Definition of a Preposition

There are approximately 80 to 100 prepositions in the English language. Prepositions are words that introduce information to the reader. This
information can include where something takes place (such as 'at' the store), when or why something takes place (such as 'before' dinner), or
general descriptive information (such as the girl 'with' the cool tattoo).
Prepositions don't stand alone. They work in groups of words that we call prepositional phrases. Aprepositional
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 quotes 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.
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.' The word 'to' is the preposition and 'store' is the object of the preposition. Here's another example, 'in the light.' The word
'in' is the preposition and 'light' is the object of the preposition.
Roles of the 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:

My mom laughed.
It is a perfectly good sentence, but it doesn't tell us very much. When we add a prepositional phrase, we better understand the situation. Here is
the sentence with a prepositional phrase:
My mom laughed 'at the joke'.
Ah ha! Now we know why she laughed!

Prepositions Time

English

Usage

Example

on

days of the week

on Monday

in

months / seasons

in August / in winter

time of day

in the morning

year

in 2006

after a certain period of time (when?)

in an hour

for night

at night

for weekend

at the weekend

a certain point of time (when?)

at half past nine

since

from a certain point of time (past till now)

since 1980

for

over a certain period of time (past till now)

for 2 years

ago

a certain time in the past

2 years ago

befor

earlier than a certain point of time

before 2004

at

English

Usage

Example

to

telling the time

ten to six (5:50)

past

telling the time

ten past six (6:10)

to /

marking the beginning and end of a period of time

from Monday to/till Friday

in the sense of how long something is going to last

He is on holiday until Friday.

in the sense of at the latest

I will be back by 6 oclock.

up to a certain time

By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.

till / until

till /
until

by

Prepositions Place (Position and Direction)

English

in

at

Usage

Example

room, building, street, town, country

in the kitchen, in London

book, paper etc.

in the book

car, taxi

in the car, in a taxi

picture, world

in the picture, in the world

meaning next to, by an object

at the door, at the station

for table

at the table

for events

at a concert, at the party

place where you are to do something typical (watch a film,

at the cinema, at school, at work

study, work)

English

on

Usage

Example

attached

the picture on the wall

for a place with a river

London lies on the Thames.

being on a surface

on the table

for a certain side (left, right)

on the left

for a floor in a house

on the first floor

for public transport

on the bus, on a plane

for television, radio

on TV, on the radio

left or right of somebody or something

Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.

by, next to,

beside

under

on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else

the bag is under the table

below

lower than something else but above ground

the fish are below the surface

over

covered by something else

put a jacket over your shirt

meaning more than

over 16 years of age

getting to the other side (also across)

walk over the bridge

overcoming an obstacle

climb over the wall

above

higher than something else, but not directly over it

a path above the lake

across

getting to the other side (also over)

walk across the bridge

getting to the other side

swim across the lake

something with limits on top, bottom and the sides

drive through the tunnel

movement to person or building

go to the cinema

movement to a place or country

go to London / Ireland

through

to

English

Usage

into

Example

for bed

go to bed

enter a room / a building

go into the kitchen / the house

movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it)

go 5 steps towards the house

towards

onto

movement to the top of something

jump onto the table

from

in the sense of where from

a flower from the garden

Other important Prepositions

English

Usage

from

of

by

Example

who gave it

a present from Jane

who/what does it belong to

a page of the book

what does it show

the picture of a palace

who made it

a book by Mark Twain

English

Usage

on

Example

walking or riding on horseback

on foot, on horseback

entering a public transport vehicle

get on the bus

in

entering a car / Taxi

get in the car

off

leaving a public transport vehicle

get off the train

out

leaving a car / Taxi

get out of the taxi

by

rise or fall of something

prices have risen by 10 percent

travelling (other than walking or horseriding)

by car, by bus

for age

she learned Russian at 45

for topics, meaning what about

we were talking about you

of

at
abou
t

On, in, and beside are all prepositions. They are showing where the puppy is. Prepositions can
also show location in time. Read the next three examples:
At midnight , Jill craved mashed potatoes with grape jelly.
In the spring , I always vow to plant tomatoes but end up buying them at the
supermarket.
During the marathon , Iggy's legs complained with sharp pains shooting up his
thighs.
At midnight, in the spring, and during the marathon all show location in time.
Because there are so many possible locations, there are quite a few prepositions. Below is the
complete list.

Prepositions
about
above
according to
across
after
against
along
along with
among
apart from
around
as
as for

concerning
despite
down
during
except
except for
excepting
for
from
in
in addition to
in back of
in case of

onto
on top of
out
out of
outside
over
past
regarding
round
since
through
throughout
till

at
because of

in front of
in place of

to
toward

before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
but*
by
by means of

inside
in spite of
instead of
into
like
near
next
of
off
on

under
underneath
unlike
until
up
upon
up to
with
within
without

* But is very seldom a preposition. When it is used as a preposition, but means the same
as exceptEveryone ate frog legs but Jamie. But usually functions as acoordinating
conjunction.

Understand how to form a prepositional phrase.

Prepositions generally introduce prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases look like this:
P R E P O S I T I O N + O P T I O NA L M O D I F I E R ( S ) + N O U N , P RO N O U N , O R G E R U N D
Here are some examples:
At school
At = preposition; school = noun.
According to us
According to = preposition; us = pronoun.
By chewing
By = preposition; chewing = gerund.

Under the stove

Under = preposition; the = modifier; stove = noun.
In the crumb-fi lled, rumpled sheets
In = preposition; the, crumb-filled, rumpled = modifiers; sheets = noun.

R e a l i z e t h a t s o m e p r e p o s i t i o n s a l so f u n c t i o n a s s u b o r d i n a t e c o n j u n c t i o n s

Some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions. These prepositions

areafter, as, before, since, and until. A subordinate conjunction will have both a subjectand
a verb following it, forming a subordinate clause.
Look at these examples:
Af ter Sam and Esmerelda kissed goodnight
After = subordinate conjunction; Sam, Esmerelda = subjects; kissed = verb.
As Jerome buckled on the parachute
As = subordinate conjunction; Jerome = subject; buckled = verb.
Before I eat these frog legs

Before = subordinate conjunction; I = subject; eat = verb.

Since we have enjoyed the squid eyeball stew
Since = subordinate conjunction; we = subject; have enjoyed = verb.
Until your hiccups stop
Until = subordinate conjunction; hiccups = subject; stop = verb.
If you find a noun [with or without modifiers] following one of these five prepositions, then all you
have is a prepositional phrase. Look at these examples:
Af ter the killer calculus test
After = preposition; the, killer, calculus = modifiers; test = noun.
As a good parent
As = preposition; a, good = modifiers; parent = noun.
Before dinner
Before = preposition; dinner = noun.
Since the breakup
Since = preposition; the = modifier; breakup = noun.

Until midnight
Until = preposition; midnight = noun.