Prepositions
Prepositions are placed before nouns and pronouns. They show the relationship between the subject and the rest of the sentence. There are more than a hundred prepositions in English. He is a short list of the common one - word prepositions.
PREPOSITIONS
aboard about above across after against along
amid among anti around as at before
behind below beneath beside besides between beyond
but by concerning considering despite down during
except excepting excluding following for from in
inside into without like minus near of
off on onto opposite outside over past
per plus regarding round save since than
through to toward towards under underneath unlike
until up upon versus via with within
Prepositions of Time, Place, Position and Direction
1. 'At' is used

  • with a definite point of time - she usually gets up at 5 o'clock
  • with festival - He will come at Holi.
  • To refer an exact point - He is waiting at the door.
  • To refer aim - The boy aimed at the dog.
    • 2. 'In' is used

  • with the parts of the day (be careful to use 'at' with noon), months, seasons and years - She takes a walk in the evening, In summer the weather is warm, He was born in 1999.
  • With the future tense referring to the period in which action may take place - You must be careful in future.
  • Refers to larger areas - He lives in Mumbai.
    • 3. 'On' is used

  • with days and dates - My husband will come on Monday.
  • His birthday is on second of July
    • 4. 'By' refers tot he latest time at which an action will be over.

  • The examination will be over by 4pm
    • 5. 'For' is used

  • With perfect continuous tense showing the duration of action. - I have been living here for three years.
  • To denote direction - The Prime Minister left for UK
    • 6. 'Since' is used with the point of time when action begins and continues.

  • He has been absent since last Monday.
    • 7. 'From' refers to

  • To the starting point of an action - this water came from a spring
  • To the point of departure - She parted from her relatives.
    • 8. 'Between' is used for two persons or two things

  • It is a secret between you and me.
    • 9. 'Among' is used with more than two persons or things but before the word starts with a consonant letter.

  • Divide the sweets among the three girls.
    • 10. 'Amongst' is used with more than two persons or things but before the word starts with a vowel letter.

  • Divide the sweets amongst us.
    • 11. 'Above' is used for higher than

  • We are flying above the clouds
    • 12. 'Under' is used for lower than

  • It is shady under this roof
    • 13. 'Below' is used for lower than

  • Your marks are below average
  • The sun seems to go below the horizon
    • 14. 'Over' is used for vertically above

  • The bedroom is over the dining hall
    • 15. 'Beneath' means a lower position.

  • The ground beneath is slippery
    • 16. 'To' refers to motion from one place to another

  • We walked to the river and back
    • 17. 'Towards' refers to a particular direction.

  • She walked towards the bridge.
    • 18. 'Into' denotes motion towards the inside of something

  • The cat fell into a ditch
    • 19. 'Against' shows pressure.

  • He leaned against the wall
    • 20. 'Off' refers to separation.

  • He fell off his chair unconscious
    • 21. 'Before' is used

  • To refer timed events - I love to read before going to sleep.
  • To refer a place - Get off the bust just before the church

    • Other Prepositions
  • 'About' shows nearness - My mother is about to retire.
  • 'Along' stands for in the same line - The current pass along this wire
  • 'After' refers to sequence - The children came after me.
  • 'Across' means from one side - The dog ran across the road.
  • 'Behind' means at the back of - The moon went behind a cloud.
  • 'Beside' means on the farther side of - I sat beside my son
  • 'Besides' means in addition to - Besides being a politician he is a lawyer

    • Some special cases
    Absolve from blame/ of sin, Admit to hospital, place, class Appear for examination/ at Buy in market, store/at shop
  • Come/ go by bus, train
  • Compare with one man's height to another
  • Compare to one man's height to a building
  • Deal with somebody/ in goods
  • Die of disease/ from other causes
  • Entrust to somebody a job
  • Entrust some with a job
  • fill in a form/ with enthusiasm
  • Inquire into matter/ of person/ about things
  • Invest with power/ invest in bank
  • Key of the door/ to a problem
  • Look at evidence/ for aid
  • Motive in doing/ for an act
  • Part from people/ with things
  • Put out light/ off things
  • Take up job/ to a hobby

    • Where prepositions are not used
    We don't used prepositions with words and phrases like
  • This morning
  • This afternoon
  • Home
  • Every week
  • Last Wednesday
  • Next year
    • Certain verbs, nouns and adjectives are followed by particular prepositions
    WORDS FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITIONS
    Abound with Abstain from According to Accuse of Accustomed to
    Acquaint with Afflict with Afraid of Aim at Affiliate with/to
    Arrive at/in Agree to/on Ashamed of Associate with Assure of
    Approximate to Averse from/to Beware of Bereft of Belief in
    Blink at Boast of Break off Busy with Best with
    Canvass for Cause of Charge with Collide with Comment on
    Comply with Compliment on Condole with Confer on Congratulate on
    Convict of Correspond with Credit with Cure of Cost of
    Debar from Decide on Deliberate on Depart to Depend on/upon
    Delight in Deprive of Derive from Devoid of Disgusted with
    Divide into Dressed in Disagree with Election to Extent to
    Employ in Emphasis on Essential to Endow with Encroach on
    Focus on Forbid to Fed up with Full of Fritter in
    Grapple with Good at Guilty of Gratitude for Hanker after
    Impose on Identical with Incur on Insist on Indifferent to
    Intoxicate with Infect with Intrude on Invest in(bank) Invest with (power)
    Involve in Investigation of Jealous of Jump at Jeer at
    Leave for Live on(income) Long for Lure into Meddle with
    Opinion on overcome with Operate on Plan for Persist in
    Plead for Pleased with Prefer to Prevent from Priority to
    Probe into Proud of Prohibit from Provide with Repent of
    Research on Resolve in/on Sail for Salute with Satisfied with
    Sentence with Sick of Side with Sure of Sympathise with
    Sympathy for Surprised at Suspect of Tamper with Testify to
    Throw at Trace to Unequal to Vie with Vote for
    Wait for Wish for Ways for Wdie of