Single words

a abaft aboard about above absent across afore after against along alongside amid amidst among amongst an (see "a" for usage in front of consonants ) apropos ("apropos of" is a common derived term) around as (also an adverb and a conjunctio n)

aside astride at athwart atop barring before behind below beneath beside besides between betwixt beyond but by circa (sometimes abbreviated as "c." or "ca.") concerning despite down during

except excluding failing following for from given in including inside into lest like mid (from "amid". Usually used poetically.) midst (from "amidst". Usually used poetically.) minus modulo near next

notwithstanding (also used postpositionally) of off on onto opposite out outside over pace past per plus pro qua regarding round sans save since than through, thru (informal)

throughout, thruout (informal) till times to toward towards under underneath unlike until up upon versus, commonly abbreviated as "vs.", or (principally in law or sports) as "v." via vice, meaning "in place of"[1] with (sometimes written as "w/") within (sometimes written as "w/in" or "w/i") without (sometimes written as "w/o") worth

Two words

according to ahead of
1

instead of left of

apart from as for as of as per as regards aside from back to because of close to due to except for far from in to (contracted as into) inside of (note that inside out is an adverb, not a preposition)

near to next to on to (contracted as onto) out from out of outside of owing to prior to pursuant to regardless of right of subsequent to thanks to that of where as

Three words

as far as as well as

Preposition + (article) + noun + preposition

English has a number of idiomatic expressions which act as prepositions, but can be analyzed as a preposition followed by a noun (sometimes preceded by the definite or, occasionally, indefinite article) followed by another preposition.[2] Common examples include:

by means of for the sake of in accordance with in addition to in case of in front of in lieu of in order to in place of in point of in spite of on account of on behalf of on top of with regard to with respect to with a view to

Archaic or infrequently used

anent
2

anti (loan word) behither betwixt chez cum (Latin loan word) ere fornenst[3] fornent[3] gainst or 'gainst (from against) neath or 'neath (from beneath) outwith pro (loan word) qua (loan word) re (loan word) sans (loan word) 'twixt (from betwixt) unto (largely supplanted by to; used in some formal, religious, or archaic contexts) vis--vis (loan word)

Not fully grammaticized

concerning (alternate for "about", "with respect to") considering (alternate for "given") regarding (alternate for "about", "with respect to") respecting (alternate for "about", "with respect to") worth[citation needed]

Preposition-like modifiers of quantified noun phrases

apart from but except plus save

Postpositions

ago as in "five years ago", sometimes considered an adverb rather than a postposition apart as in "this apart", also used prepositionally ("apart from this") aside as in "such examples aside", also used prepositionally ("aside from such examples") away as in "five light years away", sometimes considered an adverb or an adjective rather than a postposition hence as in "five years hence", sometimes considered an adverb rather than a postposition notwithstanding also used prepositionally on as in "five years on", also used prepositionally through as in "the whole night through", also used prepositionally withal archaic as a postposition meaning with
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Understand how to form a prepositional phrase. Prepositions generally introduce prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases look like this: preposition + optional modifiers + noun, pronoun, or gerund

Here are some examples: At school At = preposition; school = noun. According to us According to = preposition; us = pronoun. By chewing By = preposition; chewing = gerund. Under the stove Under = preposition; the = modifier; stove = noun. In the crumb-filled, rumpled sheets In = preposition; the, crumb-filled, rumpled = modifiers; sheets = noun. Realize that some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions. Some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions. These prepositions are after, as, before, since, and until. A subordinate conjunction will have both a subject and a verb following it, forming a subordinate clause. Look at these examples: After Sam and Esmerelda kissed goodnight After = subordinate conjunction; Sam, Esmerelda = subjects; kissed = verb. As Jerome buckled on the parachute As = subordinate conjunction; Jerome = subject; buckled = verb. Before I eat these frog legs Before = subordinate conjunction; I = subject; eat = verb. Since we have enjoyed the squid eyeball stew Since = subordinate conjunction; we = subject; have enjoyed = verb. Until your hiccups stop Until = subordinate conjunction; hiccups = subject; stop = verb. If you find a noun [with or without modifiers] following one of these five prepositions, then all you have is a prepositional phrase. Look at these examples: After the killer calculus test After = preposition; the, killer, calculus = modifiers; test = noun. As a good parent As = preposition; a, good = modifiers; parent = noun. Before dinner Before = preposition; dinner = noun. Since the breakup Since = preposition; the = modifier; breakup = noun. Until midnight Until = preposition; midnight = noun.
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A preposition is a word which shows relationships among other words in the sentence. The relationships include direction, place, time, cause, manner and amount. In the sentence She went to the store, to is a preposition which shows direction. In the sentence He came by bus, by is a preposition which shows manner. In the sentence They will be here at three o'clock, at is a preposition which shows time and in the sentence It is under the table, under is a preposition which shows place. A preposition always goes with a noun or pronoun which is called the object of the preposition. The preposition is almost always before the noun or pronoun and that is why it is called a preposition. The preposition and the object of the preposition together are called a prepositional phrase. The following chart shows the prepositions, objects of the preposition, and prepositional phrases of the sentences above.

Preposition to by at under

Object of the Preposition the store bus three o'clock the table

Prepositional Phrase to the store by bus at three o'clock under the table

Prepositional phrases are like idioms and are best learned through listening to and reading as much as possible. Below are some common prepositions of time and place and examples of their use. Prepositions of time: at two o'clock on Wednesday in an hour, in January; in 1992 for a day Prepositions of place: at my house in New York, in my hand on the table near the library across the street under the bed between the books

Prepositions Time

English on

Usage days of the week months / seasons time of day year after a certain period of time
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Example on Monday in August / in winter in the morning in 2006 in an hour

in

English (when?)

Usage

Example

at

for night for weekend a certain point of time (when?) from a certain point of time (past till now) over a certain period of time (past till now) a certain time in the past earlier than a certain point of time telling the time telling the time marking the beginning and end of a period of time in the sense of how long something is going to last in the sense of at the latest up to a certain time

at night at the weekend at half past nine since 1980

since

for ago before to past to / till / until till / until

for 2 years 2 years ago before 2004 ten to six (5:50) ten past six (6:10) from Monday to/till Friday

He is on holiday until Friday. I will be back by 6 oclock. By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.

by

Prepositions Place (Position and Direction)

English

in

Usage room, building, street, town, country book, paper etc. car, taxi picture, world meaning next to, by an object for table for events place where you are to do something typical (watch a film,
7

Example

in the kitchen, in London in the book in the car, in a taxi in the picture, in the world at the door, at the station at the table at a concert, at the party at the cinema, at school, at work

at

English

Usage study, work)

Example

on

attached for a place with a river being on a surface for a certain side (left, right) for a floor in a house for public transport for television, radio left or right of somebody or something on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else lower than something else but above ground covered by something else meaning more than getting to the other side (also across) overcoming an obstacle higher than something else, but not directly over it getting to the other side (also over) getting to the other side something with limits on top, bottom and the sides movement to person or building movement to a place or country for bed enter a room / a building movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it) movement to the top of something
8

the picture on the wall London lies on the Thames. on the table on the left on the first floor on the bus, on a plane on TV, on the radio Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car. the bag is under the table

by, next to, beside under

below

the fish are below the surface

over

put a jacket over your shirt over 16 years of age walk over the bridge climb over the wall

above

a path above the lake

across

walk across the bridge swim across the lake

through

drive through the tunnel go to the cinema go to London / Ireland go to bed go into the kitchen / the house go 5 steps towards the house

to

into towards

onto

jump onto the table

English from

Usage in the sense of where from

Example a flower from the garden

Other important Prepositions

English from

Usage who gave it who/what does it belong to what does it show who made it walking or riding on horseback entering a public transport vehicle entering a car / Taxi leaving a public transport vehicle leaving a car / Taxi rise or fall of something travelling (other than walking or horseriding) for age for topics, meaning what about

Example a present from Jane a page of the book the picture of a palace a book by Mark Twain on foot, on horseback get on the bus get in the car get off the train get out of the taxi prices have risen by 10 percent by car, by bus she learned Russian at 45 we were talking about you

of by on in off out of

by

at about