PREPOSITIONS
“The plane flew above the cloud, behind the cloud, around the cloud,
below the cloud, beneath the cloud, beside the cloud, beyond the cloud,
into the cloud, near the cloud, outside the cloud, over the cloud, past the
cloud, through the cloud, toward the cloud, under the cloud, and finally
dived
underneath the cloud.”
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between two things. In the
example above, the prepositions show the relationships between a plane and a
cloud. Below is a list of most common prepositions:
about beside inside to
above besides like toward
across between near under
after beyond of underneat
h
against by off until
alon despite on up
g
among down out with
around during outside within
at except over without
before for past
behind from since
below in through
beneath into throughou
t
Some prepositions consist of more than one word. Here is a list of the most common
multiword prepositions:
along with in place of
because of in spite of
Due to instead of
except for on account of
in addition out of
to
in case of up to
in front of with the
exception of
Prepositions for Time, Place,
and Introducing Objects
Time
On is used with days.
I will see you on
Monday. The week
begins on Sunday.
At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day.
My plane leaves at
noon. The movie
starts at 6 p.m.
In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years,
with seasons.
He likes to read in the
afternoon. The days are
long in August.
The book was published in
1999. The flowers will
bloom in spring.
Since, for, by, from—to, from—until, during, – expresses extended time.
She has been gone since yesterday. (She left yesterday and has not
returned.) I'm going to Paris for two weeks. (I will spend two
weeks there.)
The movie showed from August to/until October. (Beginning in August, ending
in October.) I watch TV during the evening. (For some period of time in the
evening.)
We must finish the project within a year. (No longer than a year.)
Place
In – describes the point itself.
There is a wasp in the room.
Insi – expresses something contained.
Put the present inside the box.
On – talks about the surface.
I left your keys on the table.
At – talks about a general vicinity.
She was waiting at the corner.
Over, – when the object is higher than a point.
He threw the ball over the
roof. Hang that picture above
the couch.
Under, underneath, beneath, – when the object is lower than a point.
The rabbit burrowed under the
ground. The child hid underneath
the blanket.
We relaxed in the shade beneath the
branches. The valley is below sea-level.
Near, by, next to, between, among, – when the object is close to a point.
She lives near the school.
There is an ice cream shop by the
store. An oak tree grows next to
my house
The house is between Elm Street and Maple
Street. I found my pen lying among the
books.
The bathroom is opposite the kitchen.
Introduce objects of verbs
At – with verbs glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, and stare
She took a quick glance at her reflection.
(exception with mirror: She took a quick glance in the
mirror.) You didn't laugh at his joke.
I'm looking at the computer
monitor. We rejoiced at his safe
rescue.
That pretty girl smiled at
you. Stop staring at me.
Of – with verbs approve, consist, and smell
I don't approve of his speech.
My contribution to the article consists of many
pages. He came home smelling of alcohol.
Of/ –with verbs dream and think
I dream of finishing college in four years.
Can you think of a number between one
and ten? I am thinking about this
problem.
For – with verbs call, hope, look, wait, watch, and wish
Did someone call for a taxi?
He hopes for a raise in salary next
year. I'm looking for my keys.
We'll wait for her here.
You go buy the tickets, and I'll watch for the train.
If you wish for an "A" in this class, you must work hard.
Frequently Misused Prepositions
Prepositions may sometimes be confused because of slang and the general
informality of talk. Here are some frequently misused prepositions.
beside, besides. Beside means next to, whereas besides means in addition.
The comb is beside the brush.
Besides planning the trip, she is also getting the tickets.
between, among. Generally, between is used when two items are
involved; with three or more, among is preferred.
Between you and me, he is among friends.
due to. Due to should not be used as a preposition meaning because of.
Because of (not due to) his speeding, we were all ticketed.
inside of. The of is always unnecessary.
Stay inside the house.
The man stayed outside (not outside of) the post office.
Based on the information from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslprep4.html.
