Prepositions List with Their Types and Examples

What Is a Preposition?

A preposition is any word/letter that is used to describe where or when something is regarding something else in a sentence. It’s a better way to talk about things either in a place or time and can also be used to discuss movement or direction too. They are used in most describing sentences. In this way, the listener (or reader) understands the location or placement of something.

Definition:

A Preposition is a word sited before a noun or a pronoun to indicate in what relation the person or thing represented by it stands in regard to something else.

Moreover, the word Preposition means ‘that which is placed before’.

1. There is a buffalo in the field.
2. He is fond of coffee.
3. The dog jumped off the chair.

It will be observed that:

In sentence 1, the Preposition links a Noun to another Noun.

In sentence 2, the Preposition links a Noun to an Adjective.

In sentence 3, the Preposition links a Noun to a Verb.

Note 1: When the object, as in sentence 1, is the Relative Pronoun, the Preposition will always be placed at the end.

When the object is an interrogative pronoun, the Preposition is frequently placed at the end same as in sentences 3, 4, and 5.

Note 2: Occasionally, the object is placed first for emphasis; as,

This I assert on. He is renowned all the world over.

Kinds of Prepositions:

Prepositions may be organized in the following classes:

At, for, though, till, to, off, at, on, out, from, in, up, of, with.

1. Compound Prepositions:

Prepositions that are generally formed by preceding a Preposition to a Noun, an Adjective, or an Adverb. The list of those is following:

•              About	•              Beneath
•              Beside	•              Within
•              Without	•              Along
•              Beyond	•              Inside
•              Amongst	•              Behind
•              Below	•              Between
•              Outside	•              Underneath
•              Above	•              Across
•              Amidst	•              Among
•              Around	•              Before

 

2. Phrase Prepositions:

Phrase Prepositions are used with the force of a single preposition.

• According to: in accordance with or in place of
• Agreeably to: in addition to or in reference to
• Along with: in (on) behalf of or in regard to
• Away from: in case of or in spite of
• Because of: in comparison to or instead of
• By dint of: in compliance with or in the event of
• By means of: in consequence of or on account of
• By reason of: in course of or owing to
• By virtue of: in favor of or with a view to
• By way of: in front of or with an eye to
• Conformably to: in lieu of or with reference to
• For the sake of: in order to or with regard to

Relations expressed by Prepositions:

The most common relations specified by Prepositions are following:

1. Place:

Went about the sphere; ran across the path; leaned against a fence; fell among robs; quarreled among themselves; at death’s door; stood before the gate; stood behind the shade; lies below the shallow; sat beside me; plies between Kolkata and Mumbai; stand by me; rain comes from the vapors; in the sky; fell into a trench; lies near his heart.

2. Time:

After his death; at an early year; reached before me; behind time; by three o’clock; during the entire day; for many years; from 1st June; in the evening; lived under the Mughals; on Sunday.

3. Manner:

Dying by inches; fought with bravery; worked with sincerity, won with comfort

4. Cause, reason, purpose:

Labored for the good of humankind; died of disease; the very place for a party; hurts from gout; died from tiredness; does it from stubbornness; retreated through fear of a trap.

5. Possession:

There was no money on her; the mosque of Omar; a man of words; the boy with black hair.

6. Measure, standard, rate, value:

He charges profit at nine percent. Stories like these necessarily taken at what they have worth. Clothes is sold by the yard. You are older than me by two years. It was three by the tower-clock

7. Contrast, concession:

After (in spite of, notwithstanding) every struggle, one may fail. For a single enemy, he has a hundred contacts. For (in spite of) all his means he is not pleased. With (in spite of) all his mistakes I respect him.

Note: The same Preposition, according to the way in which it is used, would have its place under numerous heads.

Prepositions with different forms of transport:

• We use by when we discuss about sources of transport. We never use the, a or an before the noun. We toured by train (not by the/a train).
• We can say by bicycle; by car or bus; by boat, ship, plane; by air or sea.
• We never use by when we mention a particular bicycle, bike, car, train, etc.
• We use on when we specify any bicycle, bus, train, ship or plane, and in to specify a car, taxi, van, lorry or ambulance.
• We can say on foot (not by foot).

Arguments followed by Preposition:

Some Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, and Participles are permanently followed by specific Prepositions. Read the following sentences and notice some appropriate Prepositions:

• Mumbai is renowned for its textiles.
• The goat survives on the roughest food.
• Nehru was fond of teen-agers.
• Pakistan is a principled, beautiful land, packed with natural wealth.
• Being apprised of our tactic, the whole neighborhood came out to see their minister.

 

The below given Prepositions need special notice:

We can use in or at with the names of towns, cities or villages. In most cases in is used.

• We use in whenever we are discussing about a place as an area.
• We use at whenever we see it as a point.
• We use at to discuss about group actions and shops or workplaces.

For Example, Did you see Rida at the gathering? There weren’t many folks at the meeting. I saw her at the baker’s.

• We use in with the names of roads and at when we give the house number. For Example, She lives in Church Way. She lives at 46 Church Street
• We use on when we consider a place as a surface. For Example, The cat is lying on the roof. Put this image on the wall.
• Till is used of time and place; For Example, He napped till eight o’clock. He marched to the end of the highway.
• Since is used before a noun or phrase that is representing some point of time, and is headed by a verb in the perfect tenses; For Example, I have done nothing since yesterday. He has been hostile since Monday. I have not been drinking since last week.