PREPOSITIONS
WHAT IS A PREPOSITION
• A preposition is a word, which is used to indicate
different relations, such as place, time, method,
manner, reason and purpose, possession,
direction and motion. It is placed before a noun or
a pronoun. The most common examples of
prepositions in grammar are on, in, beside, etc.
These words indicate location. Prepositions are
often used to indicate location in the physical
world.
EXAMPLES OF PREPOSITION
Prepostion Sentence
about I will tell you a story about a lion.
above The plane flies above the cloud.
across They walked across the field.
against I helped her going against the wishes of my loved ones.
along All along the way, she did not speak a word.
among The profit was shared among the shareholders.
behind The church is located behind the supermarket.
Preposition Sentence
below The temperatures have dipped below freezing point.
beneath The water level is beneath the average level.
beside When we were in school, I used to sit beside her in class.
besides Besides Math, I am very fond of History.
between The profit was shared between the three of them.
beyond The play was beyond my expectations.
by A house by the sea, to retire, is my dream.
Preposition Sentence
concerning He is always curious about anything concerning her.
despite Despite the snowfall, she decided to carry on with her journey.
during She works during the day and studies at night.
except No one has any objections to the plan except her.
inside Inside the tough exterior, lies a gentle soul.
into As soon as he stepped into the room, there was pin drop
silence.
near They have bought a new house near the school.
Preposition Sentence
off To regain her lost health, it is important, she stays off her fad diet
program.
onto He always climbs onto the table.
opposite Her desk is located diagonally opposite my desk.
outside Outside the house lies a beautiful garden.
over The journey cost me way over my budget.
past She walked past me, but refused to acknowledge my presence.
per What was the per person cost incurred?
Preposition Sentence
through I slept all through the day.
throughout She has been sick throughout the winter.
toward (s) It started raining towards the evening.
under The road is under repair.
underneath She found her earring underneath the carpet.
until I did not get the documents until five pm.
upon Once upon a time, there lived a king.
Preposition Sentence
up I walked up the stairs, to see the problem.
up to The decision is up to the both of them.
versus The last game was England versus France.
via I will go via Sydney.
with She walked in with her new boyfriend.
within She caters to customers within the radius of 5 miles.
without I never leave my house without an umbrella, due to the
uncertain weather.
PREPOSITIONS OF TIME, DAYS,
AND DATES/LONG PERIODS
Precise time (at) Months/years/long Days and Dates
periods
At 3 o’clock In May On Sunday
At 10:30 AM In summer On Tuesdays
At noon In the summer On March 6
At dinnertime In 1990 On 25 December 2022
At bedtime In the 90’s On Independence Day
At sunrise In the next century On my birthday
At sunset In the Ice Age On New Year’s Eve
At the moment In the future On Monday evening
WHEN WE SAY LAST, NEXT, EVERY, THIS
WE DO NOT ALSO USE AT, IN, ON.
• I went to London last June. (not in last June)
• He's coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
• I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
• We'll call you this evening. (not in this evening)
PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
POINT (at ) ENCLOSED SPACE (in) SURFACE ( on)
At the corner In the garden On the wall
At the bus stop In London On the ceiling
At the door In France On the door
At the top of the page In a box On the cover
At the end of the road In my pocket On the floor
At the entrance In my wallet On the carpet
At the crossroads In a building On the menu
At the front desk In a car On a page
At the office In an office On my foot
PREPOSITIONS IN STANDARD
EXPRESSIONS
At In On
At home In a car On a bus
At work In a taxi On a train
At school In a helicopter On a plane
At university In a boat On a ship
At college In a lift (elevator ) On a bicycle, on a
motorcycle
At the top In the newspaper On a horse, on an
elephant
At the bottom In the sky On the radio, on television
At the side In a row On the left, on the right
HOMEWORK
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES (DEFINITION)
AND
EXAMPLES
PLUS SAMPLE SENTENCE FOR EACH
WRITE AS MANY AS YOU CAN
