How to Use Prepositions (Definition, Plus Examples)

First published on March 8, 2024 by Dalia Y.|Last revised on January 27, 2025

Prepositions (explained, with examples) Prepositions are one of the main parts of speech in English; they’re utility words that show how elements within sentences relate to each other. We use...

Parts of Speech

How to Use Prepositions (Definition, Plus Examples)

Prepositions (explained, with examples)

Prepositions are one of the main parts of speech in English; they’re utility words that show how elements within sentences relate to each other. We use prepositions to indicate place, time, direction, and sometimes abstract connections.

Though they can certainly be a trickier part of speech to get the hang of, practice and reading more about them is the best method to understanding how we use prepositions in writing and conversation. If you’re reading this, you’re already a step ahead!

What are prepositions + how to use them

Prepositions are words that we use before nouns or pronouns to show how they connect or stand in regards to something else previously mentioned. Typically, prepositions will come before the word or phrase it associates with, as its name infers (pre–position, or “that which is placed before”).

The cat jumped off the bed.
There’s a fox in the yard.
She feels ill from all the candy.

The first sentence uses the preposition “off” to relate the cat’s jumping with the object ‘bed’, and so it connects verbs with nouns. In the second sentence, “in” shows a relation between two nouns: the fox and yard.

The third sentence illustrates how the adjective ‘ill’ relates to the ‘candy’ (a noun). So, prepositions can connect elements or parts of sentences with each other; such as nouns with nouns, verbs with nouns, and adjectives with nouns.

A noun or pronoun used with a preposition is called its object (or a prepositional object). From the second sentence above, (there’s a fox in the yard), the noun ‘yard’ is governed by the preposition along with its object.

Typically, prepositions come before objects in sentences, though sometimes they follow it:

What are you looking at?
What are you thinking about?

Types of prepositions

Prepositions of time

Show when something happens or for how long.

I'll meet you at 3 PM. We studied during the exam period.

Prepositions of place

Indicate where something is located or positioned.

The book is on the table. She lives in New York.

Prepositions of location

Describe specific positions or spatial relationships.

The cat is under the bed. The store is between the bank and the post office.

Prepositions of direction

Show movement from one place to another.

She walked toward the door. The car drove through the tunnel.

Prepositional phrases

Groups of words that begin with a preposition and end with its object.

The book on the shelf is mine. We met in the morning.

Main types of prepositions

Compound prepositions are formed by connecting a preposition (such as 'a' or 'be') with a noun, adjective, or adverb:

about above across along amidst amongst around before behind beneath beside between below inside outside underneath within without

Phrase prepositions use a group of words to form a single prepositional phrase:

according to in addition to along with because of by means of by virtue of by way of for the sake of

💡Study Tip

To recall what prepositions do, remember the "POSITION" within the word: they show location, time, or direction like "on" the table or "before" noon.

List of common prepositions by type

There are over a hundred prepositions in English, so this is by no means an exhaustive list. Here are the most common prepositions organized by their function:

Relationship prepositions

for by from of as with about

Direction prepositions

to into towards through across up down around past

Location prepositions

under over above below between in out on at by

Time prepositions

in on at before during after since until

Worksheet

FAQs

What are prepositions?

Prepositions are utility words used before nouns or pronouns. They show how elements within sentences relate, connecting things like nouns to nouns, verbs to nouns, or adjectives to nouns.

What do prepositions show?

Prepositions indicate relationships between sentence elements. They typically show place, time, direction, and sometimes abstract connections between nouns, verbs, or adjectives and the object.

Where do prepositions go?

Typically, prepositions are placed before the noun or pronoun they are associated with, which is called their object. However, sometimes they can appear after their object, such as in "What are you looking at?"

What is a prepositional object?

A noun or pronoun that is used with a preposition is called its object. The preposition governs this object, showing its relationship to another part of the sentence, like the cat 'off the bed'.

What is a common preposition error?

One common error is using "off of" unnecessarily; "off" is usually sufficient. Another mistake is using a singular verb "is" with the plural subject "Prepositions."