A Brief Explanation of Prepositions with Examples
Prepositions are words which show the
relationship between a noun or a pronoun object and some other words in the sentence.
They are always followed by nouns or pronouns. They are called "the
biggest little words” in English because they have very important functions.
Three
Groups of Prepositions:
a.
Prepositions of place, position and direction.
b. Prepositions of time.
c. Prepositions for other relationships.
b. Prepositions of time.
c. Prepositions for other relationships.
SOME COMMON PREPOSITIONS
|
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PLACE
|
POSITION
|
DIRECTION
|
TIME
|
OTHER
|
above
across along among at away from behind below beside between |
beyond
by down from in in front of inside into near off |
on
opposite out (of) outside over around through to towards under up |
after
before at by for during from in |
except
as like about with without by for |
Although prepositions are hard to generalize with separate rules, there is one simple rule about them. And, unlike most rules, this rule has no exceptions.
Rule: They are always followed by
a "noun", never followed by a verb.
By "noun" we include:
By "noun" we include:
·
Noun (dog, money, love)
·
Proper
Noun (name) (London,
Mary)
·
Pronoun (you, him, us)
·
Noun
Group (my
first car)
·
Gerund (swimming)
If we want to follow with a verb, we must use the "-ing" form which is really a gerund or verb in noun form.
Subject + Verb
|
Preposition
|
"noun"
|
The pen is
|
on
|
The table.
|
He lives
|
in
|
England.
|
Henry is looking
|
for
|
You.
|
The newspaper is
|
under
|
Your green book.
|
Pascal is used
|
to
|
English people.
|
She isn't used
|
to
|
Working.
|
We ate
|
before
|
Coming.
|
Prepositions of Time / Place at, in, on
·
At for a PRECISE TIME
·
In for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES
and LONG PERIODS
·
On for DAYS and Dates
At
|
In
|
On
|
At 4:30 pm
|
in March
|
on Monday
|
At 3 o'clock
|
In Winter
|
On 6 March
|
At noon
|
In the summer
|
On 22 Dec.2012
|
At dinnertime
|
In 1990
|
On Christmas Day
|
At bedtime
|
In the next century
|
On your birthday
|
At the moment
|
In the future
|
On New Year's Eve
|
Notice that use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:
·
In the morning /On Monday
morning
·
In the mornings / On Sunday
mornings
·
In the afternoon(s) / On Sunday
afternoons
·
In the evening(s) / On Friday
evenings
When
we say next, last, this, every we do not use at, in,
on.
I
went to New York last June (not in last June)
She is coming back next Monday. (not on next Monday)
I go home every Easter . (not at every Easter)
She is coming back next Monday. (not on next Monday)
I go home every Easter . (not at every Easter)
We'll
call you this afternoon. (not in this afternoon)
Place:
at, in, on
In General:
In General:
·
At for a POINT (dog, money,
love)
·
In for an ENCLOSED SPACE
·
On for a SURFACE
At
|
In
|
On
|
At the bus stop
|
In London
|
On the wall
|
At the corner
|
In the garden
|
On the ceiling
|
At the entrance
|
In a box
|
On the floor
|
At the crossroads
|
In a building
|
On the carpet
|
At the top of the page
|
In a car
|
On a page
|
Some other common uses of at / on / in
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 an elevator
|
On a bicycle
|
At the top
|
In the sky
|
On the radio
|
At the bottom
|
In the street
|
On the left
|
At the side
|
In a row
|
On a horse
|
At reception
|
In a boat
|
On a boat
|
Notice how we can use on a boat or in a boat depending on the type and the size of the particular boat/ship.
More Prepositions
Prepositions
|
use
|
Example
|
during
|
while in
|
during the movie, during
the flight, during my stay
|
for
|
for two days, for an
hour
|
|
from / to
|
from Saturday to Monday,
from 5 to 9
|
|
between
|
the time period from one
to another
|
between 1986 and 2012, between
Saturday and Monday
|
until/till
|
before a certain time
|
until/till Sunday,5
o'clock
|
by
|
at the least
|
by Tuesday, by next
month, by tomorrow
|
to
|
movement towards
|
to school, to work, to
the station
|
into
|
movement towards inside
something
|
into the cinema, into
the car
|
out of
|
to leave a place/a thing
|
out of the theater, out
of the car
|
by
|
near/next to/beside
|
LINK stand by me, by the
lake
|
through
|
through the tunnel,
through the room
|
|
across
|
opposite ends
|
across the river, across
the street
|
against
|
against the wall,
against the door
|
|
into
|
movement towards inside
something
|
into the cinema, into
the car
|
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