Prepositions are the words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. Understanding prepositions is crucial because they help us describe relationships between different entities and frame our sentences properly to convey clear meaning. Following is a list of prepositions from A to Z in English. They have been chosen especially for ESL learners.
Table of Contents
Understanding Prepositions
Definition and Usage
Definition: A preposition is a word that connects nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words in a sentence. It typically indicates the temporal, spatial, or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence.
Usage: We use prepositions to give information about direction, time, location, and other relationships. For example, in the sentence “The book is on the table,” the preposition on shows the relationship between ‘book’ and ‘table’.
Types of Prepositions
Simple Prepositions: These are single-word prepositions used in most circumstances. Examples include at, by, for, in, of, off, on, out, over, to, and with.
Compound Prepositions: These consist of two or more words functioning as a single preposition. For instance, according to, because of, next to, and due to.
Phrase Prepositions (or Prepositional Phrases): These are groups of words that include a preposition, its object, and the object’s modifiers. An example is in spite of the rain.
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Simple Prepositions | at, by, in, to, with |
| Compound Prepositions | according to, next to, because of |
| Phrase Prepositions | in spite of, in front of, along with |
Function in a Sentence
Prepositions function to show the relationship between the object and another word in the sentence. They answer questions such as “Where?”, “When?”, “How?”, and “Whom?”
- Location: The cat is under the table. (under answers “Where?”)
- Time: We will meet after the movie. (after answers “When?”)
- Means/Manner: She traveled by train. (by answers “How?”)
- Possession: This is a picture of us. (of answers “Whose?”)
Understanding and correctly using prepositions allows us to express clear and precise meaning in our sentences.
List of Prepositions
Learn 100 prepositions in English with examples:
| Prepositions | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Abroad | She traveled abroad for her semester exchange program. |
| About | He wrote a book about the history of the Roman Empire. |
| Above | The airplane flew above the clouds. |
| According to | According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow. |
| Across | She walked across the bridge to reach the other side. |
| After | After the movie, they went out for ice cream. |
| Against | The painting leaned against the wall. |
| Ago | He moved to this city two years ago. |
| Ahead of | She finished her project ahead of the deadline. |
| Along | We strolled along the beach at sunset. |
| Amidst | Amidst the chaos, she remained calm. |
| Among | He was sitting among his friends at the concert. |
| Amongst | She distributed the snacks amongst the children. |
| Apart | They decided to live apart for a while. |
| Around | The rumors about the merger circulated around the office. |
| As | She works as a teacher at the local school. |
| As far as | As far as I know, the meeting is still scheduled for 3 PM. |
| As well as | He plays the guitar as well as the piano. |
| Aside | She stepped aside to let the others pass. |
| At | Meet me at the entrance of the museum. |
| Away | The cat ran away when it saw the dog. |
| Barring | Barring any delays, we should arrive by 6 PM. |
| Because of | The game was postponed because of the rain. |
| Before | Finish your homework before you watch TV. |
| Behind | The sun disappeared behind the mountain. |
| Below | Temperatures dropped below freezing overnight. |
| Beneath | The fish swam beneath the surface of the water. |
| Beside | She sat beside her friend during the bus ride. |
| Besides | Besides mathematics, he is also interested in physics. |
| Between | The small alley runs between the two buildings. |
| Beyond | The hiker ventured beyond the marked trail. |
| But | Everyone but Luke attended the meeting. |
| By | The book was written by a famous author. |
| By means of | They communicated by means of sign language. |
| Circa | The castle was built circa 1400. |
| Concerning | The manager will address all issues concerning the merger. |
| Despite | Despite the rain, the parade continued. |
| Down | The cat climbed down the tree. |
| Due to | The flight was delayed due to fog. |
| During | She fell asleep during the movie. |
| In | They live in a small town. |
| In accordance with | In accordance with the rules, please wear a helmet. |
| In addition to | In addition to her job, she volunteers on weekends. |
| In case of | In case of emergency, break the glass. |
| In front of | He waited for her in front of the restaurant. |
| In lieu of | In lieu of gifts, please make a donation to charity. |
| In place of | Use yogurt in place of sour cream in the recipe. |
| In spite of | In spite of his injury, he completed the marathon. |
| In to | She turned in to the parking lot. |
| Inside | The keys are inside the drawer. |
| Instead of | They had tea instead of coffee. |
| Into | She poured the milk into the bowl. |
| Except | Everyone except Jane has submitted the report. |
| Except for | The park was empty except for a few joggers. |
| Excluding | The price is $30, excluding tax. |
| For | This gift is for you. |
| Following | Following the meeting, they went out for lunch. |
| From | He traveled from New York to Los Angeles. |
| Hence | She is not feeling well and hence will not be attending. |
| Like | He runs like the wind. |
| Minus | The temperature dropped to ten degrees minus zero. |
| Near | The coffee shop is near the train station. |
| Next | The next item on the agenda is the budget report. |
| Next to | The library is next to the bank on Main Street. |
| Past | He drove past the house without stopping. |
| Per | The charge is $20 per hour. |
| Prior to | Prior to the event, they sent out invitations. |
| Round | We took a round trip to the island. |
| Off | The cat jumped off the counter. |
| On (prepositions of time and place: at in on) | The book is on the table. |
| On account of | The match was canceled on account of the storm. |
| On behalf of | On behalf of the team, I accept this award. |
| On to | The detective is on to the suspect’s trail. |
| On top of | There’s a cherry on top of the cake. |
| Onto | The child climbed onto the playground equipment. |
| Opposite | Their house is opposite the park. |
| Out | He walked out the door. |
| Out from | The rabbit hopped out from the bushes. |
| Out of | She took a cookie out of the jar. |
| Outside | It’s cold outside, so wear a coat. |
| Over | The plane flew over the mountains. |
| Owing to | Owing to the delay, we missed our connection. |
| Than | She is taller than her brother. |
| Through | The road goes through the forest. |
| Throughout | Snow fell throughout the night. |
| Till | I worked till late at night. |
| Times | The rent is four times higher than it used to be. |
| To | I go to the gym every morning. |
| Toward | She walked toward the door. |
| Towards | The cat crept towards the bird. |
| Under | The cat hid under the bed. |
| Underneath | The spare key is underneath the doormat. |
| Unlike | Unlike my sister, I prefer chocolate ice cream. |
| Until | Wait here until I return. |
| Unto | Do unto others as you would have |
| Up | She walked up the stairs quietly. |
| Upon | Upon his arrival, everyone cheered. |
| Via | We will be traveling to the conference via train. |
| With | She came with her friends to the party. |
| With a view to | He is saving money with a view to buying a new car. |
| Within | The document needs to be completed within two weeks. |
| Without | He went out without his umbrella, despite the rain. |
| Worth | The old painting turned out to be worth a lot of money. |
Preposition List | Image
among us
Tuesday 30th of August 2022
i like turtles do you like
Jeff Bezoz
Saturday 29th of January 2022
Love it
Madison Garner
Thursday 20th of January 2022
Nice
nuriula
Sunday 21st of March 2021
this is great
No Body
Sunday 14th of March 2021
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