PREPOSITION

A preposition is a word used to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. They act to connect the people, objects, time and locations of a sentence.  Prepositions are usually short words, and they are normally placed directly in front of nouns. In some cases, you’ll find prepositions in front of gerund verbs.

Type of Prepositions

Prepositions of Time

Basic examples of time prepositions include: at, on, in, before and after. They are used to help indicate when something happened, happens or will happen. It can get a little confusing though, as many different prepositions can be used.

Prepositions of time examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

For example:

·        I was born on July 4^th, 1982.

·        I was born in

·        I was born at exactly 2am.

·        I was born two minutes before my twin brother.

·        I was born after the Great War ended.

The above makes it seem quite difficult, with five different prepositions used to indicate when something happened. However, there is a set of guidelines that can help decide which preposition to use:

For years, months, seasons, centuries and times of day, use the preposition in:

·        I first met John in

·        It’s always cold in J

·        Easter falls in spring each year.

·        The Second World War occurred in the 20^th

·        We eat breakfast in the morning.

For days, dates and specific holiday days, use the preposition on.

1.   We go to school on Mondays, but not on

2.   Christmas is on December 25^th.

3.   Buy me a present on my birthday.

For times, indicators of exception and festivals, use the preposition at:

·        Families often argue at

·        I work faster at

·        Her shift finished at 7pm.

Before and after should be much easier to understand than the other examples of prepositions of time. Both are used to explain when something happened, happens or will happen, but specifically in relation to another thing.

·        Before I discovered this bar, I used to go straight home after

·        We will not leave before

·        David comes before Bryan in the line, but after

Other prepositions of time could include: During, about, around, until and throughout.

·        The concert will be staged throughout the month of May.

·        I learned how to ski during the holidays.

·        He usually arrives around

·        It was about six in the morning when we made it to bed.

·        The store is open until midnight.

Prepositions of Place

To confuse matters a bit, the most common prepositions to indicate time – on, at, in – are also the most common prepositions to indicate position. However, the rules are a little clearer as place prepositions are a more rigid concept than time prepositions.

Prepositions of place examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

·        The cat is on the table.

·        The dogs are in the kennel.

·        We can meet at the

The guidelines can be broken down as follows:

On is used when referring to something with a surface:

·        The sculpture hangs on the wall.

·        The images are on the page.

·        The specials are on the menu, which is on the table.

In is used when referring to something that is inside or within confined boundaries. This could be anything, even a country: Examples:

1.   Jim is in France, visiting his aunt in the hospital.

2.   The whiskey is in the jar in the fridge.

3.   The girls play in the garden.

At is used when referring to something at a specific point. Examples:

1.   The boys are at the entrance at the movie theatre.

2.   He stood at the bus stop at the corner of Water and High streets.

3.   We will meet at the airport.

Lot’s of other prepositions of place, such as under, over, inside, outside, above and below are used in English. There is, however, a lot less confusion as they refer to rigid positions rather than abstract ones.

·        The cat is under the table.

·        Put the sandwich over

·        The key is locked inside the car.

·        They stepped outside the house.

·        Major is ranked above

·        He is waving at you from below the stairs.

Prepositions of Movement

Prepositions of movement are quite easy to understand as they are less abstract than prepositions of place and time. Essentially, they describe how something or someone moves from one place to another. The most commonly used preposition of movement is to, which usually serves to highlight that there is movement towards a specific destination.

Prepositions of movement examples in the following sentences are in bold for easy identification.

·        He has gone on vacation to

·        She went to the bowling alley every Friday last summer.

·        I will go to bed when I am tired.

·        They will go to the zoo if they finish their errands.

Other more specific prepositions of movement include: through, across, off, down and into. These prepositions can sometimes get mixed up with others. While they are similar, they have individual meanings that add context to the movement.

Across refers to moving from one side to another.

·        Mike travelled across America on his motorcycle.

·        Rebecca and Judi are swimming across the lake.

Through refers to moving directly inside something and out the other end.

·        The bullet Ben shot went through the window.

·        The train passes through the tunnel.

Into refers to entering or looking inside something.

·        James went into the room.

·        They stare into the darkness.

Up, over, down, past and around indicate directions of movement. Examples:

1.   Jack went up the hill.

2.   Jill came tumbling down

3.   We will travel over rough terrain on our way to Grandma’s house.

4.   The horse runs around the track all morning.

5.   A car zoomed past a truck on the highway