Prepositions are often overlooked in discussions of grammar, yet they play a crucial role in sentence structure. They help link nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence, establishing relationships between different elements. In short, prepositions are the connectors that show how things or ideas are related in time, place, direction, and more. In this blog, we will dive deep into prepositions, exploring their types, examples, and how to use them effectively in your writing and speech.
Table of Contents
A preposition is a part of speech in English grammar. They are essential function words that establish relationships between other words in a sentence, typically showing relationships related to time, place, direction, cause, manner, and possession. It is a short word that connects a noun, pronouns, or phrase, with other parts of a sentence. According to the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, prepositions are a group of words such as in, from, on behalf of, or to, that are placed in a sentence before a noun, or pronoun.
For Example:
In each of these examples, the preposition is used to show the relationship between the noun and other elements in the sentence.
Prepositions are mostly used to explain some key characteristics of some vital functions when used in sentences. In short, these words indicate the relationship between other words in lines. The following details will help you understand the use of prepositions with examples so move ahead and read.
Examples of prepositions can be found in the last part of the sentence but before a noun or a pronoun. Let's take a look below for the sentences along with suitable examples.
Hopefully, examples of prepositions helped you understand the concept via the sentences.
Based on the different functions, preposition words are divided into four parts. You can understand the types of prepositions in English from the following information.
The prepositions of time denote the time when something happens or a particular action takes place. Some common examples are at, on, in, before, and after. A close view you can get from the following information for the time prepositions.
The above examples are about the prepositions of time, hopefully, you have understood them all.
The prepositions of place indicate the position or location to denote the time. From the following examples with sentences, you can understand them better.
These were the sentences about the prepositions of place with suitable examples.
The prepositions of direction can be used to show the direction where something is happening or moving. Let's take an example via sentences to get a clear review.
The above sentences were about the prepositions of direction. Hopefully, you have understood them with suitable examples.
To denote the location and pin a particular object, the prepositions of location can be used. Take a quick look at the below examples for a better understanding.
Now, that you know the prepositions of location with suitable examples and understand how to use them in sentences.
Also read: Adjectives
There are over 100 different types of prepositions, some are more commonly used than others. The following table covers sentences with prepositions which are most common in daily use communication. Take a look below for the extensive list of preposition words that you can also make use of regularly.
| On | At | In | Over |
| Up | Out | With | Into |
| Behind | Beneath | Beside | Above |
| Below | Under | Underneath | Down |
| Near | Among | Along | Between |
| Onto | Across | After | Before |
| Next to | By | Until | About |
| Toward | Away | From | To |
| Around | Through | Opposite to | In front of |
These were the list of prepositions that are common and popular for daily communication life.
Till now, you have understood what is a preposition and read its types with examples. However, many confusing prepositions in the English language make you confused when you use them in communication. For instance, in, on, at, to, and form. Similar to this, many preposition words can be used at various places in different sentences. Some examples are given in sentences with prepositions which are most confusing.
| Prepositions Used for Place | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| In |
| This can be used to indicate locations like cities, nations, and neighborhoods. |
| On |
| This can be used to denote more specific locations like surfaces, streets, and islands. |
| At |
| This can be used to indicate specific locations. |
| Prepositions Used for Time | Examples | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| In |
| This can be used to depict timings like months, years, days, and centuries. |
| On |
| This can be used to denote dates, days of the months and weeks, and special holidays. |
| At |
| This can be used to indicate very specific times like times in a day and holidays. |
Both the tables denote prepositions for time with different examples.
Multi-word prepositions are combinations of different words which is also known as complex, two-word, or three-word prepositions. It consists of two or more words that work together to show relationships between different parts of a sentence, just like a single word, for example- in, on, at. Some common examples of it is according to, in front of, and on the behalf of.
Here are some sentences that indicate a relationship with complex prepositions.
The above list shows examples of multi-word prepositions with sentences.
Also read: Idioms in English
From the following exercises, you can get a greater understanding of the prepositions. Also, this will be helpful to know how exactly these words work. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions and enter the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. The ball was _______ the boy.
a) About
b) For
c) After
d) Considering
Answer: The ball was for the boy.
2. We are going on a trip _______ May.
a) On
b) At
c) In
d) Since
Answer: We are going on a trip in May.
3. Please put the pen ________ the desk.
a) In
b) On
c) For
d) Over
Answer: Please put the pen on the desk.
4. I received a surprise gift ________ Lily.
a) From
b) Of
c) By
d) About
Answer: I received a surprise gift from Lily.
5. School prayer begins ________ the morning.
a) In
b) On
c) From
d) Since
Answer: School prayer begins in the morning.
6. My brother lives in the apartment _____.
a) Around
b) Upstairs
c) Over
d) Above
Answer: My brother lives in the apartment above.
7. There is no difference ______ the sea and the ocean.
a) To
b) Between
c) Among
d) With
Answer: There is no difference between the sea and the ocean.
8. She went _____ the market for fresh vegetables last morning.
a) To
b) In
c) For
d) Over
Answer: She went to the market for fresh vegetables last morning.
9. The quarrel happened ______ two boys.
a) Between
b) Among
c) For
d) In
Answer: The quarrel happened between two boys.
10. Samuel found a frog _____ the garden.
a) Inside
b) In
c) On
d) Above
Answer: Samuel found a frog inside the garden.
Also Read:
To conclude, we discussed prepositions, their definitions, examples, types, and examples. Besides, now you are completely aware of the multi-words, and popular prepositions. Hopefully, the above information was beneficial for you and gave you a clear view of the use of prepositions. In the last, there is an exercise for learners to solve and provide suitable answers. In English grammar, this topic is important so to gain more knowledge read the blog on verbs, tenses, proverbs, and degrees of comparison, for better understanding.
The 8 types of prepositions are: prepositions of measure, time, place, movement, manner, source, instrument, and possession.
The following are the most common prepositions in English: In, On, At, By, Under, Over, Across, Through, Above, Below, Between, Among, Behind, In front of, Beside, Inside, Outside, Near, Far, Against.
Here are the 10 examples of prepositions in sentences
A preposition is a group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or phrase to indicate direction, time, place, movement, location, and special relationship between the sentences. Some common examples of prepositions are in, at, on, of, and to.
A prepositions come before a noun and a pronoun in a sentence. For example, They played cricket for two hours.
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