English Prepositions

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.

prepositions
 

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.