Prepositions: Words of Connection
A preposition is a word or a group of words (such as in, on, at, of, to, from, with, about, in front of) that shows position, place, direction, time, or method.
- She eats dinner in the morning and breakfast at night.
- They sell zombie pumpkins at the market.
- Farley kept sneezing during the performance.
- Are you going to the park?
- What is the secret of happiness?
- Would you like to talk about it?
- The only way to close a suitcase is by sitting on it.
A preposition is used before a noun or a pronoun, connecting it to another word.
- Can you give this to Maya?
- Why does Tumkin sit on tables?
- I found a cat in my hat.
- Nesbit has built a shed behind his house.
- Rita ran across the street.
- Please give this to her.
- I’m looking into it.
It can also precede a gerund (a verb form ending in -ing that acts as a noun, like baking, dancing).
- He took a course on baking.
- She wrote about hiking through the Sahara desert.
Prepositions of space indicate the location or position of something, or its direction.
- The umbrella is on the table.
- Anita found some money hidden under the mattress.
- They were all driving toward the lake from different directions.
- We flew from west to east until we found ourselves over the ocean.
A preposition may convey a metaphorical rather than a literal meaning.
- The president believes he is above the law.
- Maya is beyond redemption.
Prepositions of time indicate when something happened or existed.
- Farley finds it hard to sleep at night.
- Nesbit fell asleep during class today.
- Why does everything always happen on a Friday?
- After dinner, Rita went for a spin in the sky.
Prepositions may also express other abstract relations.
- Did you hear about Farley’s misfortune?
- Maya is going to Mauritius with Tumkin.
- Are mayflies aware of their own existence?
- For dinner, we ate boiled turnips.
- We survived by eating turnips.
Prepositional phrases: How prepositions function
A preposition usually combines with a noun or a pronoun (a noun phrase) to form a prepositional phrase, connecting it to another word in the sentence.
- Maya took a vacation in November.
- Give this to her.
- I have to go to the store.
- In the morning, Tumkin goes to the park for a run.
Sentences often contain multiple prepositional phrases.
Prepositional phrases may be adverbial—that is, complete or add to the meaning of a verb.
- Lulu went to the store.
Adds to the meaning of the verb “went.”
- Nesbit took a course on baking.
- Maya has learned to deal with disappointment.
They can also take on adjectival duties, by describing nouns.
- The girl in the blue dress vanished from sight.
Describes a noun, “the girl.”
- It’s all water under the bridge now.
- He’s a man with a plan.
Commonly used prepositions
English has over a hundred prepositions. Here are some that we use often.
- across
- on
- in
- into
- inside
- onto
- above
- below
- over
- under
- toward
- behind
- beyond
- in front of
- to
- through
- beside
- next to
- near
- close to
- before
- by
- for
- from
- about
- with
- until
A complex preposition is a set group of words that functions as a single preposition.
- There’s a truck in front of my car.
- They have built a mall next to the hospital.
Prepositions with overlapping/similar meanings
Some prepositions may have similar meanings with slight but meaningful differences.
- Maya lives in a tiny house by the river.
Rita jumped into the train as it was leaving the station.In refers to location, while into implies movement. - It has been raining frogs for three hours.
It hasn’t rained since July.Use for for duration, and since for a point in time. - Farley is going to Nusquam on holiday.
Tumkin drove toward the border from the east.To refers to destination; toward, to direction.
Some prepositions are interchangeable. For example, beneath is the more formal and literary alternative to below, under, or underneath.
- I saw something move below/beneath the surface.
- We lived under/beneath a noisy young couple in the city.
- Underneath/beneath all the layers of hyperbole lies a kernel of truth.
Preposition usage may also be dictated by regional preferences. For instance, toward is preferred in American usage, and towards in British. Learner’s dictionaries (e.g., Merriam-Webster for American English and Oxford for British) provide usage examples. Also see this article on commonly confused prepositions.
Preposition overuse
Prepositions are easily overused or misused. Be careful not to insert a preposition where none is required.
- Lulu has invited all
ofthe girls in her class. - I have to send
inthis report to Poco today. - Speak
outyour mind, but try to be kind.
In business and academic writing, where concision is preferred, prepositional phrases can often be shortened or omitted.
- Poor: Poco came here with the intention of picking a fight.
Better: Poco came here intending to pick a fight. - Poor: We conducted the tests on a daily basis.
Better: We conducted the tests daily.
Preposition at the end of a sentence
Some people believe that it is wrong to end a sentence with a preposition. However, in English, it is grammatically fine to use a preposition at the end of a sentence (a terminal preposition). In fact, it is often the more natural choice. All the following sentences would sound perfectly fine in speech or writing.
- Poco doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
- He just needs someone to talk to.
- I need a knife to cut this with.
- Where do you come from?
- What are you thinking of?
Traditionally, style guides and prescriptive grammarians have advised against ending sentences with prepositions, referring to it as preposition stranding (a preposition not followed by a complement), which is ungrammatical in Latin. Zealous editors may therefore rephrase sentences in formal writing.
- Poco doesn’t know that about which he speaks.
- He just needs someone to whom he can talk.
- I need a knife with which to cut this.
- From where do you come?
- Of what are you thinking?
Such rephrasing is unnecessary and would sound either pompous or humorous in most settings. Read more here in this article on whether it is OK to end a sentence with a preposition in English.