Preposition – Introduction
What is preposition?
A preposition is a word or a group of words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in a sentence.
Example- in, on, at, by, for, from, in of, etc.
- The cat is under the table.
- The book is on the shelf.
- The car is in the garage.
- I am going to the store.
- We are playing with the ball.
Under, on, in, to, and with are prepositions in this example.
Types of prepositions
- Simple Prepositions
- Compound Prepositions
- Phrasal Prepositions
- Prepositional Adverbs
- Prepositions of Place
- Prepositions of Time
- Prepositions of Movement
- Prepositions of Instrument
- Prepositions of Cause or Reason
1. Simple Prepositions
These are single-word prepositions that show a basic relationship. Examples are in, on, at, by, with, to, from, over, under, though, etc.
Example:
- On – The book is on the table.
- In – She lives in London.
- To – We went to the park.
- Off – The cat jumped off the couch.
- Under – The keys are under the mat.
2. Compound Prepositions
These are formed by combining two or more words to create a single preposition. Examples include in front of, out of, according to, because of, on top of, in addition to, etc.
Example:
- in front of – The car is parked in front of the house.
- out of – He ran out of the room.
- because of – The game was canceled because of the rain.
- on top of – The cat is sitting on top of the table.
- in addition to – In addition to studying, she also works part-time.
3. Phrasal Prepositions
These are prepositional phrases acting as a single preposition. Examples include in spite of, due to, out of, along with, by means of, in accordance with, etc.
Example:
- in spite of – In spite of the rain, they went for a walk.
- due to – The game was canceled due to bad weather.
- because of – They arrived late because of heavy traffic.
- on account of – On account of his illness, he couldn’t attend the meeting.
- in addition to – In addition to studying, she also plays the piano.
4. Prepositional Adverbs
These are adverbs that function as prepositions, indicating location or direction. Examples include up, down, in, out, through, around, over, etc.
Example:
- up – He climbed up the stairs.
- down – The ball rolled down the hill.
- in – She walked in the room.
- out – The cat jumped out the window.
- through – They walked through the forest.
5. Prepositions of Place
These prepositions indicate the location or position of someone or something. Examples include in, on, at, over, under, besides, by, among, between, within, etc.
Example:
- in – The cat is sitting in the box.
- on – The book is on the table.
- at – She is waiting at the bus stop.
- over – The plane is flying over the mountains.
- under – The keys are under the pillow.
6. Prepositions of Time
These prepositions indicate when an action or event takes place. Examples include before, after, during, at, on, in, since, for, from, to, until, etc.
Example:
- before – She arrived before the meeting started.
- after – We’ll meet after dinner.
- during – I read a book during the flight.
- at – The concert starts at 8 PM.
- on – We celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1st.
7. Prepositions of Movement
These prepositions indicate the direction or movement of someone or something. Examples include toward, away from, into, onto, out of, through, across, up, down, etc.
Example:
- towards – She walked towards the park.
- away from – The children ran away from the dog.
- into – He jumped into the pool.
- out of – The cat jumped out of the box.
- through – They walked through the tunnel.
8. Prepositions of Instrument
These prepositions indicate the instrument or mean by which an action is performed. Examples include by, with, using, etc.
Example:
- by – The book was written by Jane Austen.
- with – She painted the picture with a brush.
- through – They achieved success through hard work.
- using – He fixed the bike using a wrench.
- on behalf of – She spoke on behalf of the committee.
9. Prepositions of Cause or Reason
These prepositions indicate the cause or reason for an action or event. Examples include because of, due to, owing to, etc.
Example
- because of – The match was canceled because of heavy rain.
- due to – The flight was delayed due to technical issues.
- owing to – Owing to his hard work, he earned a promotion.
- on account of – They couldn’t attend the event on account of a family emergency.
- as a result of – As a result of his negligence, the project failed.
Frequently used preposition list
- about
- above
- across
- after
- against
- along
- among
- around
- at
- before
- behind
- below
- beneath
- beside
- between
- beyond
- by
- down
- during
- except
- for
- from
- in
- inside
- into
- like
- near
- of
- off
- on
- onto
- out
- outside
- over
- past
- round
- through
- to
- toward
- under
- underneath
- until
- up
- upon
- with
- within
- without
Exercise on Preposition
fill in the blank with an appropriate preposition:
- The book is __________ the shelf.
- We went for a walk __________ the park.
- She arrived __________ the airport just in time.
- The cat jumped __________ the table.
- The concert starts __________ 7 PM.
Answer: on, in, at, on, at.
Complete each sentence by choosing the correct preposition from the options provided:
1. The cat jumped __________ the table.
a) on
b) at
c) in
2. We arrived just __________ time for the movie.
a) on
b) at
c) in
3. He walked __________ the park to enjoy the scenery.
a) through
b) by
c) over
4. The letter was sent __________ mail.
a) by
b) with
c) from
5. They met __________ the coffee shop for a quick chat.
a) at
b) in
c) on
6. I have been working __________ this project since last month.
a) for
b) since
c) in
7. The car drove __________ the tunnel.
a) through
b) across
c) up
8. She stood __________ the crowd to get a better view.
a) among
b) between
c) on
9. The book is hidden __________ the shelf.
a) under
b) over
c) by
10. They will be visiting us __________ the weekend.
a) on
b) during
c) at
Answers:
- on
- on
- through
- by
- at
- since
- through
- among
- under
- on
Related Links
- Interjection Definition Types and Exercises
- Conjunction Definition Types and Exercises
- Preposition Definition Types Exercises
- Adverb Introduction Types and Exercise
- Adjective Introduction Types Exercise
- Pronoun Introduction Types Exercises
- Noun Introduction, Types, Exercises
- Verb Definition Types and Exercises
- Change of Voice Rules, Exercise
- Parts of Speech Types, Exercise
- List of Phobias – Common phobias from A to Z
- Interjection Definition Types and Exercises
- Conjunction Definition Types and Exercises
- List of 100 pronouns in English
- Frequently Used Preposition List
- Preposition Definition Types Exercises
- Adverb Introduction Types and Exercise
- WH words list with example
- Adjective Introduction Types Exercise
- Pronoun Introduction Types Exercises
- Noun Introduction, Types, Exercises
- Antonyms words list A to Z – List of opposite words
- Verb Definition Types and Exercises
- Change of Voice Rules, Exercise
- Parts of Speech Types, Exercise