In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

PREPOSITIONS

Composed by:
Zubair Aftab Khan
Coordinator STEP
Head of English Deptt.
PGC-City Campus
Lahore.

&

Ubaid ur Rahman Farooqi

Lecturer in English
PGC-City Campus
Lahore.
 PREPOSITION
(Relationship Words)

Pre – position

Before Place

A preposition connects a noun to other words and shows the relationship between them.
(coming before a noun or pronoun)
OR
A Preposition is a word which shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun with another
word.

For example:
He has complete trust and confidence in me.
The society can move towards better destinations.
The book is on the table.
The clouds are hovering over the sky.
We ran into the building.
Hina jumped over the bush while the cat slept beneath it.
Prepositions are of the following types:

1. Prepositions of time (in, on, at, after, etc.)

2. Prepositions of place (in, on, at, in front of, etc.)
3. Prepositions of direction/movement (in, into, toward, etc.)
4. Prepositions of action (by, with)

Adverb or Preposition:
Some words may be either function as prepositions or as adverbs. To distinguish between
a preposition or an adverb always remember that a preposition is always followed by a noun or
pronoun object.
For example:
The plane circled above. (Adverb of place)
The plane circled above the field. (Preposition)

He went up. (Adverb of place)

He went up the building. (Preposition)

Some Prepositions and Their Uses:

At:
• With respect to show nearness in place, used for smaller places.
She is at home.
Is he at the station?
He was quite at home in nuclear physics.
• With respect to time.
They came here at 9 a.m.
• With respect to one’s condition.
He is quite at ease in his village.
• With respect to value.
Pure milk is selling at a high price.
• With respect to aim.
She laughs at me for nothing.
• With respect to passion.
They were astonished at our behaviour.
• With respect to action.
Do not throw water at him.
In, into:
In: (with reference to a big place, duration of time, condition, etc.)
• She lives in Lahore.
• Our teacher was in anger at that time.
• She spoke in great joy.
 • Do not talk in a passion of hatred for others.
• I shall come back in two days.
• Ahsan is standing in the street.
• In the room. In the building. In the village. In the book, etc.
Into: (with reference to entrance or motion, etc.)
• He jumped into the river.
• She went into the house when it started raining.
• Change this water into ice.
About:(with reference to time, whereabouts or position)
• It is about the time when we started for the station.
• He is about to leave.
• There was no one about me to help when I fell down.
• It is about 8 p.m. now.
• Who will tell us about this plan?
Along: (from one end to the other)
• The bus moved along the canal.
• We walked along the road.
Amid:(in the middle)
• Zarina was sitting amid her classmates.
Between:(used for two)
• Divide these books between the two boys.
Among:(more than two)
• Who is your neighbour among these people?
Below/Beneath: (with reference to lower level or position)
• I got below 80 marks in this subject.
• Water was flowing beneath (under) the bridge.
Beside: (by the side of)
• Nighat was sitting beside Sabiha.
Besides: (in addition to)
• Besides visiting Shangrilla, we visited several other holiday spots.
By: (up to)
• I shall wait for you by 8 p.m.
Note:
By also gets its meaning with reference to the time of the action coming after it. If the time
is of past, it will be followed by past verbs and if the time of future is mentioned it will
take future continuous or future perfect verbs.

By 1950, man developed / had already developed genetic engineering technology.

By 2050, man will be moving / will have moved to the moon.
In spite of or Despite: (without bothering about)
• They went into the jungle in spite of (or despite) my warning.
• Despite (in spite of) the wear the country progressed a great deal.
Despite will never follow of
Within: (in the limits or range)
• Please return this loan within the agreed period of time.
• It is not within my reach.
Without: (with reference to absence, not having or doing something, lacking something)
• He went to London without her.
• Our soldiers fight without fear.
• When you have no money, you just have to learn to do without.
Across: (from one side to another or communicating effectively)
• We went across the river.
• I want to put across my ideas to you.
Through: (to pass or use as medium)
• We can succeed only through hard work.
• Great men have always been through great difficulties.

Some confusing prepositions with their usages:

Accompanied by: (escort; with reference to people)

She was accompanied by her husband.
Accompanied with: (two inanimate objects coming together or supplement each other)
Our stay was accompanied with difficulties.

Angry at: (behaviour, response)

My teacher is angry at my behaviour.
Angry with: (person)
My teacher is angry with me.

Ask for: (demand something)

He asked me for some help.
Ask about: (to inquire something)
He asked me about the Pushton history.

Agree to: (promise)

He agreed to my proposal. He agreed to help me.
Agree with: (person)
I agree with you in this matter.
Agree on/about: (the topic)
They agreed on the best course of action.
Argue with: (person)
We argue with each other about knowledge.
Argue against: (suggestion/proposition)
He argued against my proposal.
Argue about: (something)
I know it is a stupid thing to argue about.

Blind in/of: (eyesight)

He is blind in/of one eye.
Blind to: (situation)
He is blind to his failings.

Charge with: (accusation/duty)

He was charged with the duty to teach the tenses.
He was charged with incompetency.
Charge for: (payment)
He charged me for the second cup of tea.

Compared to: (for the objects of different types)

Don’t compare my results to my studies.
Compared with: (for the objects of essentially same types)
Don’t compare Shakespeare with Iqbal.

Deal in: (business)

He deals in garments.
Deal with: (people/matter/manage)
I will deal with you later.
He has already dealt with this matter.
The weather is bad, we will have to deal with it.

Die of: (disease)

He died of cancer.
Die for: (cause)
The soldier died for his country.
Die in: (situation)
Sara died in an accident.

Grateful to: (person)

I am grateful to you.
Grateful for: (benefit)
I am grateful for the attention you gave me in the party.
Look after: (take care)
The nurse looked after the patient.
Look for: (search)
She is looking for her pendants.
Look into: (investigate)
The officer is looking into the matter.

Made of: (when original substance does not alter)

The chair is made of wood. (Wood is still wood here)
Made from: (when original substance alters)
Paper is made from wood. (Wood is transformed completely)
Made up: (to decide; to compensate)
The old man made up his mind to climb on the mountain top.
He has made up for the loss in his business.

Part from: (someone)

No one can part her from her husband.
Part with: (something)
He has parted with his books after his failure.

Provide for: (help)

The government will provide for the poor families.
Provide with: (something)
The government will provide the poor families with the health facilities.

Ran after: (to chase)

The police ran after the thief.
Ran into: (to enter)
The bull ran into the crowd.
Run behind: (not according to a schedule)
The trains are running behind schedule.
The project is running behind schedule.

Pass by: (passing close to something)

I was passing by the market when I saw my friend there.
Pass through: (passing from the exterior/outside into the interior/inside of something)
I was passing through the street, when I came across my childhood friend.

Report for: (obligation / responsibility)

She was given a warning after she failed to report for the task.
Report on: (information)
She provided a report on the crisis.
Report to: (specific person or place)
She was asked to report to the office / director.

Trust/Confidence/Believe/Pride in: (the concept of inner being)

The Muslims believe in Allah.
The husband has a complete trust in his wife.
He has confidence in himself.
She takes pride in her wealth.

Take after: (be similar to the older member of the family)

She takes after her mother.
Take into: (to cater)
We must take all the facts into consideration.

Latin comparatives: (words ending -ior) are followed by ‘to’:

He is junior to me.
Education must be prior to recreation.
Engaged/Marry to: (only in Passive Voice)
Ali is engaged to Sana.
She was married to Aslam.
Engage in: (activity)
It is important for children to have time to engage in family activities.
Engage with: (something or with a group of people, one gets involved with)
She found it hard to engage with the office life.

Things to Remember about Prepositions

(1) Marry does not take preposition in the Active Voice sentences.
He will marry his cousin.
• However, in Passive Voice sentences marry will take the preposition to.
He was married to his cousin.
• Marry when followed by a modification of the subject.
She married with two kids.
(having two kids from her first marriage. Now she married for a second time and took
her two kids with her.)

(2) In as a preposition of time comes before a specific time in past, century, month, year
and particular time of a day/month/year.
She came here in January.
He was born in 1985.
I get up early in the morning.
• On as a preposition of time comes before a particular day or date.
She came here on Monday.
He was born on the 5th of March 1985.
I dressed up green and white on the Independence Day.
• At as a preposition of time comes before a time of clock and short and precise time.
She came here at 5pm.
He will come to us at noon.

(3) In as a preposition of place comes before adverbs of place.

She came in the hall.
He put his mobile in the box.
• On as a preposition of place comes before a surface of things.
I placed my mobile on the table.
He fixed the clock on the wall.
• At as a preposition of place comes before a specific place.
His duty was at the entrance.
She arrived at the bus stop.

(4) Since and for are generally used in present perfect and present perfect continuous
tenses. It is incorrect to use them in present continuous tense.
We are making sketches since morning. (Incorrect)
We have been making sketches since morning. (Correct)
We are making sketches nowadays. (Correct)

(5) To as preposition is followed by gerund (-ing form taken as noun)

be accustomed to, with a view to, look forward to, in addition to, be committed to, be
used to, be opposed to, etc.

He is looking forward to labelling you as a magician.

She is going there with a view to convincing him.

(6) Prepositions are always followed by the objective form of pronoun not the
subjective form.

He has a complete trust in she. (Incorrect)

He has a complete trust in her. (Correct)
The tea has been taken by he. (Incorrect)
The tea has been taken by him. (Correct)
 VERBS without PREPOSITIONS
PREPOSITIONLESS VERBS
affect, answer, attacked, comprises, confronted, contact, contradicted, demanded, discuss,
emphasize, enter, love, lack, resemble, reach, etc.
She discussed about the topic.
She discussed the topic.

The divorce affected about every aspect of her life.

The divorce affected every aspect of her life.

He answered to me in a wrong way.

He answered me in a wrong way.

He attacked on the man with a pencil.

He attacked the man with a pencil.

The accommodation comprises of six bedrooms and three living rooms.

The accommodation comprises six bedrooms and three living rooms.

She confronted against the burglars with bravery.

She confronted the burglars with bravery.

I tried to contact with her.

I tried to contact her. / I contacted her.

Recent evidence has contradicted against established theories on this subject.

Recent evidence has contradicted established theories on this subject.

She demanded for an explanation.

She demanded an explanation.

You can use italics or capitals to emphasize on a word.

You can use italics or capitals to emphasize a word.

The driver entered into the building.

The driver entered the building.
He just lacks in a little confidence.
He just lacks a little confidence.

I love with my books.

I love my books.

She resembles with her father.

She resembles her father.

He reached at the station.

He reached the station.

Exceptions:
Enter into (an agreement):
Both the companies enter into the sales agreement with each other.
Reach into (to approach):
He reached into an inside coat pocket and withdrew a small sealed envelope from it.

As NOUNS the above-mentioned verbs take prepositions.

He has a great love for his country. (love as a noun here)

They executed an attack on the terrorists. (attack as a noun here)
Give short answers to the following questions. (answer as a noun here)
They established a contact with her. (contact as a noun here)