Introduction
Prepositions are some of the smallest words in the English language, yet they carry enormous weight. They are the words that show relationships — between a noun and another word in the sentence, between a place and a time, between a person and an action. Without them, sentences would fall apart.
Compare these two sentences:
- She sat. (basic — no relationship shown)
- She sat on the chair beside the window during the meeting. (prepositions at work)
Three small words — on, beside, during — and suddenly we know exactly where she was and when.
What Is a Preposition?
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship to another word in the sentence. That relationship could be one of place, time, direction, cause, manner, or possession.
- The book is on the table. (place)
- She arrived before noon. (time)
- He walked towards the door. (direction)
- They succeeded through hard work. (cause/manner)
- The handle of the bag is broken. (possession)
The noun or pronoun that follows a preposition is called the object of the preposition. Together, the preposition and its object form a prepositional phrase.
- On the table — preposition: on, object: table
- During the lesson — preposition: during, object: lesson
Types of Prepositions
1. Prepositions of Place
These show where something or someone is located.
Common prepositions of place: in, on, at, under, above, below, behind, beside, between, among, near, opposite, inside, outside, around, through
- The cat is under the bed.
- She is sitting beside the window.
- The keys are inside the drawer.
- The school is opposite the market.
- There is a bird on the roof.
In, on, and at follow specific rules for place:
- At — a specific point or location: at the bus stop, at school, at the door
- On — a surface: on the table, on the wall, on the floor
- In — enclosed or within a space: in the room, in the box, in Lagos
2. Prepositions of Time
These show when something happens.
Common prepositions of time: at, on, in, before, after, during, since, for, until, by, within, throughout
- The lesson starts at 9am.
- She was born on a Monday.
- He arrived in January.
- They talked during the break.
- I have not eaten since morning.
- Finish the work by Friday.
At, on, and in follow specific rules for time:
- At — specific times and fixed expressions: at 3pm, at noon, at midnight, at Christmas
- On — days and dates: on Monday, on 5th June, on my birthday
- In — months, years, seasons, and longer periods: in March, in 2019, in the morning, in summer.
3. Prepositions of Direction and Movement
These show where something or someone is going.
Common prepositions of direction: to, towards, into, onto, through, across, along, up, down, over, past, around, away from, out of
- She walked towards the gate.
- He jumped into the pool.
- The car drove through the tunnel.
- They ran across the field.
- She climbed up the stairs.
- He drove past the school.
4. Prepositions of Cause, Reason, and Purpose
These explain why something happens or the reason behind an action.
Common prepositions: because of, due to, owing to, for, with, from
- She was absent because of illness.
- The match was cancelled due to rain.
- He is suffering from a cold.
- She studied hard for her exams.
- They shivered with cold.
5. Prepositions of Manner
These describe how something is done.
Common prepositions: by, with, like, in, on, without
- She arrived by bus.
- He fixed it with a screwdriver.
- She speaks like a professional.
- They completed it without any help.
- He wrote it in pencil.
6. Prepositions of Possession
These show that something belongs to someone or something.
Common prepositions: of, with
- The cover of the book is torn.
- The woman with the red bag is my aunt.
- The leg of the chair is broken.
7. Compound Prepositions
These are prepositions made up of more than one word. They function exactly like single-word prepositions.
Common compound prepositions: in front of, on top of, in spite of, because of, instead of, out of, next to, according to, apart from, due to, as well as, in addition to, with regard to
- She stood in front of the class.
- In spite of the rain, they continued playing.
- He sat next to his best friend.
- According to the timetable, maths is first.
- Apart from English, she also studies French.
Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase is a group of words beginning with a preposition and ending with a noun or pronoun (the object). Prepositional phrases add detail to sentences and can function as adjectives or adverbs.
- The girl with the blue ribbon won. (acts as adjective — describes "girl")
- She studied throughout the night. (acts as adverb — describes when she studied)
- He hid under the stairs. (acts as adverb — describes where he hid)
Common Preposition Combinations
Many verbs, adjectives, and nouns are commonly paired with specific prepositions. These are called collocations and must be memorised as fixed combinations.
Verb + Preposition:
- listen to, look at, agree with, apologise for, depend on, believe in, wait for, belong to, consist of, succeed in
Adjective + Preposition:
- good at, afraid of, interested in, proud of, responsible for, similar to, different from, angry with, familiar with, capable of
Noun + Preposition:
- reason for, solution to, effect on, demand for, interest in, advantage of, experience in, attitude towards
Common Mistakes to Avoid
① Ending a sentence with a preposition — while this is acceptable in modern English, it is best avoided in formal writing.
- Informal: That is the school I studied at.
- Formal: That is the school at which I studied.
② Confusing in, on, and at for time and place — these three cause the most errors. Always check whether you are referring to a point, a surface, or an enclosed space/period.
③ Using between and among incorrectly — between is used for two things; among is used for three or more.
- ✓ Share it between the two of you.
- ✓ Share it among the four of you.
④ Confusing beside and besides — beside means next to; besides means in addition to.
- ✓ She sat beside me. (next to me)
- ✓ Besides English, she speaks Yoruba. (in addition to)
⑤ Using since and for incorrectly — since refers to a point in time; for refers to a duration.
- ✓ I have lived here since 2018.
- ✓ I have lived here for six years.
Frequently Asked Questions About Prepositions
Q1. What is the difference between a preposition and a conjunction?
Both prepositions and conjunctions connect words and ideas, but they do so differently. A preposition connects a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence and is always followed by an object. A conjunction connects two clauses, phrases, or words of equal or unequal rank.
- She arrived before the meeting. (preposition — "before" is followed by the noun "meeting")
- She arrived before the meeting started. (conjunction — "before" connects two clauses)
Q2. Can a preposition come at the end of a sentence?
In informal and spoken English, ending a sentence with a preposition is widely accepted and very common. In formal writing, it is generally avoided. However, forcing an unnatural sentence structure just to avoid a final preposition is unnecessary — clarity always comes first.
- Informal: What are you looking for?
- Formal: For what are you looking?
- Better formal version: What are you searching for? (natural and acceptable)
Q3. What is the difference between "in," "on," and "at" for place?
These three are among the most confused prepositions in English. The key distinction is specificity. At refers to a specific point or location. On refers to a surface or line. In refers to something enclosed within a space or boundary.
- She is at the bus stop. (specific point)
- The cup is on the table. (surface)
- He is in the office. (enclosed space)
Q4. What is the difference between "between" and "among"?
Between is used when referring to two distinct people or things. Among is used when referring to three or more, especially when they form a group rather than distinct individuals.
- Divide the work between the two of you.
- Divide the work among the five team members.
- She is the best among all the candidates.
Q5. What is the difference between "since" and "for"?
Both since and for are used with the present perfect tense to talk about duration, but they work differently. Since refers to the starting point of an action or period. For refers to the length or duration of that period.
- I have known her since 2010. (2010 is the starting point)
- I have known her for fifteen years. (fifteen years is the duration)
Q6. Why are some prepositions called "compound prepositions"?
Compound prepositions are simply prepositions made up of more than one word. They function in exactly the same way as single-word prepositions — they show a relationship between a noun and another word in the sentence. They are extremely common in English and should be treated as single units of meaning.
Examples: in front of, on behalf of, in spite of, out of, next to, due to, as well as, in addition to, with regard to.
Q7. What is a prepositional phrase and how does it work?
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. Everything between the preposition and its object forms the phrase. Prepositional phrases can function as adjectives (modifying nouns) or adverbs (modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs).
- The girl in the red dress won the prize. (adjective phrase — describes "girl")
- He ran across the field. (adverb phrase — describes how/where he ran)
