Prepositions in English

A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun or 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." Even though prepositions are common English words, it’s difficult to know them all and use them correctly. But using the wrong preposition can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

What are prepositions

The English language has over 100 prepositions, words that connect one noun or noun substitute to another. They are tricky because they are used in a variety of situations and can indicate time and place, manner, purpose, state, agent or condition.

When you learn parts of speech, prepositions may seem daunting, but they’re really just connectors in a sentence, connecting the preposition to an object of the preposition. Here are some common examples of how prepositions function in a sentence. The prepositions are in bold, and the object of the preposition is underlined:

• Direction: “I sent a package to you.”

• Location: “He’s at the theater.”

• Time: “It should be done by suppertime.”

• Spatial relationship: “The ball was placed before the hole.”

• Introducing an object: “We heard the howling of wolves.”

Types of Prepositions

Prepositions of Time

Basic examples of time prepositions include: at, on, in, before and after. They are used to help indicate when something happened.

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 to talk about location on a surface.The books are on the desk.
• We live on the fifth floor.
• There are pictures on the wall.
• She likes to sit on the floor.

We also use on for some types of public transport.

He's on the bus now. You can't make phone calls on a plane. They go to school on the train.

We also use on for lines (including rivers, borders, streets, etc.) and islands.

Prepositions of Movement

Prepositions of movement are quite easy to understand as they are less abstract than prepositions of place and time. Essentially, they describe how something or someone moves from one place to another. The most commonly used preposition of movement is to, which usually serves to highlight that there is movement towards a specific destination.

• He has gone on vacation to France.
• She went to the bowling alley every Friday last summer.
• I will go to bed when I am tired.
• They will go to the zoo if they finish their errands.

Other more specific prepositions of movement include: through, across, off, down and into. These prepositions can sometimes get mixed up with others. While they are similar, they have individual meanings that add context to the movement. Across refers to moving from one side to another.

• Mike travelled across America on his motorcycle.
• Rebecca and Judi are swimming across the lake.

Through refers to moving directly inside something and out the other end.

• The bullet Ben shot went through the window.
• The train passes through the tunnel.

Into refers to entering or looking inside something.

• James went into the room.
• They stare into the darkness.

Up, over, down, past and around indicate directions of movement:

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.The guidelines can be broken down as follows: On is used when referring to something with a surface:
• The sculpture hangs on the wall.
• The images are on the page.
• The specials are on the menu, which is on the table.
• In is used when referring to something that is inside or within confined boundaries. This could be anything, even a country:
• Jim is in France, visiting his aunt in the hospital.
• The whiskey is in the jar in the fridge.
• The girls play in the garden.
• At is used when referring to something at a specific point:
• The boys are at the entrance at the movie theater.
• He stood at the bus stop at the corner of Water and High streets.
• We will meet at the airport.
• Lot’s of other prepositions of place, such as under, over, inside, outside, above and below are used in English. There is, however, a lot less confusion as they refer to rigid positions rather than abstract ones.
• The cat is under the table.
• Put the sandwich over there.
• The key is locked inside the car.
• They stepped outside the house.
• Major is ranked above corporal.
• He is waving at you from below the stairs.

Prepositions with verbs

Sometimes, prepositions follow verbs to create phrases with different meanings. To learn these, it may be easier to memorize the phrase and learn the prepositions.

some examples of sentences using different prepositions:

1. In: She is in the library studying for her exams.
2. On: The book is on the table.
3. At: They will meet at the restaurant at 7 PM.
4. By: The project needs to be completed by Friday.
5. For: This gift is for you.
6. With: He went to the party with his friends.
7. From: She received a letter from her pen pal.
8. To: They walked to the park together.
9. Into: The cat jumped into the box.
10. Through: We walked through the forest to reach the lake.
11. Between: The ball is between the two trees.
12. Among: He found his keys among the clutter on the desk.
13. Against: The ladder is leaning against the wall.
14. Within: The answer lies within these pages.
15. Without: He couldn't imagine life without her.

Prepositions Exercises

The following exercises will help you gain greater understanding about how prepositions work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence. 1. The bone was _______ the dog. a. About b. For c. After d. Considering

Answer: b. The bone was for the dog.

2. We are going on vacation _______ August. a. On b. At c. In d. Since

Answer: c. We are going on vacation in August.

3. Please put the vase ________ the table. a. In b. On c. For d. Over

Answer: b. Please put the vase on the table. 4. I received a present ________ Janet. a. From b. Of c. By d. About

Answer: a. I received a present from Janet. 5. School begins ________ Monday. a. In b. On c. From d. Since

Answer: b. School begins on Monday.