T h e P r e p o s i t i o n s

Introduction:

Prepositions are the words that indicate location. Usually, prepositions show this location in the physical world.

Examples:

The puppy is on

the floor.

The puppy is in the

trash can.

The puppy is beside the

phone.

On, in, and beside are all prepositions. They are showing where the puppy is. Prepositions can also show location in time.

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.

about

above

concerning

despite

onto

on top of

according to

across

after

against

along

along with

among

apart from

around

as

as for

at

because of

before

behind

below

beneath

beside

between

beyond

but*

by

by means of

down

during

except

except for

excepting

for

from

in

in addition to

in back of

in case of

in front of

in place of

inside

in spite of

instead of

into

like

near

next

of

off

on

out

out of

outside

over

past

regarding

round

since

through

throughout

till

to

toward

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 except—Everyone 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 N A L M O D I F I E R S  + N O U N , P R O 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-filled, rumpled sheets

In = preposition; the, crumb-filled, rumpled = modifiers; sheets = noun.

Realize that some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions.

Some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions. These prepositions are after, as, before,since, and until. A subordinate conjunction will have both a

subject and a verb following it, forming a subordinate clause.

Examples:

After 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:

After 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.

Rules:

There is one very simple rule about prepositions. And, unlike most rules, this rule has no exceptions.

RuleA preposition is followed by a "noun". It is never followed by a verb.

By "noun" we include:

noun (dog, money, love) proper noun (name) (Bangkok, Mary) pronoun (you, him, us) noun group (my first job) gerund (swimming)

A preposition cannot be followed by a verb. If we want to follow a preposition by a verb, we must use the "-ing" form which is really a gerund or verb in noun form.

In the following sentences, why is "to" followed by a verb? That should be impossible, according to the above rule:

I would like to go now. She used to smoke.

Here are some examples:

Subject + verb preposition "noun"

The food is on the table.

She lives in Japan.

Tara is looking for you.

The letter is under your blue book.

Pascal is used to English people.

She isn't used to working.

I ate before coming.

Prepositions - are short words (on, in, to) that usually stand in front of nouns (sometimes also in front of gerund verbs).

Even advanced learners of English find prepositions difficult, as a 1:1 translation is usually

not possible. One preposition in your native language might have several translations

depending on the situation.

There are hardly any rules as to when to use which preposition. The only way to learn

prepositions is looking them up in a dictionary, reading a lot in English (literature) and

learning useful phrases off by heart (study tips).

The following table contains rules for some of the most frequently used prepositions in English:

Prepositions – Time

English Usage Example

on days of the week on Monday

in months / seasons

time of day

year

after a certain period of time (when?)

in August / in winter

in the morning

in 2006

in an hour

at for night

for weekend

at night

at the weekend

English Usage Example

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

before earlier than a certain point of time before 2004

to telling the time ten to six (5:50)

past telling the time ten past six (6:10)

to / till / until

marking the beginning and end of a period of time

from Monday to/till Friday

till / until in the sense of how long something is going to last

He is on holiday until Friday.

by in the sense of at the latest

up to a certain time

I will be back by 6 o’clock.

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

Prepositions – Place (Position and Direction)

English Usage Example

in room, building, street, town, country

book, paper etc.

car, taxi

picture, world

in the kitchen, in London

in the book

in the car, in a taxi

in the picture, in the world

at meaning next to, by an object

for table

for events

at the door, at the station

at the table

at a concert, at the

English Usage Example

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

work)

party

at the cinema, at school, at work

on attached

for a place with a river

being on a surface

for a certain side (left, right)

for a floor in a house

for public transport

for television, radio

the picture on the wall

London lies on the Thames.

on the table

on the left

on the first floor

on the bus, on a plane

on TV, on the radio

by, next to, beside

left or right of somebody or something

Jane is standing by / next to / beside the

car.

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

meaning more than

getting to the other side (also across)

overcoming an obstacle

put a jacket over your shirt

over 16 years of age

walk over the bridge

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)

getting to the other side

walk across the bridge

swim across the lake

through something with limits on top, bottom and the sides

drive through the tunnel

English Usage Example

to movement to person or building

movement to a place or country

for bed

go to the cinema

go to London / Ireland

go to bed

into enter a room / a building go into the kitchen / the house

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

go 5 steps towards the house

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 Example

from

who gave it a present from Jane

of who/what does it belong to

what does it show

a page of the book

the picture of a palace

by who made it a book by Mark Twain

on walking or riding on horseback

entering a public transport vehicle

on foot, on horseback

get on the bus

in entering a car  / Taxi get in the car

off leaving a public transport vehicle get off the train

out of

leaving a car  / Taxi get out of the taxi

by rise or fall of something

travelling (other than walking or horseriding)

prices have risen by 10 percent

by car, by bus

at for age she learned Russian at 45

about

for topics, meaning what about we were talking about you

Prepositions of Time: for and since

We use for when we measure time (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years).He held his breath for seven minutes.She's lived there for seven years.The British and Irish have been quarreling for seven centuries.

We use since with a specific date or time.He's worked here since 1970.She's been sitting in the waiting room since two-thirty.

Prepositions with Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs.

Prepositions are sometimes so firmly wedded to other words that they have practically become one word. (In fact, in other languages, such as German, they would have become one word.) This occurs in three categories: nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

NOUNS and PREPOSITIONS

approval ofawareness of

belief inconcern for

confusion aboutdesire for

fondness forgrasp ofhatred ofhope for

interest inlove of

need forparticipation in

reason forrespect forsuccess in

understanding of

ADJECTIVES and PREPOSITIONS

afraid ofangry ataware of

capable ofcareless aboutfamiliar with

fond ofhappy aboutinterested injealous ofmade of

married to

proud ofsimilar tosorry forsure oftired of

worried about

VERBS and PREPOSITIONS

apologize forask about

ask forbelong tobring up

give upgrow uplook for

look forward tolook up

prepare forstudy fortalk about

think abouttrust in

care forfind out

make uppay for

work forworry about

A combination of verb and preposition is called a phrasal verb. The word that is joined to the verb is then called a particle. Please refer to the brief section we have prepared on phrasal verbs for an explanation.

Idiomatic Expressions with Prepositions

agree to a proposal, with a person, on a price, in principle argue about a matter, with a person, for or against a proposition compare to to show likenesses, with to show differences (sometimes similarities) correspond to a thing, with a person differ from an unlike thing, with a person live at an address, in a house or city, on a street, with other people

Unnecessary Prepositions

In everyday speech, we fall into some bad habits, using prepositions where they are not necessary. It would be a good idea to eliminate these words altogether, but we must be especially careful not to use them in formal, academic prose.

She met up with the new coach in the hallway. The book fell off of the desk. He threw the book out of the window. She wouldn't let the cat inside of the house. [or use "in"] Where did they go to? Put the lamp in back of the couch. [use "behind" instead] Where is your college at?

Prepositions in Parallel Form

When two words or phrases are used in parallel and require the same preposition to be idiomatically correct, the preposition does not have to be used twice.You can wear that outfit in summer and in winter.The female was both attracted by and distracted by the male's dance.

However, when the idiomatic use of phrases calls for different prepositions, we must be careful not to omit one of them.The children were interested in and disgusted by the movie.It was clear that this player could both contribute to and learn from every game he played.He was fascinated by and enamored of this beguiling woman.

Prepositions at, in, on

Preposition Examples

in

We sit in the room.

I see a house in the picture.

There are trouts in the river.

He lives in Paris.

I found the picture in the paper.

He sits in the corner of the room.

He sits in the back of the car.

We arrive in Madrid.

He gets in the car.

She likes walking in the rain.

My cousin lives in the country.

There are kites in the sky.

He plays in the street. (BE)

She lives in a hotel.

The boys stand in a line.

There is a big tree in the middle of the garden.

He is in town.

I have to stay in bed.

You mustn't park your car in front of the school.

The robber is in prison now.

at

She sits at the desk.

Open your books at page 10.

The bus stops at Graz.

I stay at my grandmother's.

I stand at the door.

Look at the top of the page.

The car stands at the end of the street.

Can we meet at the corner of the street?

I met John at a party.

Pat wasn't at home yesterday.

I study economics at university.

The childen are at gandmother's.

He's looking at the park.

He always arrives late at school.

on

The map lies on the desk.

The picture is on page 10.

The photo hangs on the wall.

He lives on a farm.

Dresden lies on the river Elbe.

Men's clothes are on the second floor.

He lives on Heligoland.

The shop is on the left.

My friend is on the way to Moscow.

Write this information on the front of the letter.

When she was a little girl people saw unrealistic cowboy films on television.

Prepositions of place and direction

Preposition Use Examples

above higher than sth. The picture hangs above my bed.

acrossfrom one side to the other

sideYou mustn't go across this road here.There isn't a bridge across the river.

after one follows the otherThe cat ran after the dog.

After you.

against directed towards sth. The bird flew against the window.

alongin a line; from one point to

anotherThey're walking along the beach.

among in a group I like being among people.

around in a circular way We're sitting around the campfire.

behind at the back of Our house is behind the supermarket.

below lower than sth. Death Valley is 86 metres below sea level.

beside next to Our house is beside the supermarket.

between sth./sb. is on each sideOur house is between the supermarket and the

school.

by near He lives in the house by the river.

close to near Our house is close to the supermarket.

down from high to low He came down the hill.

from the place where it starts Do you come from Tokyo?

in front ofthe part that is in the

direction it facesOur house is in front of the supermarket.

inside opposite of outside You shouldn't stay inside the castle.

into entering sth. You shouldn't go into the castle.

near close to Our house is near the supermarket.

next to beside Our house is next to the supermarket.

off away from sth. The cat jumped off the roof.

onto moving to a place The cat jumped onto the roof.

opposite on the other side Our house is opposite the supermarket.

out of leaving sth. The cat jumped out of the window.

outside opposite of inside Can you wait outside?

over above sth./sb. The cat jumped over the wall.

past going near sth./sb. Go past the post office.

round in a circle We're sitting round the campfire.

throughgoing from one point to

the other pointYou shouldn't walk through the forest.

to towards sth./sb.

I like going to Australia.

Can you come to me? I've never been to Africa.

towards in the direction of sth. We ran towards the castle.

under below sth. The cat is under the table.

up from low to high He went up the hill.

This is a chair This is a lamp

Where is the lamp? beside / next to

The lamp is beside the chair.

or

The lamp is next to the chair.

Where is the chair? in front of

The chair is in front of the lamp.

Where is the lamp? behind

The lamp is behind the chair.

Where is the chair? under / beneath / underneath

The chair is under the lamp.

or

The chair is beneath the lamp.

or

The chair is underneath the lamp.

Where is the lamp? on / on top of

The lamp is on the chair.

or

The lamp is on top of the chair.

Naturally Speaking - English Dialogue

Meet Frank and Nicole. Frank is always forgetting things. He is

forgetful.

"Nicole. Have you seen my keys? I thought I'd put them on top of my

briefcase."

"No. You left them behind the basket."

"The basket above the coat rack?"

"No. The one under the table."

"The table in the bedroom, beside the bed?"

"No! The dining room table, in front of the window."

Why did I put them there?

Good question!

Preposition of movement:

Prepositions can be used to show movement.

For example:

to, through, across

We use to to show movement with the aim of a specific destination.

For example:-

I moved to Germany in 1998.  

He's gone to the shops.

We use through to show movement from one side of an enclosed space to the other.

For example: 

The train went through the tunnel.

We use across to show movement from one side of a surface or line to another.

For example: 

She swam across the river.

More prepositions of movement

She ran

to the door.

throughthe tunnel. (from one side of an

enclosed space to the other)

acrossthe road. (from one side of an open

space to the other)

along the road. (the length of the road)

down the road. (the length of the road)

overthe bridge. (from one side of an

open space to the other)

off the stage.

round the track.

into the room.

At and in can also be used as prepositions of movement, but it's used to show the purpose of

the movement.

For example:

Throw the paper in the bin.

Let's have dinner at my place.

When used after some verbs, the preposition at also shows the target of an action:

The bowler was sent off for throwing the ball at the umpire, instead of to the batsman.

Picture It Clip Art Preposition Example

to "He carried the rubbish to the

bin."

through "The train camethrough the

tunnel."

across "He swam across the channel."

along "He walked along the road."

down "He skied down the mountain."

over "They walked overthe bridge."

off "The man ran off the cliff."

round "The arrow is movinground the

ball."

into "The man poured the

sand into the timer.

Things and people move, so you need to know some more prepositions to show the

movement or direction. Some of these might look familiar, some might be new, but they all

show movement or direction:-

across | along 

down

in / into

off | onto | over

past 

round

through | to | towards

!Note - Americans tend to say "around" instead of "round"

 The ball is rolling down the hill.

 Sam is chasing Spooky round the bowl.

 Oh no! The paint is falling off the table and onto the floor.

 The rabbit is popping out of the hat.

Naturally Speaking - English Dialogue

Do you remember Nicole and Frank? Nicole is telling Frank about

their two naughty pets; Sam the dog and Spooky the cat.

“You will not believe what a crazy day I had, Frank!” said

Nicole.

“Why? What happened?” asked Frank.

“Well, I was sat on a chair in the lounge and Sam suddenly chased

Spooky towards me, and roundthe chair."

"Then they ran through the door, past me andinto the

dining room.”

“Spooky was so frightened she jumped on the table in the dining

room, ran across it and knocked the vase that was on the table over, it

fell off the table,onto the floor and broke into little pieces!"

"Then Spooky jumped in the box that was under the

table.”

Sam ran under the box. I started shouting at him, but then Spooky

jumped out of the box, and they both ran to the back door,

and into the garden. Finally Sam chased Spooky along the garden path

and up the tree.”

"I had to call the firebrigade, to get her down!"

"Hmm," said Frank. "Maybe Sam needs to go to training classes."