Preposition: Definition, Types, and Examples of Their Usage

Prepositions are words used to show the relationship between words in a sentence, which can be a relationship between nouns or pronouns and other elements in the sentence.

Prepositions can indicate relationships of time, place, direction, cause-effect, or manner, and are usually placed before a noun or pronoun.

1. Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place are used to indicate the location of an object or a person.

Examples:

• in (inside)
  • The keys are in the drawer.
• on (on top of)
  • The book is on the table.
• at (at, in)
  • We are meeting at the park.
• under (beneath)
  • The cat is under the chair.
• between (between)
  • The shop is between the bank and the restaurant.

2. Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time are used to show the time relationship of an event or action.

Examples:

• at (at)
  • The meeting starts at 3 p.m.
• on (on, for dates or days)
  • The party is on Friday.
  • We will travel on 25th December.
• in (in, for months, years, or parts of the day)
  • I was born in July.
  • We met in 2010.
  • He wakes up early in the morning.

3. Prepositions of Direction

Prepositions of direction are used to indicate the direction or destination of an action.

Examples:

• to (towards)
  • She is going to the store.
• into (into)
  • The dog ran into the house.
• towards (towards)
  • They walked towards the beach.
• through (through)
  • We drove through the tunnel.
• across (across)
  • They swam across the river.

4. Prepositions of Manner

Prepositions of manner are used to show how something is done.

Examples:

• by (by, with)
  • She traveled by bus.
• with (with)
  • He cut the paper with scissors.
• without (without)
  • She did the task without any help.

5. Prepositions of Cause, Reason, or Purpose

These prepositions show the cause, reason, or purpose of an action.

Examples:

• because of (because of)
  • The game was canceled because of the rain.
• due to (due to)
  • The flight was delayed due to bad weather.
• for (for)
  • She studied hard for the exam.
• in order to (in order to)
  • They saved money in order to buy a house.

6. Prepositions of Association

These prepositions are used to show relationships or connections between objects or individuals.

Examples:

• about (about)
  • We talked about the new movie.
• of (of, about)
  • This is the book of the year.
• with (with)
  • I went to the concert with my friends.

7. Compound Prepositions

Compound prepositions consist of more than one word.

Examples:

• in front of (in front of)
  • The car is parked in front of the house.
• next to (next to)
  • She sits next to me.
• in spite of (despite)
  • In spite of the rain, we continued our journey.
• because of (because of)
  • She was late because of traffic.

8. Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases consist of a preposition + a noun or pronoun and can function as adjective phrases or adverbial phrases.

Examples:

• at the store (at the store)
  • I met her at the store.
• before dinner (before dinner)
  • Let’s finish this before dinner.
• during the movie (during the movie)
  • He fell asleep during the movie.

Prepositions Exercise

1. The cat is hiding _____ the table.
2. We will meet _____ 3 p.m. today.
3. She went _____ the supermarket to buy some groceries.
4. They have lived _____ New York for five years.
5. The concert will be held _____ Saturday.
6. The bird flew _____ the window.
7. I found my keys _____ the drawer.
8. He is going _____ his friend’s house.
9. They sat _____ each other during the meeting.
10. The car stopped suddenly _____ the red light.

Answers

1. under
2. at
3. to
4. in
5. on
6. through
7. in
8. to
9. next to
10. at

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. The book is _____ the shelf.
   • a) in
   • b) on
   • c) at
   • d) under
2. She will arrive _____ 5 p.m.
   • a) in
   • b) on
   • c) at
   • d) by
3. They are going _____ the park this afternoon.
   • a) to
   • b) into
   • c) on
   • d) at
4. He has been living _____ London for ten years.
   • a) on
   • b) in
   • c) at
   • d) under
5. The coffee shop is _____ the corner of the street.
   • a) at
   • b) on
   • c) in
   • d) to
6. The cat jumped _____ the table.
   • a) across
   • b) on
   • c) onto
   • d) into
7. I usually go to the gym _____ the morning.
   • a) on
   • b) in
   • c) at
   • d) during
8. The plane flew _____ the clouds.
   • a) between
   • b) through
   • c) over
   • d) across
9. They have been friends _____ childhood.
   • a) since
   • b) for
   • c) by
   • d) during
10. He left the house _____ saying goodbye.
    • a) without
    • b) with
    • c) by
    • d) in

Answers

1. b) on
2. c) at
3. a) to
4. b) in
5. a) at
6. c) onto
7. b) in
8. b) through
9. a) since
10. a) without

Summary

Prepositions are important elements in a language used to show the relationships between various words or elements in a sentence. By understanding the types of prepositions and their usage, we can construct sentences that are more precise and clear. Here are some of the main types of prepositions: prepositions of place, time, direction, manner, cause, and so on.