Prepositions are like the GPS of language, guiding us through the twist and turns of time, space, and direction. They’re the secret sauce that spices up our sentences, showing us where things are, when they’re happening, and how they’re moving. With these little navigators, we plot the course of our conversations, making sure every word lands just right. They function as the key components of language rules.
Definition: Prepositions
A preposition, which can be a single word or a phrase, precedes a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to indicate direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object. Common prepositions include “in,” “at,” “on,” “of,” and “to.” The use of prepositions in English often follows idiomatic patterns, with usage rules being less rigid and more guided by established expressions. Therefore, learning these expressions as whole phrases is more effective than focusing solely on the prepositions themselves.
Types of prepositions
Prepositions represent relationships that can pertain to time, location, space, direction, and more. Understanding the different types of prepositions and their correct usage is essential for crafting precise and nuanced sentences.
Prepositions of time
Prepositions of time help to specify when something happens or the duration of an event. They play a crucial role in framing the temporal context of actions, events, or states.
To refer to one point in time, use “in,” “at,” and “on.”
- Use “in” with parts of the day (not specific times), months, years, and seasons.
- Use “at” with the time of the day or with noon, night, and midnight.
- Use “on” with days.
- To refer to extended time, use the prepositions “since,” “for,” “by,” “during,” “from … to,” “with,” and “within.”
“At” is used for precise time.
“On” is used for days and dates.
“In” is used for months, years, centuries, and long periods.
“By” indicates a deadline or the latest time something should happen.
“Before” is used to indicate that something happens earlier than a specific time.
“After” indicates that something happens later than a specific time.
“During” refers to something that happens within a certain period.
“Until” indicates continuation up to a specific time.
“Since” indicates the starting point of actions, events, or states.
“For” describes the duration of an action.
Prepositions of location
Prepositions of location describe where something is in relation to another object. These prepositions are key to giving directions, describing settings, and indicating positions. Here are some examples:
- Use “in” for an area, region, or volume
- Use “at” to refer to a specific point or location (address, location, points on a map)
- Use “on” when referring to a surface, e.g., floors, walls, abstract surfaces (screens, papers)
“Behind” refers to something at the back of.
“In front of” is the opposite of “behind.”
“Near” describes something close to, but not exactly at a specific point.
“Among” means surrounded by or in the midst of.
Prepositions of direction
Prepositions of direction guide us on the path something or somaeone is moving towards. They’re the compass of language, pointing out which way to go. Here’s the lowdown on these directional indicators:
“To” indicates movement towards a specific destination.
“Towards” indicates the direction of something, but more about the movement than the final destination.
“Into” is used for entering or changing position within an enclosed space.
“Onto” is used for moving to the top surface of something.
“From” refers to the starting point of a journey or movement.
“Through” refers to passing from one side to the other, inside something.
“Across” is used for getting to the other side of something.
“Off” refers to something moving awayor down from something.
“Out of” is used to exit an enclosed or specific area.
“Past” is used for moving by something.
Prepositions of place
Prepositions of place are the trusty guides that help us describe locations and positions. They paint a picture of where things are, grounding our conversations in a shared sense of space.
- Use “in” when referring to being within the confines or boundaries of a defined space
- Use “at” when referring to the general area or vicinity of a location
- Use “on” when referring to being on the surface of something
- Use “inside” when referring to something that is completely contained within another object
“At” is used for specific points or locations.
“In” indicates being inside or within an area or space.
“On” is used to describe something laying on surfaces.
“Under” is used for something directly below or beneath.
“Above” refers to something higher than something else, but not directly over it.
“Below” describes something in a lower position, under something else.
“Against” is used for touching something for support.
“Off” refers to something moving awayor down from something.
“Around” is used to describe that something is surrounded by or in a circular path.
Prepositions of spatial relationships
These kinds of words zoom in on how objects or entities are in relation to one another, giving us the layout of the land in terms of positions and arrangements. They are like the architects of language, designing the blueprint of our sentences to show where things stand.
“Above” indicates something higher than something else, without touching it.
“Beyond” means farther on than, at the other side of something.
“Underneath” is used to describe something directly under or lower than something else.
“Around” is used for something in a circular motion or surrounding it.
“Through” means from one end or side to the other within something.
“Below” describes something in a lower position, under something else.
“Within” is used inside or not further than an area or period.
“Around” is used to describe that something is surrounded by or in a circular path.
Prepositions with verbs and adjectives
Prepositions often follow verbs and adjectives to create phrases that convey more specific meanings or relationships. These combinations can significantly change the nuance or direction of what’s being expressed, making them essential for adding depth and clarity to communication.
Prepositions following verbs
Prepositions following verbs, often forming phrasal verbs or verb-preposition combinations, are common in English and can significantly change the meaning of the verb they accompany. The choice of preposition is crucial for conveying the correct meaning, and there are no universal rules governing these combinations, making them challenging for learners.
Examples | Preposition |
Look, smile | At |
Listen, react, speak | To |
Wait, care, apologise | For |
Disagree, agree | With |
Work, rely, depend | On |
Prepositions following adjectives
Prepositions that follow adjectives are crucial for constructing phrases that accurately convey relationships between the adjective and the object of the preposition. These combinations are essential for fluent English expression, as they often form set phrases with specific meanings.
Examples | Preposition |
Afraid, fond, jealous | Of |
Angry, anxious, concerned | About |
Bad, good | At |
Sorry, famous | For |
Careful, happy | With |
Common mistakes
Prepositions can be tricky sometimes, especially since small differences can significantly change the meaning of a sentence. Here are some common ones:
In vs. on
“In” is generally used for something enclosed or surrounded, and when talking about months, years, decades.
“On” is used for surfaces, and when talking about days and dates.
At vs. in
“At” is used for specific locations or points in time, and for activities done at a place.
“In” is used for enclosed spaces or places, and for months, years, and longer periods.
For vs. since
“For” is used to specify a duration of time.
“Since” is used to specify the starting point of a period.
Among vs. between
“Among” is used when referring to distinct or mass subjects.
“Between” is sued when referring to distinct, individual items, even if there are more than two.
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Ending a sentence with a preposition
This topic oftentimes comes up in discussions about grammar and style in English. Traditionally, some have considered it a rule to never end a sentence with a preposition. However, in modern English usage, ending a sentence with a preposition is widely accepted, especially in informal or spoken context. This may help you with more natural and less forced sentences.
Questions
When asking questions, it is common to end a sentence with prepositions, especially in spoken English.
Passive sentences
In passive constructions, the object of a preposition often moves to the beginning of the sentence, leaving the preposition at the end.
Relative clauses
Relative clauses sometimes require ending sentences with prepositions when the clause’s object is a pronoun.
Infinitive phrases
These can lead to sentences that end in prepositions, particularly when the phrase acts as an adverb.
Unnecessary prepositions
As we already know, the correct usage plays a crucial role in formal writing. However, their misuse, including the addition of superfluous or redundant prepositions, can clutter sentences and obscure meanings. By identifying and removing these unnecessary prepositions, we can make our writing clearer, more precise and prevent repetition and redundancy.
In this case, “at” is redundant because the question already implies a location.
“Up” is unnecessary because “finish” already conveys completion.
In this specific case, “on” is redundant and can be left out for readability and to avoid wordiness.
FAQs
You can identify a preposition by asking questions about the elements in a sentence. For instance, in a sentence, ‘We talked to Michael,’ you can find the preposition by asking, ‘Who did we talk to?’ Doing this will help you identify the preposition and when to use it.
The most common ones are; to, under, since, for, about, above, across, as, along, against, behind, and at.
Using too many prepositions in your writing or speech can lead to several issues, affecting clarity and eventually result in flabby writing.
Common preposition mistakes include:
- Confusing “on” and “in” (e.g., “interested on” instead of “interested in”)
- Using unnecessary prepositions (“Where is it?” instead of “Where is it at?”)
- Confusing “for” and “since” when expressing time (“for” is for duration, “since” for specific time start)
- Mistaking “between” and “among”