Prepositions

Prepositions show relationships between nouns (or pronouns) and other words in a sentence. They commonly indicate location, direction, time, cause, manner, possession, or instrument. Prepositions introduce prepositional phrases (preposition + object) that function as modifiers (adjective or adverb).

Below are the main preposition types with definitions, usage notes, and examples.

1. Prepositions of place (location)

Definition: Indicate where something is located or situated.

Common examples:
in, on, at, under, above, beside, between, behind, in front of, inside, outside, near

Sentences:
The cat is on the roof.
The keys are in the drawer.
She sat beside him.

2. Prepositions of direction (movement)

Definition: Show movement toward, away from, or through a place.

Common examples:
to, toward(s), into, out of, from, through, past, across, along, up, down

Sentences:
Walk to the station.
He climbed up the ladder.
They drove across the bridge.

3. Prepositions of time

Definition: Indicate when something happens (point in time, duration, frequency).

Common examples:
at, on, in, during, for, since, until, by, before, after, throughout, between

Sentences:
The meeting is at 3 pm.
I was born in 1990.
She worked here for two years.

4. Prepositions of cause, reason, or purpose

Definition: Explain why something happens or its purpose.

Common examples:
for, because of, due to, owing to, out of, owing to, in order to (often followed by infinitive)

Sentences:
They canceled class because of the storm.
He studies hard in order to pass the exam.
She was praised for her efforts.

5. Prepositions of manner

Definition: Describe how something is done.

Common examples:
with, without, by, like, in, as

Sentences:
She wrote the letter with care.
He won by chance.
They acted like heroes.

6. Prepositions of accompaniment and association

Definition: Indicate being with someone or connected to something.

Common examples:
with, along with, together with, accompanied by, among

Sentences:
She went with her friends.
The proposal, along with several others, was rejected.

7. Prepositions of possession or relationship

Definition: Show ownership, belonging, or relationship.

Common examples:
of, with, for, among

Sentences:
The cover of the book is torn.
A man with a beard asked a question.

8. Prepositions of measure, degree, and amount

Definition: Indicate quantities, rates, or measurements.

Common examples:
per, by, at, of, in

Sentences:
The car goes 60 miles per hour.
Sold at $5 each.
A reduction of 20 percent.

9. Prepositions of source and origin

Definition: Indicate where something or someone comes from.

Common examples:
from, out of, originating from, via, by (in passive contexts)

Sentences:
The package came from Spain.
She borrowed the idea from a friend.

10. Prepositions of position (static relationships)

Definition: Specify relative position (often more precise than place prepositions).

Common examples:
above, below, between, among, opposite, adjacent to, facing

Sentences:
The lamp hangs above the table.
The house is opposite the park.

Common errors and usage tips

• Use object pronouns after prepositions:

  between her and me
  (not she and I).

• Watch for redundant prepositions:

  “because of due to” (choose one).

• Match prepositions with verbs and adjectives (learn common collocations:

  depend on, good at, afraid of).

• Don’t overuse “of”. Sometimes a simple noun or possessive is better:

  the roof of the house
  → the house’s roof.

Tests to identify prepositions

• Can the word introduce a noun phrase and show relation? (e.g., in the box, before noon)
• Can it be moved without changing core meaning? Prepositional phrases are flexible in position.
• If it forms part of a verb phrase with fixed meaning, learn it as a prepositional/phrasal verb.

Quick-reference lists

Place: in, on, at, under, above, beside, near, inside, outside
Direction: to, into, toward, across, along, through, up, down, past
Time: at, on, in, during, for, since, until, by, before, after
Cause/Purpose: for, because of, due to, in order to, out of
Manner/Instrument: with, by, like, without, via
Other common: of, about, between, among, against, along with, despite, except, per, regarding

Exercises

1. Choose correct preposition: I’ll meet you ___ noon. (at/in/on)
2. Collocation: She’s good ___ math. (at/in/for)
3. Rewrite using object pronoun: This gift is for John and (I).
4. The book is ___ the shelf. (on/in/at)
5. We walked ___ the park after lunch. (through/over/into)
6. She arrived ___ the airport an hour early. (to/at/in)
7. The dog squeezed ___ the gap under the fence. (over/through/around)
8. He put the keys ___ his pocket. (in/on/at)
9. The meeting was postponed ___ Friday. (to/on/at)
10. Please divide the cake ___ four equal pieces. (into/among/between)
11. They moved here ___ 2019. (since/in/for)
12. Hang the picture ___ the fireplace. (above/over/by)
13. I’ll finish the report ___ tomorrow morning. (by/until/for)

Answers

1. at
2. at
3. This gift is for John and me
4. on
5. through
6. at
7. through
8. in
9. until or to — preferred: until (if postponed and will not happen before Friday) ; but standard: to (postponed to Friday) — preferred answer: to
10. into (or among/between depending on context) — preferred: into
11. in
12. above or over — preferred: above
13. by