation | Example |
| In | Inside | I watch TV in the living room.Live in New York.Look at the pictures in the book.She looks at herself in the mirror.She is in the car.Look at the girl in the picture.This is the best team in the world. |
| At | Used to show an exact position or particular placeTableEventsPlace where you have to do something typical (watch a film, study, work) | I met her at the entrance, at the bus stop.She sat at the table.At the concert, at the party.At the movie, at the university, at work. |
| On | Attached Next to or alongside of (river)Used to show that something is in a position above something else and touching itLeft, rightA floor in the houseUsed for showing some methods of travellingTelevision, radio | Look at the picture on the wall.Cambridge is on the River Cam.The book is on the desk.A smile on his face.The shop is on the left.My flat is on the first floor.I love traveling on trains/ on the bus / on a plane.My favorite program on TV, on the radio. |
| by, next to, besides, near | Not far away in distance. | The girl who is by / next to / beside the house. |
| between | In or into the space which separates two places, people or objects | The town lies halfway between Rome and Florence. |
| Behind | At the back (of) | I hung my coat behind the door. |
| In front of | Further forward than someone or something else | She started talking to the man in front of her. |
| Under | Lower than (or covered by) something else | The cat is under the table. |
| Below | Lower than something else | The plane is just below the cloud. |
| Over | Above or higher than something else, sometimes so that one thing covers othersMore thanAcross from one side to otherOvercoming an obstacle | She held the umbrella over both of us.Most of the carpets are over $100.I walked over the bridge.She jumped over the gate. |
| Above | Higher than something else, but not directly over it. | A path above the lake. |
| Across | From one side to the other of something with clear limits / getting to the other side | She just walked across the field / road.He sailed across the Atlantic. |
| Through | From one side or side of something to the other | They walked slowly through the woods. |
| To | In the direction ofbed | We went to Prague last year.I go to bed at ten. |
| Into | Towards the inside or middle of something and about to be contained, surrounded by or enclosed by it | Shall we go into the garden. |
| Towards | In the direction of, or closer to someone or something | She stood up and walked towards him. |
| Onto | Used to show movement into or on a particular place | I slipped as I stepped onto the platform. |
| From | Used to show the place where someone or something starts | What time does the flight from Amsterdam arrive? |
The most common prepositions of locations are:
| In | Outside (of) |
| On | Between |
| At | Beside |
| By | Beyond |
| Near | In front of |
| Nearby | In back of |
| Above | Behind |
| Below | Next to |
| Over | On top of |
| Under | Within |
| Up | Beneath |
| Down | Underneath |
| Around | Among |
| Through | Along |
| Inside | Against |
These prepositions are most commonly followed by ‘the’ and a noun. Both the speaker and the listener likely know which object is being referred to.
Examples:
- The keys are on the table. (We both know which table)
- The post office is next to the bakery. (Not: next to bakery)
Occasionally, prepositions can be used with “a / an”. This usually indicates that the speaker knows of the place, but the listener does not.
For example:
I live by ariver. (you probably don’t know which one.)
I live by the river. (you know the river I’m talking about)
Commonly used prepositions
About and on:
Both abut and on can mean ‘regarding’. That is the slight difference of meaning.
- We had discussion about money.
- He gave a lecture on finance.
About used in the first sentence suggests that the discussion was ordinary. On used in the second sentence suggests that the lecture was serious or academic, suitable for specialists.
Above and over:
Above and over can mean ‘higher than’.
- The water came up above / over the waist.
Above is preferred when one thing is not directly over the another.
- There is a temple above the lake. (the temple is not directly above the lake)
over is preferred when one thing covers or touches another.
- He put on a sweater over his shirt. (NOT: he put a sweater above his shirt)
In measurements of temperature or height we use above. In measurements of ages and speed we use over.
- The temperature never rose above 5 degree Celsius.
- You have to be over 18 to get a driving license.
Across and through:
The difference between across and through is similar to the difference meaning on and in. through is used for movement in a 3D space, with things on all sides. Across can’t be used with that meaning.
- We went through the woods. (we were in the woods)
- The road goes through the forest.
- We walked across the forest.
There are number of confusing preposition pairs in English which make up some of most common mistakes in English. Let us focus on some of the most common pairs of prepositions that are easily exchanged for each other. These pairs include:
- In / into
- On / onto
- Among / between
- Like / as
- Beside / besides
- Around / about
- From / of
- From / than
In / into:
‘into’ and ‘in’ refer to three dimensional spaces.
However, ‘into’ is used with movement from one place into another. ‘Into’ is used often to express that something moves from the outdoors into an inside space. For example, I walked into the house. ‘In’ is used when a thing or a person is stationary ‘in’ place. For example, I found the book in the drawer.
Examples:
- Jack drove his car into the garage.
- My friend lives in that house.
- The teacher came quickly into the room and began the lesson.
- The dishes are in that cupboard.
On / onto:
‘onto’ and ‘on’ are similar in their differences ‘into’ and ‘in’. ‘Onto’ indicates that something is placed onto the something else. For example, I put the dishes onto the table when I set it. ‘On’ shows that something already rests on a surface. For example, the picture is hanging on the wall.
Examples:
- I carefully placed the picture onto the wall.
- He it the book onto the desk.
- You can find the dictionary on the table.
- That’s a beautiful picture on the wall.
Like / as:
‘like’ and ‘as’ are easily confused. Use ‘like’ to state that someone is similar to another.
Use ‘as’ to describe the function of a person or object such as a tool. For example, Jack enjoys golf like his father. Alan works as a teacher in that school.
Examples:
- My brother is like my mother, but I’m like my father.
- Use that computer as your server.
- Jennie is just like Lisa. They both love pop.
- He’s employed as a bookkeeper.
Among / between:
‘among’ and ‘between’ are almost exactly the same in meaning. However, ‘between’ is sed when something is placed between two objects. ’Among’, on the hand, is used when something is placed among many objects. For example, the dictionary is among those books on the table. My car is parked between the Mercedes and BMW.
Example:
- Tom is between Harry and John.
- You’ll find the letter among the papers on the table.
- Seattle is located between Vancouver, Canada and Portland, Orgon.
- Alice is among friends this weekend.
Beside / besides:
‘Besides’ and ‘beside’ are easy to mistake because the only difference is the letter ‘’s. However, the meanings are different. ‘beside’ – without an s- means ‘next to’. For example, Tom is seated beside Alice. ‘Besides’ – with ‘s’ – states that something is in addition to something else. For example, besides math, Peter is getting A in history.
Examples:
- Hang your coat beside mine over there.
- There is so much work to do besides the normal tasks.
- Come and sit beside me.
- Besides potatoes, we need some milk.
Around / about:
‘around’ indicates that something moves in circular motion, or from one place to the next. For example, Peter walked around the room helping students. ’About’ is used to state an approximate amount or number – University costs about $50,000 per year at a private school. That’s crazy.
Examples:
- Drive around the block and pick up Tim.
- I’d like to spend about an hour relaxing.
- She flew around US on vacation last year.
- It’ll cost about $200 to fix tour refrigerator.
From / of:
‘From’ is used to indicate the origin of someone or something. ‘O’ on the other hand, indicates possession or a property of something. For example, Alice comes from Paris. She’s the president of her hockey club.
Examples:
- Those tools are from Germany.
- His parents love food from Italy.
- What’s the name of the city?
- I’m the son of Joy and Margaret.
This is another set of preparations often confused by foreign students. Since refers to the starting point of an action. It means ‘from a particular point of time in the past’ and it should be used with present perfect tense of the verb.
- He has been absent since last Monday. (NOT: he is absent since last Monday)
- It has been raining since yesterday morning. (It is raining since yesterday morning)
For is used to talk about duration. It refers to the period of time.
- I have been waiting here for two hours.
- We have been living here for three years.
A common mistake is to use since when referring to a period of time. You must not say: ‘He has been absent since two days’ or ‘I have been studying since two hours.
By and with:
By is used to refer to the doer of an action; with is used to refer to the instrument with which the action is done.
- He was killed by his servant.
- He was killed with an axe.
- The tiger was shot by me with my new gun.
By is used show the latest time at which an action will be finished. So, it is usually used with future tenses.
- I shall be leaving by 6 o’clock.
- I hope to finish the work by the end of this year.
On and Upon:
On is generally used to talk about things at rest and upon to talk about the things in motion.
- He sat on a chair.
- He jumped upon his horse.
In and within (time):
In means at the end of a certain period, within means before the end of certain period.
- The spacecraft will reach the moon in three days. (= at the end of three days)
- The spacecraft will reach the moon within three days. (= before the end of three days.)
- The loan should be repaid in a year.
- The loan should be repaid within a year.
In and at:
In is generally used to refer to small and unimportant places like villages, small towns etc.
- We shall meet at the club this evening.
- My brother lives at bay area.
This rule is not very rigidly followed now, and in is often used for small places too, though at is seldom used for big places.
On, in, at, and by
While speaking about time at indicates an exact point of time, on a more general point of time and in a period of time.
- I shall be there at 4 pm.
- We set out at dawn.
- I was born on May 26.
- The postman brought this letter in the morning.
- I shall visit them in summer.
- It is very hot in the day and quite cold at night.
Note that ‘at night’ is an exception to this rule.
List of prepositional phrases AT:
at (a) high speed at full strength
at (the) risk (of) at hand
at / by one’s side at heart
at / for a fraction of at home (with)
at / from the outset at issue
at / in the end at large
at / on sight at least
at / on the double at length
at a / one time at most
at a disadvantage at liberty
at a discount at night
at a distance at noon
at a glance at odds with
at a guess at once
at a loose and at one’s best
at a loss at one’s discretion
at a low ebb at one’s disposal
at a moments notice at one’s leisure
at a price at one’s request
at a rate of at peace / war (with)
at a speed of at play
at a standstill at present
at all costs at random
at all events at sea
at an advantage at the / in front of
at any cost at the age of
at any rate at the beginning
at breakfast at the expense of
at ease (with) at the foot of
at face value at the hands of
at fault at the height of
at the latest at the mercy of
at the peak of at the same time
at the thought of at the time of
at the top of at this juncture
at times at war with
at work
List of prepositional phrases BY:
by (any) chance by hand
by / under the name of by heart
by / with luck by law
by accident by marriage
by air / sea / land by means of
by all accounts by mistake
by all means by my watch
by any standards by nature
by appointment by no means
by birth by oneself
by check by order of
by coincidence by process of
by courtesy of by profession
by definition by reason of
by degrees by request
by design by rights
by dint of by sight
by far by surprise
by force by the side of
by virtue of by way of
List of prepositional phrases FOR:
for / in a good cause for life
for / to the benefit (of) for love
for a (good) reason for my / your etc. part
for a change for real
for certain / sure for the sake of
for fear of for the good of
for good for want of
for hire for granted
for lack of
List of prepositional phrases IN:
in (no) time in accordance with
in / at the front of in addition to
in / on demand in action
in / out of focus in advance
in / out of one’s element in agony
in / out of prison in agreement with
in / out of season in aid of
in / out of stock in all likelihood
in / out of touch (with) in an instant
in / out of use in an uproar
in / with difficulty in answer to
in / within sight (of) in awe of
in a flash in anticipation of
in a heap in arrears
in a hurry in bulk
in a mess in cash
in a pile in blossom
in a sense in brief
in a temper in charge of
in abeyance in character
in abundance in code
in collaboration with in combination with
in comfort in command of
in common in comparison with
in compensation for in conclusion
in confinement in confidence
in conjunction with in connection with
in consequence of in full
in contact with in future
in contrast with / to in gear
in control of in general
in convoy in good / bad condition
in custody in good faith
in danger in hand
in debt in harmony (with)
in decline in haste
in defense of in hiding
in detail in high spirits
in disgrace in honor of
in disguise in horror (of)
in disorder in ink / pencil
in dispute in isolation
in distress in infancy
in doubt in jeopardy
in due course in keeping with
in duplicate in labor
in earnest in league with
in effect in length
in error in line with
in essence in love with
in excess of in memory of
in exchange for in mind-air
in existence in mind
in fact in moderation
in fairness to in favor of
in fear of in flames
in flower in moderation
in name in one’s absence / presence
in one’s spare time in operation
in opposition to in origin
in other words in pain
in parliament in particular
in person in pieces
in place of in possession of
in poverty in penance
in practice in preparation for
in preference to in principle
in private in progress
in proportion to / with in public
in pursuit of in quantity
in question in reality
in recognition of in relation to
in reply to in reserve
in residence in respect of
in response to in retrospect
in return in revenge for
in reverse in ruins
in safety in sb’s interest
in sb’s opinion in search of
in secret in self-defense
in short in settlement of
in silence in small change
in store of in succession
in support of in suspense
in sympathy with in tears
in terms of in terror
in absence of in aftermath
in the balance in the case of
in the course of in the distance
in the event of in the extreme
in the eyes of in the flesh
in the form of in the habit of
in the interests of in the lead
in the light of in the long run
in the making in the meantime
in the midst of in the mood for
in the name of in the night
in the open in the process of
in the right in the seclusion of
in the shade in the space of
in the wake of in the way of
in the wrong in theory
in times of in times for
in town in trouble
in turmoil in tune with
in turn in twos / threes / tens
in two minds in uniform
in unison in vain
in view of in vogue
in words of in pain
List of prepositional phrases ON:
on (the) watch (for) on a pension
on / behind schedule on a regular basis
on / off record on a spree
on / off the road on account of
on / under oath on an expedition
on / under pain of on an island
on / off the air on approval
on / off balance on average
on a diet on bail
on a journey / trip on behalf of
on a large small scale on board
on business on condition that
on credit on display
on edge on end
on file on fire
on foot on good terms
on guard on hand
on horseback on impulse
on leave on loan
on account on occasion
on one’s (own) terms on one’s own
on order on paper
on parade on patrol
on principle on purpose
on reflection on remand
on sale on second thoughts
on show on strike
on suspicion of on the agenda
on the assumption on vacation
on the brink of on the dot
on the edge of on the eve of
on the grounds of on the horizon
on the hour on the increase
on the job on the move
on the off chance on the outskirts
on the part of on the point of
on the phone on the run
on the strength of on the stroke of
on the tip of on the understanding that
on the verge of on the top of
on the way to on time
on tiptoe on trial
List of proportional phrases OUT:
out of / in fashion out of date
out of / in print out of doors
out of / in step out of duty
out of breath out of hand
out of context out of ideas
out of control out of one’s mind
out of curiosity / jealousy / love / hatred out of order
out of pity out of place
out of practice out of reach
out of respect for out of sight
out of spite out of stock
out of ordinary out of the question
out of work
List of prepositions phrases TO:
to / on the contrary to excess
to an extent to date
to one’s astonishment to one’s credit
to one’s dismay to sb’s face
to the / this day to the accompaniment of
to the best of to the detriment of
to the exclusion of to the full
to the satisfaction of
List of the prepositional phrases UNDER:
under / in the circumstances underage
under arrest under consideration
under construction under cover of
under discussion under lock and key
under one’s protection under orders
under pressure under regulations
under repair under strain
under stress under suspicion
under the command of under the influence (of)
under the misapprehension under treatment
List of proportional phrases WITH:
with / in reference to with / without success
with a view to with an eye to
with regard to with regret
with respect to with the aid of
with the compliments of with the exception of
with the help of with the intention of
List of prepositional phrases Within:
within / out of earshot within / without reason
within grasp within limits
within one’s budget within one’s power
within reach (of) within site
within walking / striking dance
List of prepositional phrases WITHOUT:
without (a) doubt without a break
without a hitch without a delay
without exception without fail
without foundation without precedent
without question without respite
without warning
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