In this lesson, we will fully immerse ourselves in the world of English prepositions! Whether you’re a beginner just starting out or an advanced student looking to refine your language skills, this comprehensive guide will provide you with everything you need to know.
What is a preposition?
A preposition is a word that tells you where or when something is in relation to something else. Typically, this involves introducing a new element or indicating aspects like time, space, or direction.
Various Ways to Utilize Prepositions
Here are examples of prepositions are:
- Between
- On
- In
- At
- For
- Of
- Off
- To
- Until
- With
Prepositions often connect with at least one object, often a noun. They’re generally positioned within a sentence rather than at its end. For instance, instead of saying, «Who are you talking to?», you might phrase it as «To whom are you talking?».
Exploring Prepositions: In, On and At
Now that you’ve identified «on» as a preposition, did you realize there are various types of prepositions?
In English, we categorize prepositions into time, space, direction, and introduction. Simple prepositions like «in», «on», and «at» fall into this mix.
Diversifying your preposition knowledge allows you to construct sentences accurately.
Time
Prepositions relating to time include:
- In
«I’ll see you in a few minutes».
- From
«The meeting is scheduled from noon until 1 PM.»
- Through
«The meeting continued through lunch.»
Space
«At» and «over» are space-related prepositions. Here are more examples:
- At
«Let’s meet at the supermarket.»
- Beside
«It’s beside the convenience store.»
- Over
«It’s just over there.»
Direction
Directional prepositions consist of:
- Behind
«She’s behind the tree.»
- Into
«She follows the path into the woods.»
- To
«She heads to her grandmother’s house.»
Introduction
Introductory prepositions include:
- After
«After the rain, we slept peacefully.»
- During
«During the rain, we stayed awake.»
- Under
«Under the blankets, we waited for the rain to stop.»
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases, or prepositional sentences, typically begin with prepositions.
Here’s a list of prepositional phrases:
- «At last, I can enjoy the pizza.»
- «I will finish the puzzle by myself.»
- «For example, here is a drawing of a cat.»
- «In addition to the cake, she brought cookies.»
- «By the way, do you like me?»
Double prepositions
They are formed by merging two separate positions to generate a new word. For example,
- Inside
- Into
- Onto
- Throughout
- Upon
- Without
Let’s look at some sentences with these double prepositions.
- «I followed him into the supermarket».
- «From the attic, he climbed onto the roof.»
- «Throughout the town, I chased him.»
- «Once upon a time, he broke my heart.»
- «He left without me.»
Compound prepositions
These are a combination of two or more words that function as a single preposition.
For example,
- According to: «According to the plan, we meet tomorrow.»
- Along with: «She came along with her friends.»
- Because of: «We postponed the event because of the rain.»
- Instead of: «I’ll have tea instead of coffee.»
- On behalf of: «I’m speaking on behalf of the team.»
- Due to: «The flight was delayed due to bad weather.»
- Out of: «He picked a book out of the shelf.»
- In between: «She sat in between two friends.»
- Up to: «The decision is up to you.»
Participle prepositions
They are a type of preposition that consists of a present participle (-ing form) or a past participle (-ed or irregular form) combined with a preposition. For example,
- Considering: «Considering the weather, we decided to stay indoors.»
- During: «During the concert, she took some beautiful photographs.»
- Given: «Given the circumstances, it’s the best decision.»
- Concerning: «The report concerning the project is due tomorrow.»
- Pending: «Pending approval, the project can’t proceed.»
Great! We have reached the end of this lesson. If you want to continue studying, don’t miss the article on definite and indefinite articles in English.