A preposition specifies the relationship of its object (e.g. noun, pronoun, or phrase) with the rest of the sentence. Prepositions usually help their objects clarify where, when, what, or how.
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, object of the preposition, and any modifiers of that object.
List of Prepositions and Examples
about
– This movie is about a haunted house.
– She knows a lot about history.
above
– The painting is hanging above the mantel.
– His grades were above average.
across
– My best friend lives across the street.
– We plan to sail across the Pacific Ocean.
after
– The show will start after this commercial.
– Let’s eat dinner after we study for the English quiz.
against
– Don’t lean against the window.
– The students were against having another test.
along
– She planted flowers along the fence.
– Joggers often run along that path.
around
– The tourists walked around the city all afternoon.
– He began to learn English around the age of eight.
as
– She had no free time as a graduate student.
– My sister trained as a classical pianist.
at
– They want to study at an intensive English school.
– I usually eat lunch at noon.
before
– Eat a healthy breakfast before school.
– It rained the day before yesterday.
behind
– I wonder what’s behind the curtain.
– Lazy students will fall behind studious ones.
below
– There is a bakery below her office.
– It was below freezing all week.
beside
– Surprisingly, the cat slept beside the dog.
– There’s toothpaste beside the toothbrushes.
besides
– The child will play no games besides Candy Land.
– I don’t know anyone here besides you.
between
– The English school is between a bookstore and a cafe.
– Come to my house between 10am and 11am.
but
– I’m craving nothing but pizza.
– The movie was anything but good.
by
– The best seats are by the window.
– This book was written by a talented author.
considering
– Considering the bad weather, we should cancel the party.
– We should hurry, considering the time.
despite
– Despite wearing a sweater, she was still cold.
– We went jogging despite the rain.
down
– The basketball rolled down the driveway.
– There’s a big park down the street.
during
– Don’t sleep or text during class.
– We’re going to Florida during spring break.
except
– He likes every vegetable except eggplant.
– I finished all my homework except math.
following
– There will be desert following dinner.
– She moved to Chicago following her graduation.
for
– Tonight I’ll study for the English quiz.
– She bought an expensive gift for her parents.
from
– Originally he is from San Francisco.
– She took the bag of chips from her brother.
in
– Summer ends in two weeks.
– A cake is baking in the oven.
inside
– Park the car inside the garage tonight.
– Our cat is hiding inside the box.
into
– She wasn’t looking and ran into the door.
– Pour the soup into three bowls.
like
– This medicine tastes like bubblegum.
– I feel like watching a scary movie.
near
– Dragonflies live near water.
– I’ve been reading this book all week and am near the end.
of
– Everyone hated the end of the movie.
– Lemonade is made of lemon juice, sugar, and water.
off
– Please take your hat off.
– Your shoes are dirty so stay off the carpet.
on
– We want olives on our pizza.
– There will be no school on Monday.
onto
– The dishes fell onto the floor and broke.
– He threw the newspaper onto the porch.
outside
– I’d prefer to wait outside the store.
– She admires people who think outside the box.
over
– A roller coaster goes over the pretzel cart.
– We spent over three hours completing the puzzle.
past
– Walking past the bakery we could smell the bread.
– It’s past time to eat breakfast.
regarding
– He wrote an article regarding the water preservation.
– There’s a meeting tomorrow regarding our new clients.
since
– The teacher has been gone since last week.
– I’ve been waiting here since two o’clock.
than
– Strawberries are sweeter than lemons.
– There’s nothing in my wallet other than cash.
through
– A strong breeze came through the window.
– You can learn English through online videos.