📚 What is a Preposition?
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. Prepositions usually tell us about location, time, or direction.
The cat is on the table.
We'll meet at noon.
She walked through the park.
🎯 Types of Prepositions
Prepositions of Place (Where?)
in, on, at, under, over, above, below, beside, between, behind, in front of, next to, near
The book is on the shelf.
The cat is hiding under the bed.
She sits between her two friends.
The picture hangs above the fireplace.
Prepositions of Time (When?)
at, on, in, before, after, during, since, for, by, until
We wake up at 7 AM.
My birthday is on Monday.
School starts in September.
I'll finish before dinner.
💡 Time Rules:
- at - specific times (at 3:00, at noon)
- on - days and dates (on Monday, on July 4th)
- in - months, years, seasons (in May, in 2024, in summer)
Prepositions of Direction/Movement
to, from, into, out of, through, across, along, toward, up, down
We drove to the beach.
The ball rolled across the field.
She walked through the forest.
The cat jumped onto the counter.
Other Common Prepositions
with, without, about, for, of, by, from
I went with my friend.
This book is about dinosaurs.
The gift is for you.
She made it by herself.
📝 Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun (called the object of the preposition).
Structure: Preposition + Object (+ modifiers)
Examples of Prepositional Phrases
in the morning - preposition: in, object: morning
under the big tree - preposition: under, object: tree
with my best friend - preposition: with, object: friend
during the summer vacation - preposition: during, object: vacation
In Sentences
The dog ran through the park.
We studied for three hours.
The bird flew over the house.
She lives near the school.
✏️ Practice Exercise
Identify the prepositions and prepositional phrases. Click to reveal!
1. The students walked to the library after lunch.
Prepositions: to, after
Phrases: to the library, after lunch
2. She found her keys under the couch in the living room.
Prepositions: under, in
Phrases: under the couch, in the living room
3. The cat jumped from the chair onto the table.
Prepositions: from, onto
Phrases: from the chair, onto the table
4. During the storm, we stayed inside with our family.
Prepositions: during, with
Phrases: during the storm, with our family
5. The book about ancient Egypt is on the top shelf.
Prepositions: about, on
Phrases: about ancient Egypt, on the top shelf
📚 Common Preposition List
- about
- above
- across
- after
- against
- along
- among
- around
- at
- before
- behind
- below
- beneath
- beside
- between
- beyond
- by
- down
- during
- except
- for
- from
- in
- inside
- into
- near
- of
- off
- on
- onto
- over
- through
- to
- toward
- under
- until
- up
- with
- within
- without
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Prepositions show relationships between words
- They indicate place, time, or direction
- A prepositional phrase = preposition + object + modifiers
- Common prepositions: in, on, at, to, from, with, by, for
- Remember: at (specific times), on (days), in (months/years)