Prepositions (in, of, at, on, to, etc.) are relationship words that link the different parts of a sentence and thus play an important role in language. These words or groups of words are placed before nouns (Alice, school, the country, birds), pronouns (I, he, she, it, they, we), or noun phrases (a cute kitten, a wonderful job, the United Airlines flight) to introduce an object, demonstrate spatial relationships, or show time, position, location, or direction.
For example:
- The beautiful girl glanced at her reflection.
- Please write your name above the line.
- Do you think we will go to Mars in the future?
- I saw her at the concert last Saturday.
- The town is halfway between Florence and Rome.
- My best friend used to live across the street from me.
- They told each other ghost stories across the campfire.
In the English language, prepositions are a small but very important and frequently used class of words. There are only 150 prepositions, and about 70 of these are commonly used.
List of Common Prepositions
| At | As | Around | Among | Anti | Along | Amid |
| Among | Against | Across | After | About | Above | Aboard |
| But | By | Between | Beyond | Besides | Beside | Below |
| Beneath | Before | Behind | Considering | Concerning | During | Despite |
| Down | Excluding | Except | Excepting | From | Following | For |
| Into | In | Inside | Like | Minus | Near | Over |
| Opposite | Outside | Of | Off | On | Onto | Plus |
| Past | Per | Round | Regarding | Since | Save | To |
| Toward | Towards | Than | Through | Up | Upon | Unlike |
| Under | Underneath | Until | Versus | With | Within | Without |
English prepositions are highly idiomatic and often appear in fixed expressions, though there are a few rules governing their usage. These rules dictate how, when, and where they can be used and teach speakers how to use them correctly.
Rules for Using Prepositions
1. A preposition must have an object.
The “object” of a preposition is the noun or pronoun that follows it. Prepositions without an object aren’t prepositions, they’re most likely adverbs. And an adverb does not have an object. It is also important to remember that a verb (did, sing, accept, think) cannot be the object of a preposition. Look at the following sentences:
- She is in the living room.
Here, the preposition in is followed by the object living room, which is a noun.
- Would you like to come in?
In this sentence, the adverb in has no object; it qualifies the verb come.
- I shall eat after I finish my work.
Here, the preposition after is followed by the object work.
- He left soon after.
In this sentence, the adverb after has no object; it qualifies the verb left.
2. A preposition is closely related to its object.
As the name indicates, a preposition is placed before the noun or pronoun that acts as its object. For example:
- I put the book in the bag.
Here, the preposition in is placed before its object bag.
But even when the preposition does not come before the object, it is nevertheless closely related to it. For example:
- Who were you talking to?
Here, the preposition to is placed after the pronoun who, but is closely related to it.
3. The object of a preposition should take the objective form.
The noun or pronoun that follows a preposition becomes a prepositional object. The pronoun, therefore, must take the objective form (me, him, them) rather than the subjective (I, he, they). For example:
- William gave the books to them.
Here, the preposition to is followed by the objective form of the pronoun them.
- This is a gift from my wife and me.
Here, the preposition from is followed by the noun wife and the objective form of the pronoun me.
4. Prepositional forms
Most prepositions are one-word prepositions, but some consist of two or three-word phrases and are called complex prepositions. For example:
- One-word prepositions – after, before, inside, outside
- Complex prepositions – in spite of, on account of, according to
5. Infinitive “to” vs. preposition “to”
The infinitive form of a verb (to sing, to play, to cry) is a distinct and separate category and is not to be confused with the preposition “to.” For example:
“To” as an infinitive verb
- My family used to live in London.
- Dave loves to sing in the bathroom.
“To” as a preposition
- I look forward to seeing Mary tonight.
- I am used to driving trucks.
6. Verbs and prepositions
There is a simple and inflexible rule about prepositions and verbs and, unlike many rules, there are no exceptions to it.
A preposition can never be followed by a verb, it is always followed by a noun (proper or common), a pronoun, a noun group, or a gerund. For example:
- Common noun – The food is on the table.
- Proper noun – I got a package from Julia.
- Pronoun – Among Jane, Sally and her, there is no contest.
- Noun group – The letter is beneath my red book.
- Gerund – There is no use in standing in line for two hours.
7. Ending a sentence with a preposition
Most people believe it is incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition. It is, however, perfectly acceptable, albeit a little informal, to do so in text messages, emails, and letters or notes to friends. Many people avoid ending sentences with a preposition in research papers, business proposals, or any kind of formal writing.
There are times when trying to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition leads to awkward and unnatural phrasing. For example:
Who are you going to the movies with?
Vs.
With whom are you going to the movies?
Where is Tom coming from?
Vs.
From where is Tom coming?
8. Unnecessary prepositions
Leave out unnecessary prepositions to make your writing clear and concise. For example:
- Incorrect – Where are the books at?
- Correct – Where are the books?
- Incorrect – If we don’t hurry, we will miss out on the movie.
- Correct – If we don’t hurry, we will miss the movie.
Take this preposition quiz to check how well you know your prepositions.
Prepositions of Time
- I am going to see my parents _____ the weekend.
- Jerry has been living in Australia _____ five years.
- I have been waiting for my friends _____ six o’clock.
- I will have finished the assignment _____ Friday.
Prepositions of Place
- Daniel is swimming _____ the river.
- There’s a spider _____ my bedroom.
- The cat is sitting _____ the bed.
- Would you like to go _____ the movies tonight?
Prepositions after Verbs
- Stop worrying _____ your grades; you’ll be fine.
- I’ve waited _____ them for a quarter of an hour.
- He explained the computer program _____ his students.
- Don’t forget to pay _____ the milk.
Prepositions and Adjectives
- My nephew is terrified _____ spiders.
- My town is famous _____ its churches.
- Larry is extremely good _____ languages.
- Unfortunately, I’m very bad _____ music.
Prepositions in Phrases
- Please make sure you’re _____ time for the class.
- I went to the wrong address _____ mistake.
- We paid for dinner _____ advance.
- I have a lot _____ common with my brother; we like many of the same things.