Chapter 11: Prepositions – Position Words

Understanding what is a preposition is essential for describing locations, times, and relationships in English. Prepositions are small but powerful words that connect nouns and pronouns to other words in a sentence, showing where objects are positioned, when events occur, and how things relate to each other. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover how prepositions work, explore common prepositions of place and time, and master the art of using these essential connecting words with confidence through 50+ examples and extensive practice exercises.

1. What is a Preposition?

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. Prepositions typically indicate position, time, direction, or other relationships. They are essential connecting words that help us describe where things are, when events happen, and how objects relate to each other.

Definition: A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship to another word in the sentence.

Key characteristics of prepositions:

i. They connect words: Prepositions link nouns and pronouns to other parts of the sentence.

• The book is on the table. (connects “book” to “table”)
• She arrived at noon. (connects “arrived” to “noon”)
• He walked through the park. (connects “walked” to “park”)

ii. They show relationships: Prepositions indicate how words relate to each other.

• The cat is under the chair. (position relationship)
• We meet on Mondays. (time relationship)
• She went to school. (direction relationship)

iii. They are usually small words: Most prepositions are short, but they carry important meaning.

• Single-word prepositions: in, on, at, by, to, from, with, about, for
• Multi-word prepositions: in front of, next to, according to, because of

Common prepositions list:

Here are some of the most frequently used prepositions in English:

• Place: in, on, at, under, over, above, below, beside, between, among, behind, in front of, near, next to
• Time: at, on, in, before, after, during, until, since, for, by
• Direction: to, from, into, out of, through, across, toward, away from, up, down
• Other relationships: with, without, about, of, for, by, from

How prepositions work in sentences:

Prepositions are always followed by a noun or pronoun (called the “object of the preposition”). Together, they form a prepositional phrase.

Pattern: Preposition + Object = Prepositional Phrase

Examples:

• on the table → “on” is the preposition, “the table” is the object
• at school → “at” is the preposition, “school” is the object
• during the meeting → “during” is the preposition, “the meeting” is the object
• with my friends → “with” is the preposition, “my friends” is the object
• between the houses → “between” is the preposition, “the houses” is the object

Why prepositions matter:

Prepositions are crucial for clear communication. They help us:

• Describe locations precisely: “The keys are in the drawer” vs. “The keys are on the drawer” (different meanings!)
• Express time accurately: “I’ll see you at 3 PM” vs. “I’ll see you in 3 hours”
• Show direction and movement: “She walked to the park” vs. “She walked through the park”
• Create specific meanings: “I agree with you” vs. “I agree to help you”

2. Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place tell us where something is located. They describe the position of objects, people, and places in relation to other things. Understanding these prepositions is essential for giving directions, describing locations, and talking about spatial relationships.

I. In, On, and At for Places

The three most common place prepositions are in, on, and at. Each has specific uses:

IN – inside or within boundaries:

Use “in” for:

• Enclosed spaces: rooms, buildings, containers, vehicles
• Geographic areas: cities, countries, neighborhoods
• Larger spaces: parks, forests, oceans

Examples:

• The cat is in the box.
• She lives in New York.
• The books are in the backpack.
• We swim in the pool.
• There are fish in the ocean.
• The toys are in the closet.
• He works in a tall building.
• The children play in the park.
• I found it in the drawer.
• They live in California.
• The milk is in the refrigerator.
• She’s in the car.
• We’re in the United States.
• The money is in my wallet.
• He’s waiting in the lobby.

ON – on a surface or touching:

Use “on” for:

• Surfaces: tables, walls, floors, roofs
• Touching/attached: when one thing touches another
• Specific streets and floors: on Main Street, on the second floor

Examples:

• The book is on the table.
• The picture hangs on the wall.
• Put your coat on the chair.
• The cat is sitting on the roof.
• There’s a stain on your shirt.
• We live on Oak Street.
• My office is on the third floor.
• The fly landed on my arm.
• Snow is on the ground.
• The plates are on the shelf.
• Write your name on the paper.
• The lamp is on the desk.
• We met on the bridge.
• The painting is on the ceiling.
• There’s dust on the furniture.

AT – specific points or locations:

Use “at” for:

• Specific addresses or buildings: at 123 Main Street, at the library
• Events and gatherings: at a party, at a meeting
• Institutions and activities: at school, at work, at home
• Points in space: at the corner, at the bus stop

Examples:

• She’s at school.
• Meet me at the park entrance.
• He works at the hospital.
• I’ll see you at the party.
• Wait for me at the bus stop.
• They live at 456 Elm Street.
• The meeting is at the office.
• I’m at home right now.
• She’s standing at the door.
• We’ll meet at the corner.
• The store is at the mall.
• He’s at work today.
• I saw her at the concert.
• Turn right at the traffic light.
• We’re staying at a hotel.

II. Position Prepositions

These prepositions describe where objects are positioned in relation to each other:

UNDER – below something, with something above:

• The cat is hiding under the bed.
• The ball rolled under the couch.
• Put your bag under the seat.
• The treasure is buried under the ground.
• The dog sleeps under the table.

ABOVE – higher than, but not touching:

• The clouds are above us.
• Hang the picture above the fireplace.
• The plane flew above the mountains.
• The temperature is above zero.
• The apartment above ours is noisy.

BELOW – lower than, but not touching:

• The valley is below the mountain.
• Write your name below the line.
• The submarine went below the surface.
• The temperature fell below freezing.
• The apartment below mine is empty.

OVER – above and covering:

• Put a blanket over the baby.
• The bridge goes over the river.
• She wore a coat over her dress.
• Clouds moved over the city.
• Spread butter over the bread.

BEHIND – at the back of:

• The garden is behind the house.
• Hide behind the door!
• The sun went behind the clouds.
• Park your car behind the building.
• Someone is standing behind you.

IN FRONT OF – facing, before:

• There’s a tree in front of my house.
• She stood in front of the mirror.
• Park in front of the store.
• The teacher stands in front of the class.
• Don’t block the view in front of me.

III. Proximity Prepositions

These show how close or far things are from each other:

BESIDE / NEXT TO – at the side of:

• Sit beside me.
• The lamp is next to the bed.
• Park beside the blue car.
• She sat next to her friend.
• The bank is beside the post office.

NEAR – close to, not far from:

• We live near the school.
• Is there a park near here?
• Sit near the window.
• The store is near my house.
• Don’t stand too near the fire.

FAR FROM – at a distance from:

• We live far from the city.
• The beach is far from here.
• She moved far from her family.
• Is it far from the train station?
• Not far from the library is a café.

BETWEEN – in the space separating two things:

• The letter B is between A and C.
• Sit between John and Mary.
• The town is between two mountains.
• Choose between the red or blue one.
• There’s a path between the buildings.

AMONG – in the middle of many things:

• She found it among her books.
• He sat among his friends.
• The house is hidden among the trees.
• Discuss it among yourselves.
• The secret spread among the students.

3. Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time tell us when something happens. Just like place prepositions, the most common time prepositions are at, on, and in – but they’re used differently for time!

I. At for Specific Times

Use “at” for:

i. Clock times:

• The meeting starts at 9 AM.
• I wake up at 7 o’clock.
• Lunch is at noon.
• The store closes at 5:30 PM.
• We eat dinner at 6 PM.
• The train leaves at quarter past three.
• School starts at 8:15 AM.
• The movie begins at 7 PM.

ii. Specific points in the day:

• I feel sleepy at night.
• The stars come out at night.
• We eat breakfast at dawn.
• They arrived at midnight.
• The sun is brightest at noon.
• It’s peaceful at sunrise.
• Beautiful colors appear at sunset.

iii. Special times and holidays:

• We exchange gifts at Christmas.
• Families gather at Thanksgiving.
• The city is quiet at Easter.
• It’s busy at the weekend. (British English)

II. On for Days and Dates

Use “on” for:

i. Days of the week:

• I have class on Monday.
• We don’t work on Sundays.
• The meeting is on Wednesday.
• I’ll call you on Friday.
• She visits on Saturdays.
• The store is closed on Tuesdays.

ii. Specific dates:

• My birthday is on July 15th.
• School starts on September 1st.
• The party is on December 25th.
• We met on April 3rd, 2020.
• Independence Day is on July 4th.
• Valentine’s Day falls on February 14th.

iii. Specific days:

• What did you do on your birthday?
• We travel on New Year’s Day.
• Everything is closed on Christmas Day.
• They got married on Valentine’s Day.
• On that day, everything changed.
• I’ll see you on the first day of school.

III. In for Longer Periods

Use “in” for:

i. Months:

• It snows in January.
• School ends in June.
• We go on vacation in August.
• The flowers bloom in April.
• Halloween is in October.
• It’s hot in July.

ii. Years and decades:

• I was born in 2005.
• World War II ended in 1945.
• The internet became popular in the 1990s.
• He graduated in 2020.
• We’ll move in 2025.
• Fashion was different in the 1960s.

iii. Seasons:

• Leaves fall in autumn.
• We ski in winter.
• Flowers bloom in spring.
• It’s hot in summer.
• School starts in the fall.

iv. Parts of the day:

• I study in the morning.
• We have lunch in the afternoon.
• They watch TV in the evening.
• I’m busy in the mornings.
• It’s quiet in the afternoons.

v. Length of time (future):

• I’ll be ready in five minutes.
• She’ll arrive in an hour.
• We’re leaving in three days.
• The movie starts in ten minutes.
• Call me back in a week.

IV. Other Time Prepositions

BEFORE – earlier than:

• Arrive before 8 AM.
• Finish your homework before dinner.
• I left before noon.
• Call me before you come.
• She woke up before sunrise.

AFTER – later than:

• We’ll eat after the movie.
• Come after 5 PM.
• I exercise after work.
• Let’s talk after class.
• After midnight, everything closed.

DURING – throughout a period:

• I fell asleep during the movie.
• It rained during the night.
• Don’t talk during class.
• We met during the summer.
• Stay quiet during the performance.

UNTIL / TILL – up to a time:

• Wait here until I return.
• The store is open until 9 PM.
• I studied till midnight.
• Don’t leave until I say so.
• We worked until sunset.

SINCE – from a past time until now:

• I’ve lived here since 2010.
• She’s been waiting since morning.
• We’ve been friends since childhood.
• It’s been raining since yesterday.
• I haven’t seen him since last week.

FOR – duration of time:

• I studied for two hours.
• She lived there for five years.
• Wait for a few minutes.
• We talked for hours.
• He’s been sick for three days.

BY – no later than:

• Finish by Friday.
• I’ll be there by 3 PM.
• Submit your homework by Monday.
• We need to leave by noon.
• Complete this by tomorrow.

4. Prepositions of Direction and Movement

Prepositions of direction show how things move from one place to another. When combined with verbs of movement, they create precise descriptions of motion.

I. To and From

TO – moving toward a destination:

• I’m going to school.
• She walked to the park.
• Send this letter to your mother.
• They drove to the beach.
• We’re traveling to Paris.
• Come to my house.
• The bus goes to downtown.
• I’ll walk you to the door.
• She ran to the store.
• Move to the left.

FROM – moving away from a starting point:

• I’m coming from school.
• She walked from the park.
• Where are you from?
• This package is from China.
• We just returned from vacation.
• The train from Boston arrives at noon.
• She moved away from the window.
• I graduated from high school.
• Keep the dog away from the street.
• They came from different countries.

II. Into and Out Of

INTO – movement to the inside:

• Walk into the room.
• She jumped into the pool.
• Pour water into the glass.
• The cat ran into the house.
• He fell into the river.
• Put the keys into your pocket.
• They drove into the garage.
• Translate this into Spanish.
• She bumped into a friend.
• The idea turned into reality.

OUT OF – movement from inside to outside:

• Come out of the house.
• Take the book out of the bag.
• She jumped out of bed.
• Get out of the car.
• The bird flew out of the cage.
• Pour the water out of the bottle.
• He ran out of the building.
• They moved out of the city.
• Take that thought out of your mind.
• I’m out of money. (no more)

III. Movement Through Space

THROUGH – from one end to the other:

• Walk through the door.
• The train goes through a tunnel.
• Water flows through the pipes.
• We drove through the city.
• Light shines through the window.
• She looked through the telescope.
• The arrow went through the target.
• We walked through the forest.

ACROSS – from one side to the other:

• Walk across the street carefully.
• Swim across the pool.
• The bridge goes across the river.
• She ran across the field.
• Draw a line across the page.
• We traveled across the country.
• Throw the ball across the yard.
• The cat jumped across the gap.

ALONG – following the length of something:

• Walk along the path.
• Drive along the coast.
• Trees grow along the river.
• We strolled along the beach.
• The road runs along the mountain.
• Shops line along the street.

TOWARD / TOWARDS – in the direction of:

• Walk toward the light.
• She moved toward the door.
• The boat sailed toward the shore.
• He ran toward home.
• Turn toward me.
• We’re working toward a solution.

UP / DOWN – vertical movement:

• Go up the stairs.
• Walk down the hill.
• Climb up the ladder.
• Roll down the slope.
• The elevator goes up to the top floor.
• Come down from the roof.

AROUND / ROUND – in a circle or surrounding:

• Walk around the building.
• We sat around the table.
• The Earth moves around the sun.
• Turn around and look.
• They traveled around the world.
• She wrapped her arms around him.

5. Common Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases are groups of words that begin with a preposition and end with a noun or pronoun. They function like adjectives or adverbs in sentences, adding important details about location, time, manner, and other relationships.

Common prepositional phrases with examples:

Place phrases:

• in the box → The toys are in the box.
• on the table → Put the dishes on the table.
• at school → The children are at school.
• under the tree → We sat under the tree.
• behind the house → The garden is behind the house.
• next to me → Sit next to me.
• in front of the store → Park in front of the store.
• between the buildings → There’s a path between the buildings.
• near the window → The plant is near the window.
• inside the room → Everyone is inside the room.

Time phrases:

• at noon → Lunch is at noon.
• on Monday → The meeting is on Monday.
• in the morning → I exercise in the morning.
• before dinner → Wash your hands before dinner.
• after class → Let’s talk after class.
• during the night → It rained during the night.
• for three hours → We waited for three hours.
• since yesterday → I’ve been sick since yesterday.
• by Friday → Finish the project by Friday.
• until tomorrow → Stay here until tomorrow.

Direction phrases:

• to school → I’m going to school.
• from home → She’s coming from home.
• into the house → Walk into the house.
• out of the car → Get out of the car.
• through the park → We walked through the park.
• across the street → Look both ways across the street.
• toward the light → Move toward the light.
• around the corner → The store is around the corner.
• up the stairs → Run up the stairs.
• down the hill → We rolled down the hill.

Other common phrases:

• with my friends → I went shopping with my friends.
• without permission → Don’t leave without permission.
• about the book → Let’s talk about the book.
• for my birthday → I got a gift for my birthday.
• of wood → The table is made of wood.
• by car → We traveled by car.
• with care → Handle it with care.
• in a hurry → She left in a hurry.
• on time → Please arrive on time.
• at once → Do it at once!

Fixed expressions (common phrases that always use the same preposition):

• interested in → I’m interested in music.
• good at → She’s good at math.
• afraid of → He’s afraid of spiders.
• proud of → We’re proud of you.
• tired of → I’m tired of waiting.
• listen to → Listen to the teacher.
• look for → I’m looking for my keys.
• wait for → Please wait for me.
• agree with → I agree with you.
• depend on → It depends on the weather.

6. Using Prepositions Correctly

Prepositions can be tricky because they don’t always follow logical rules. Sometimes you must memorize which preposition goes with which word. Let’s look at common mistakes and correct usage patterns.

I. Common Mistakes to Avoid

II. Preposition + Noun Combinations

Some nouns always pair with specific prepositions. Here are important combinations to learn:

With “in”:

• in love → They fell in love.
• in trouble → He’s in trouble.
• in danger → We’re in danger.
• in pain → She’s in pain.
• in charge → Who’s in charge?
• in a hurry → I’m in a hurry.
• in time → We arrived in time.
• in fact → In fact, it’s true.
• in general → In general, I agree.
• in detail → Explain it in detail.

With “on”:

• on time → The train arrived on time.
• on purpose → He did it on purpose.
• on fire → The building is on fire!
• on sale → These shoes are on sale.
• on vacation → We’re on vacation.
• on duty → The guard is on duty.
• on average → On average, it rains 10 days per month.
• on foot → We traveled on foot.
• on display → The artwork is on display.
• on the phone → She’s on the phone.

With “at”:

• at risk → The species is at risk.
• at last → At last, we finished!
• at least → It costs at least $10.
• at first → At first, I was nervous.
• at once → Do it at once!
• at peace → He’s finally at peace.
• at war → The countries are at war.
• at work → She’s at work right now.
• at home → I feel at home here.
• at ease → Make yourself at ease.

With “by”:

• by chance → We met by chance.
• by mistake → I took it by mistake.
• by accident → It happened by accident.
• by car/bus/train → We traveled by car.
• by hand → It was made by hand.
• by heart → I know it by heart.
• by the way → By the way, how are you?
• by far → She’s by far the best.

Exercises

Test Your Knowledge

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Mastering prepositions is a fundamental step in understanding what is a preposition and using English effectively. These small but powerful connecting words help us describe locations with precision, express time relationships accurately, show direction and movement clearly, and create meaningful connections between ideas. Through this comprehensive guide, you’ve learned the three main categories of prepositions – place, time, and direction – along with dozens of common prepositional phrases and important usage rules.

Remember that preposition usage often involves memorization and practice rather than strict logical rules. Some prepositions pair with specific nouns or verbs in fixed expressions, while others change meaning based on context. The key to mastering what is a preposition lies in regular practice, reading extensively, and paying attention to how native speakers use these words naturally. Don’t be discouraged by mistakes – even native English speakers sometimes struggle with preposition choice!

Continue practicing with the exercises provided, revisit the memory tricks when you need help remembering which preposition to use, and gradually build your confidence through consistent exposure and application. As you progress in your English learning journey, you’ll find that preposition usage becomes more intuitive, and you’ll naturally select the right preposition for any situation. Keep practicing, and soon using prepositions correctly will become second nature!

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