Prepositions might be small words but are quite tricky to master. Even advanced English learners find using suitable prepositions in different contexts challenging. To give an example, the preposition on has over 50 different definitions! That’s quite tricky! So, how do you choose the right one?
The easiest – and best way – to learn English is to practise speaking it.
This is why enrolling in English native-speaker lessons online is quite helpful. Once you understand common prepositions, you can use them in your daily conversations and add precision and flair to your writing.
First, let’s understand what prepositions are and their role in English.
You can think of prepositions as the building blocks of the English language. Unlike nouns and verbs, which are content words, prepositions are function words that establish the relationship between two other words. In the simplest terms, a preposition links two words and expresses how they are related.
For example, “The doll is on the shelf.” Here “on” is the preposition, showing the doll’s and shelf’s relationship.
In this article, we list the 50 most used prepositions and tips for using them correctly. Irrespective of whether you’re a proficient English speaker or you have just started English-speaking practice classes, this list is a great resource to help you become skilled in prepositions and use them effectively in your day-to-day conversations and writing.
| about | above | across | after | against |
| along | among | around | at | before |
| behind | below | beneath | beside | between |
| beyond | but | by | concerning | down |
| during | except | for | from | in |
| inside | into | like | near | of |
| off | on | onto | out | outside |
| over | past | regarding | since | through |
| to | toward(s) | under | underneath | until |
| up | upon | with | within | without |
Now, let’s look at the different types of prepositions.
Prepositions of time help you discuss specific periods. Here are a few examples:
Here are a few examples of how to use different prepositions of time with grammar rules:
At: Use at when you want to specify a particular time.
Examples: “I always wake up at 5 a.m.”
“Let’s meet at 4 for coffee.”
On: Use on for dates and days.
“It’s my birthday on Monday.”
“The meeting is on 10th April.”
In: Use in for extended periods such as months, years, and seasons.
Example: “I will retire in May.”
“My mother will be back in two weeks.”
“Sally was born in 1998.”
“The town hosts a festival in autumn.”
For: Use for when you specify a specific length of time.
Example: “Raj has been living in New Zealand for six months.”
Since: Use since when you want to mention the start of a specific period.
Example: “I’ve been working with Google since the start of 2020.”
By: You use by when you want to mention a deadline.
Example: “My mom told me I have to return home by 9 p.m.”
During: Use during when you’re speaking about two or more simultaneous events.
Example: “We stayed at the hotel during the conference.”
For: Use for when you’re mentioning a specific period.
Example: “I slept for eight hours yesterday.”
Until/till: Use these prepositions to cite a particular time.
Example: “We’ll wait until noon for you.”
Since: Use since when you want to refer to when something began.
Example: “The school has been here since the 1990s.”
From…..To: Use these prepositions to refer to when something starts and finishes.
Example: “My sister will visit me from Sunday to Friday.”
A preposition of place refers to where an object or person is located. There are three major prepositions of place. They are:
| At (Point) | In (Enclosed Space) | On (Surface) |
| At the bus stop | In Delhi | On the door |
| At the corner | In a box | On the wall |
| At the door | In the garden | On the menu |
| At the end of the road | In my wallet | On the carpet |
| At the entrance | In a car | On a page |
| At the crossroads | In my bedroom | On the floor |
Here are a few examples:
| above | aboard | across | alongside | against |
| amidst | atop | beside | behind | below |
| beyond | beneath | between | by | close to |
| far from | from | in between | inside | into |
| in front of | near | near to | off | on top of |
| opposite | out | upon | through | underneath |
| with | together with | within | without | up against |
These prepositions denote how an object moves in relation to another. Many of these prepositions are the same as prepositions of place. Here are a few examples:
Down: It indicates a movement from up to down.
Example: “The ball is rolling down the stairs.”
Up: It indicates a movement from a lower to a higher position.
Example: “The child threw the ball up the stairs.”
Out of: It indicates a movement from an enclosed space to an outside area.
Example: “She moved out of her parents’ home.”
Into: It indicates a movement from outside to an enclosed indoor space.
Example: “After a while, we moved from the patio into the home.”
Toward: It indicates a movement in the direction of someone or something.
Example: “He stood with his back toward me.”
Away: Use it when a person or object leaves a space.
Example: “She turned away from the window.”
Over: It indicates a movement from one side to another.
Example: “The cat jumped over the wall.”
Around: It refers to going along an edge in a circular direction.
Example: “You must drive around the pond to reach the guesthouse.”
Under: It describes a movement below the surface.
Example: “The dog fled under the table.”
Along: It shows movement following a line.
Example: “The old lady walked along the lit path.”
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, prepositions are the building blocks of the English language. However, they can be quite tricky and challenging to master. The best way to speak English fluently is to practise basic prepositions and other simple parts of the language till you get the hang of it.
Need more grammar help? Check out our in-depth guides on past tense, adverbs, and nouns. Make sure to check our blog, as we’ve got tons of articles to help you learn to speak English fluently and confidently.
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