Prepositions are small but powerful words that help us describe relationships between different elements in a sentence. Whether we’re talking about time, place, direction, or cause, prepositions clarify how things relate to one another. Mastering their use is essential for clear and accurate communication in English. In this article, we’ll explore what prepositions are, how they function, and how to use them correctly in everyday conversation.
About – I am thinking about you.
About – The book is about animals.
Above – The clock is above the door.
Above – The helicopter flew above the clouds.
According to – According to the weather report, it will rain.
Across – He walked across the street.
Across – The bridge goes across the river.
After – Let’s meet after school.
After – We will eat after the meeting.
Against – The chair is against the wall.
Against – The rain beat against the window.
Along – They strolled along the beach.
Along – They walked along the river.
Along with – I’ll go along with your plan.
Alongside – The bike is alongside the wall.
Among – He was among the crowd.
Among – She is among her friends.
Apart from – Apart from John, everyone was there.
Around – The cat ran around the house.
Around – We walked around the park.
As – She works as a teacher.
As for – As for the meeting, it went well.
At – She is at the supermarket.
At – We are at the park.
Away from – Stay away from the fire.
Because of – We stayed inside because of the rain.
Because of – We stayed inside because of the storm.
Before – Call me before you leave.
Before – I arrived before noon.
Behind – The dog is behind the tree.
Behind – The sun set behind the mountains.
Below – The basement is below the ground floor.
Below – The temperature is below freezing.
Beneath – The keys are beneath the cushion.
Beneath – The letter was beneath the pile of books.
Beside – He stood beside his car.
Beside – She sat beside her friend.
Between – The ball is between the shoes.
Between – The sandwich is between two pieces of bread.
Beyond – The house is beyond the hill.
Beyond – The lake is beyond the forest.
By – The house is by the river.
By – The phone is by the lamp.
By means of – He fixed it by means of a hammer.
Close to – My house is close to the park.
Due to – The flight was delayed due to fog.
During – I slept during the movie.
During – She was nervous during the presentation.
Except – Everyone except Tom was invited.
Except – Everyone is here except John.
Far from – The airport is far from here.
For – I bought flowers for my mother.
For – This gift is for you.
From – He received a letter from his friend.
From – She comes from France.
In – The book is in the bag.
In – The cat is in the box.
In addition to – In addition to math, he also teaches science.
In case of – In case of emergency, call 911.
In front of – She parked in front of the store.
In front of – The car is parked in front of the house.
In spite of – In spite of the rain, we went out.
Inside – She is waiting inside the car.
Inside – We are inside the building.
Instead of – Let’s eat pizza instead of pasta.
Into – He walked into the room.
Into – The dog ran into the house.
Near – The school is near the hospital.
Near – The store is near my house.
Next to – The hospital is next to the pharmacy.
Of – The color of the car is red.
Of – The title of the movie is interesting.
Off – Please take your shoes off.
Off – Please turn off the lights.
On – The cup is on the table.
On – The keys are on the table.
On behalf of – I am speaking on behalf of the team.
Onto – He threw the ball onto the roof.
Onto – The cat jumped onto the bed.
Opposite – The restaurant is opposite the bank.
Out – He went out of the house.
Out – They went out for dinner.
Out of – He ran out of the building.
Outside – It’s cold outside today.
Outside – The kids are playing outside.
Over – The bird flew over the lake.
Over – The plane flew over the city.
Per – The speed limit is 60 miles per hour.
Prior to – Prior to the event, we met for dinner.
Regarding – I have a question regarding the assignment.
Round – We walked round the park.
Since – I have lived here since 2010.
Since – I haven’t seen him since last week.
Thanks to – Thanks to her help, we finished early.
Through – He walked through the door.
Through – The tunnel goes through the mountain.
Throughout – It rained throughout the day.
Throughout – They traveled throughout the country.
To – I am going to the store.
To – We are going to the cinema.
Toward – She is walking toward the bus stop.
Toward – She walked toward the door.
Under – The cat hid under the couch.
Under – The shoes are under the bed.
Underneath – The cat is underneath the chair.
Underneath – The letter was underneath the mat.
Until – I’ll wait until you finish.
Until – We waited until midnight.
Up – He looked up at the sky.
Up – She climbed up the hill.
Up against – The chair is up against the wall.
Up to – It’s up to you to decide.
Upon – He placed the book upon the shelf.
Upon – Once upon a time, there was a prince.
Upon – She placed the vase upon the shelf.
Versus – It’s team A versus team B.
With – I am going with her.
With – I am going with my friend.
With regard to – With regard to the project, we’re on track.
With respect to – With respect to your question, here’s the answer.
Within – Complete the task within an hour.
Within – Stay within the boundaries.
Without – I can’t do it without your help.
Without – She went out without her keys.
Without regard to – He made the decision without regard to the consequences.