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A Huge List of 222 Prepositional Phrases with IN in English

A Huge List of 222 Prepositional Phrases with IN in English

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Prepositional phrases with “in” are incredibly versatile in English, and we often use them to add clarity and detail to our sentences. Understanding how to use these phrases correctly is essential for us to master the subtleties of the English language. 

Understanding Prepositions

Prepositional Phrases

Definition of Prepositions

Prepositions are the words that indicate location, time, direction, or introduce an object. They are essential in constructing our sentences with clarity and precision. For example, “in” can indicate a location within a boundary (“in the room”), a point within a time frame (“in January”), or a state or condition (“in shock”).

Purpose of Prepositional Phrases

We use prepositional phrases to provide additional information about time, location, and direction in our sentences. These phrases act as building blocks that modify nouns or verbs, adding context that gives readers a more complete understanding of the what, where, when, and how in our statements. A phrase such as “in the morning” clarifies when something happens, while “in agreement” expresses the state of concurrence.

Structure of Prepositional Phrases with ‘In’

When we construct prepositional phrases with “in,” we follow a specific structure to ensure clarity and proper grammar. Let’s dive into the individual components that make up these phrases.

Firstly, the preposition “in” is the cornerstone of the phrase, indicating a position or location. Following “in,” we include the object of the preposition, which can be a noun, pronoun, or gerund, to provide more details about the location or position.

A proper construction looks like this:

  • In + Noun/Pronoun/Gerund

Here are examples to illustrate this:

  • In the garden
  • In them
  • In swimming

These objects can sometimes be part of a larger noun phrase, such as “the big red barn” or “a very long meeting.” In these cases, the prepositional phrase might look like:

  • In the big red barn
  • In a very long meeting

It’s essential for us to remember that “in” can also be part of phrasal verbs or idiomatic expressions. However, the structure remains consistent; “in” is followed by its object. For example:

  • In making the decision
  • In answering the tough questions

Common Uses of ‘In’

We often use the preposition ‘in’ to detail when and where something happens. It’s a small word with a big job, effortlessly connecting elements of time and space in our sentences.

Temporal Expressions

In the realm of time, ‘in’ helps us specify moments within days, months, years, and even seasons. Let’s take a look:

  • Months: In January, in February, in March, etc.
  • Years: In 1999, in 2020, in 2024, etc.
  • Seasons: In the spring, in the summer, in the fall, in the winter.
  • Times of the Day: In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening (but not ‘in the night’, where we use ‘at’ instead).

Spatial Expressions

When it’s about location, ‘in’ gives us a sense of enclosure or belonging within a larger area or space.

  • Geographical Areas: In the city, in the world, in a country.
  • Enclosed Spaces: In a room, in a building, in a garden.
  • Surface Areas with Boundaries: In a field, in the playground, in the park.

We use ‘in’ to convey that something or someone is contained or within the limits of a specific area.

Prepositional Phrases Examples with IN

Prepositional Phrase Example Sentence
in time He arrived just in time to catch the train.
in the forefront of She is in the forefront of medical research.
in demand Skilled programmers are in demand in the tech industry.
in focus The camera lens brings the subject in focus.
in one’s element He’s in his element when he’s playing guitar.
in prison The convicted criminal spent ten years in prison.
in season Strawberries are in season during the early summer.
in stock The new model is in stock and available for purchase.
in touch Stay in touch with me while you’re traveling.
in use The conference room is currently in use.
in difficulty The hikers found themselves in difficulty when the trail disappeared.
in sight The finish line is in sight; keep going!
in a deep sleep The baby was in a deep sleep, undisturbed by the noise.
in a flash The opportunity was gone in a flash.
in a heap After the party, clothes were left in a heap on the floor.
in a hurry I can’t chat right now; I’m in a hurry to get to work.
in a mess His apartment was in a mess after the weekend party.
in a pile She left the books in a pile on her desk.
in a sense In a sense, we are all responsible for the health of the planet.
in a temper The child was in a temper because he didn’t get his way.
in abeyance The new rules are held in abeyance until further notice.
in abundance Wildflowers grow in abundance in the meadow.
in accordance with The ceremony proceeded in accordance with tradition.
in action The new policy is now in action and will affect all employees.
in addition to In addition to her studies, she volunteers at the hospital.
in advance Tickets must be purchased in advance.
in agony The injured player was in agony on the field.
in agreement with The team was in agreement with the coach’s strategy.
in aid of The concert was held in aid of the local hospital.
in all likelihood In all likelihood, the weather will be sunny for the picnic tomorrow.
in an instant Everything changed in an instant after the news broke.
in an uproar The crowd was in an uproar after the controversial call by the referee.
in answer to In answer to your question, yes, the meeting has been rescheduled.
in anticipation of She packed her umbrella in anticipation of rain.
in arrears The tenant was in arrears with the rent for several months.
in awe of The audience was in awe of the magician’s skills.
in blossom The cherry trees are in blossom this time of year.
in brief In brief, the report summarizes the main findings of the study.
in bulk It’s cheaper to buy rice in bulk.
in cash He preferred to pay in cash rather than use a credit card.
in character The actor stayed in character even between takes.
in charge of She is in charge of organizing the company retreat.
in code The message was written in code to keep it secret.
in collaboration with The study was conducted in collaboration with the university.
in combination with The medication works best in combination with regular exercise.
in comfort After a long hike, they rested in comfort at the cozy mountain lodge.
in command of The captain is in command of the ship.
in common The two friends had a lot in common and became inseparable.
in comparison with In comparison with last year, the company’s profits have increased.
in compensation for He received a generous sum in compensation for the damage to his property.
in conclusion In conclusion, the speaker summarized the key points of her presentation.
in confidence She shared her plans in confidence with her closest friend.
in confinement The patient was kept in confinement during the recovery period.
in confusion The evacuation was conducted in confusion due to the sudden alarm.
in conjunction with The training program was developed in conjunction with industry experts.
in connection with He was questioned in connection with the ongoing investigation.
in consequence of In consequence of the merger, several offices were closed.
in contact with The team remained in contact with their stranded colleague via radio.
in contrast with In contrast with his outgoing brother, he is very shy.
in control of The pilot regained in control of the aircraft after the turbulence.
in convoy The trucks traveled in convoy for safety through the desert.
in custody The suspect was taken in custody by the police.
in danger The endangered species are in danger of extinction.
in debt She worked two jobs to get out of debt.
in decline The old industry is in decline, giving way to new technologies.
in defense of The lawyer spoke in defense of her client.
in detail The plan was explained in detail to all team members.
in disgrace The official left office in disgrace after the scandal.
in disguise The celebrity entered the party in disguise to avoid recognition.
in disorder The files were left in disorder after the office move.
in dispute The border has been in dispute for many years.
in distress The vessel sent out a signal when it was in distress at sea.
in doubt The outcome of the game was in doubt until the final whistle.
in due course You will receive your exam results in due course.
in duplicate Please submit the forms in duplicate.
in earnest Once the contract is signed, the project will begin in earnest.
in effect The new law is in effect as of January 1st.
in error The payment was made in error and will be refunded.
in essence In essence, the two products are similar even though they have different brands.
in excess of The vehicle was traveling at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.
in exchange for He offered his collectible cards in exchange for rare comic books.
in existence The oldest tree in existence in the park is over 400 years old.
in fact In fact, the data shows that our sales have increased by 20%.
in fairness to In fairness to Alex, he did try to finish the report on time.
in favor of The council voted in favor of the new zoning regulations.
in fear of They lived in fear of another earthquake.
in flames The building was in flames by the time firefighters arrived.
in flower The garden is in flower during the spring, creating a colorful display.
in full Please pay the invoice in full within 30 days.
in future In future, please check your work for errors before submitting it.
in gear Once the project gets in gear, it should proceed quickly.
in general In general, the feedback about the new product has been positive.
in good condition The used car was still in good condition despite its age.
in good faith The agreement was made in good faith by both parties.
in hand With the map in hand, they felt confident about their hike.
in harmony with The new addition to the house was built in harmony with the original architecture.
in haste She packed her suitcase in haste and rushed to the airport.
in hiding The witness was in hiding to avoid the media.
in high spirits The team was in high spirits after their victory.
in honor of A banquet was held in honor of the retiring principal.
in horror She watched in horror as the vase shattered on the floor.
in ink Sign the contract in ink to ensure it’s legally binding.
in pencil The students completed the math test in pencil.
in isolation The patient was kept in isolation to prevent the spread of the infection.
in its infancy The technology is still in its infancy and not widely available.
in jeopardy The project was in jeopardy when the lead designer resigned.
in keeping with The wedding theme was in keeping with the couple’s love of the beach.
in labor She went to the hospital when she was in labor.
in league with The villain was in league with the corrupt officials.
in length The board discussed the proposal in length before making a decision.
in line with The company’s policies are in line with industry standards.
in love with He realized he was in love with his best friend.
in memory of The monument was erected in memory of the fallen soldiers.
in mid-air The basketball player caught the ball in mid-air and scored.
in mind Keep in mind that the deadline is this Friday.
in moderation It’s okay to indulge in sweets in moderation.
in mourning The nation was in mourning after the death of the beloved leader.
in name He was the leader in name, but others held the real power.
in office The president accomplished several goals while in office.
in one’s absence Decisions were made in her absence that she did not agree with.
in one’s spare time He enjoys woodworking in his spare time.
in operation The new factory has been in operation for six months.
in opposition to Many residents are in opposition to the proposed highway.
in origin The tradition is French in origin.
in other words The situation is complicated, or in other words, we have a big problem.
in pain After the fall, he was clearly in pain.
in Parliament The bill is currently being debated in Parliament.
in particular She has an interest in science, in particular, marine biology.
in person You need to submit the application in person at the office.
in pieces The vase fell and broke in pieces on the tile floor.
in place of She will be acting in place of the manager while he’s on vacation.
in possession of The suspect was found in possession of stolen goods.
in poverty The charity works to help those living in poverty.
in practice In practice, the new system is much more efficient than the old one.
in preference to She chose the blue dress in preference to the red one.
in preparation for The team was in preparation for the upcoming tournament.
in principle In principle, I agree with the idea, but we need to look at the specifics.
in private The conversation took place in private, away from the media.
in progress Road repairs are in progress, so expect delays.
in proportion to The ingredients should be used in proportion to the recipe.
in public He rarely shows affection in public.
in pursuit of The explorer was in pursuit of ancient artifacts.
in quantity The product is now available in quantity for retailers.
in question The method in question has been used successfully in other studies.
in reality In reality, the situation was not as dire as it seemed.
in recognition of She received an award in recognition of her charitable work.
in relation to The company’s profits have increased in relation to last year’s figures.
in reply to In reply to your request, we have shipped the items today.
in reserve The team has a few players in reserve in case of injuries.
in residence The artist will be in residence at the university for the semester.
in respect of The company is facing charges in respect of environmental violations.
in response to In response to customer feedback, we have updated our return policy.
in retrospect In retrospect, I would have handled the situation differently.
in return He offered his help in return for a share of the profits.
in revenge for The attack was carried out in revenge for the earlier assault.
in reverse To undo the spell, you must read the words in reverse.
in ruins The ancient castle now stands in ruins, a reminder of the past.
in safety The hikers reached the cabin in safety before the storm hit.
in sb’s interest It’s in your interest to start saving money early for retirement.
in sb’s opinion In her opinion, the movie was the best of the year.
in search of They went in search of a new adventure.
in secret The plans were developed in secret, without the knowledge of the public.
in self-defense He claimed he was acting in self-defense when he struck the assailant.
in settlement of The payment was made in settlement of the outstanding debt.
in short In short, the meeting could have been an email.
in silence They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
in small change He paid for the candy in small change.
in store for There are many surprises in store for guests at the event.
in succession The team won three games in succession.
in support of The concert was held in support of the charity.
in suspense The audience was left in suspense at the end of the episode.
in sympathy with The community was in sympathy with the victims’ families.
in tears She was in tears after hearing the sad news.
in terms of In terms of efficiency, the new software system is a big improvement.
in terror The villagers fled in terror as the volcano erupted.
in the absence of In the absence of clear instructions, we used our best judgment.
in the aftermath In the aftermath of the storm, many people were left without power.
in the balance With the jury still out, his fate hangs in the balance.
in the case of In the case of an emergency, call this number.
in the course of In the course of the investigation, new evidence came to light.
in the distance She could see the lighthouse shining in the distance.
in the event of In the event of a fire, use the stairs instead of the elevator.
in the extreme His reaction was in the extreme, given the mild criticism he received.
in the eyes of In the eyes of the law, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
in the flesh It was exciting to see the celebrity in the flesh.
in the form of Assistance came in the form of food and medical supplies.
in the habit of He’s in the habit of taking a walk every morning.
in the interests of In the interests of safety, please do not run in the corridors.
in the lead She’s in the lead for the role in the upcoming play.
in the light of In the light of new information, we will need to revise our plans.
in the long run In the long run, exercising regularly will benefit your health.
in the making The team’s victory was years in the making.
in the meantime The movie starts at 9 PM; in the meantime, let’s grab dinner.
in the midst of They were in the midst of celebrating when the power went out.
in the mood for I’m in the mood for Italian food tonight.
in the name of Many atrocities have been committed in the name of progress.
in the night The stars shone brightly in the night sky.
in the open The secret is now in the open for everyone to know.
in the process of We are in the process of updating our computer systems.
in the right You’re in the right, and you should stand your ground.
in the seclusion of They enjoyed their honeymoon in the seclusion of the mountain cabin.
in the shade It’s cooler to sit in the shade during the hot summer days.
in the space of He finished the exam in the space of an hour.
in the wake of In the wake of the scandal, the CEO resigned.
in the way of There is little in the way of entertainment in this small town.
in the wrong She apologized after realizing she was in the wrong.
in theory In theory, the plan should work perfectly.
in time for She arrived just in time for the beginning of the concert.
in times of In times of crisis, it’s important to stay calm.
in town There’s a new restaurant in town everyone’s talking about.
in trouble If you don’t finish your homework, you’ll be in trouble.
in tune with The new policies are in tune with the current economic climate.
in turmoil The country was in turmoil during the political uprising.
in turn Each speaker, in turn, shared their thoughts on the matter.
in two minds I’m in two minds about selling the house—it has so many memories.
in twos The children lined up in twos to enter the auditorium.
in uniform The soldiers were dressed in uniform for the parade.
in unison The choir sang in unison, their voices blending beautifully.
in vain They waited in vain for a response to their request.
in view of In view of the weather forecast, the event will be postponed.
in vogue Vintage clothing is in vogue this season.
in words She expressed her gratitude in words that touched everyone’s heart.

List of Prepositional Phrases with IN | Infographic

List of Prepositional Phrases with IN | Infographic 2

Prepositional Phrases

List of Prepositional Phrases with IN | Infographic 3

Prepositional Phrases

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common examples of prepositional phrases beginning with the word ‘in’?

Common examples include “in addition to,” “in person,” “in practice,” “in agreement with,” and “in the case of.” These phrases can specify a condition, location, or time.

How can prepositional phrases with ‘in’ be used to enhance sentences?

By using prepositional phrases with ‘in,’ we can provide more detail and context. For example, “in advance” sets a time frame, while “in response to” provides a reason or motivation for an action.

Can you list various types of prepositional phrases that include ‘in’?

Certainly! There are prepositional phrases indicating time like “in the morning,” location such as “in the garden,” and manner with phrases like “in a hurry.” They vary widely in their uses.

What’s the difference between adverbial and adjectival prepositional phrases with ‘in’?

Adverbial prepositional phrases, such as “in silence,” describe how, when, where, or why an action happens. Adjectival prepositional phrases, like “in good condition,” describe a noun or pronoun.