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3
GRAMMAR – PREPOSITIONS
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DEFINITION
A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a
sentence. Prepositions have two basic functions:
✓ To connect the noun (all types of nouns) to the rest of the sentence
✓ To specify the position of the nouns (person or object)

TYPES
Prepositions are basically classified into three types:
A. TIME PREPOSITIONS
They are used to clarify the time of that something or someone of an action.
Examples: at, on, in, while, during etc.

B. PLACE PROPOSITIONS
They specify the place someone or somebody.
Examples: at, on, in, while, during etc.

C. DIRECTION PREPOSITIONS
They are used to clarify the direction of someone or something.
Examples: under, over, right, left etc.

1.1. PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

1. AT-TYPE PREPOSITIONS
a. Place is seen as a point

(away)
to at away at
from

   

We went to the door.

We stayed at home.
We stayed (away) from the house.
We came away for the house.

2. ON-TYPE PREPOSITIONS
a. Place is seen as a line

on (to) on off off

 
. .
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across over along

The ball rolled on (to) the road

Lahore is a town on the Ravi.
We turned off the main road.
Hawaii is an island off the coast of America.
He walked across the room.
Birds fly over buildings.
He walked along the beach.

b. Place is seen as a surface

on (to) on off

. .

off over through

 .

He fell on (to) the bed.

There is a red label on the bottle.
He took the frame off the wall.
There's a place off the map.
He took a walk over the bridge.
He looked through the glass/window.

3. IN-TYPE PREPOSITIONS:
a. Place is seen as an area

in (to) in out of out of through

 .
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They crowded in (to) the store.

I have a house in the country.
They flew out of the city.
They started out of the province.
We went for a jog through the park.

b. Place is seen as a volume

in (to) in out of out of through

 .

We ran in (to) the park.

The clothes are in the cupboard.
He came out of the car.
He hit the ball out of the field.
The wind blew through the window.

1.2. PREPOSITIONS OF POSITION

1. POSITION AS A RELATION BETWEEN TWO OBJECTS

The river is below the cart.

above There are clouds above the cart.
 The road is under (neath) the cart.
The hay is on top of the cart.
behind  in front of An owl hovered over us.

 below
A child is standing by/beside the cart.
The road stretches in front and behind the cart

2. USING AMONG AND BETWEEN

Among Between

The squares stand among the The squares stand between the
rectangles. rectangles.
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1.3. PREPOSITIONS OF MOTION

towards out of
into

through
away from
along

1.4. PREPOSITIONS OF DIRECTION

up
over
He drove up/down the
across lane.
He ran along/across the
footpath
He ran over the fence.
down along

1.5. SUMMARY CHART OF PREPOSITIONS

PREPOSITION STATIC MOVEMENT MOVEMENT
STATIC “FROM HERE”
OF PLACE (NEGATIVE) (APPROACH) (DEPARTURE)

POINT

at away from to away from beyond

SURFACE

on off onto off across

VOLUME

in out of into out of through

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Prepositions most often help to show relation of time, place and manner.
by for like
of with

1.6. PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

There are three prepositions used to tell about time. They are
1. AT
It is used to tell about point in time, chiefly clock time.
For example:
At 4.00 p.m.
At noon
At night
At 6 o' clock
At Christmas

2. ON
It is used to refer to days.
For example:
On Tuesday
On the weekend
On the following days

3. IN
It is used with names of months, years or period of time.
For example:
In September
In 2029
In the afternoon

1.6.1. DURATION
A. The preposition ‘for’ is used to express duration.
For example:
We stayed there for the weekend.
We went there from June to August.

B. The preposition ‘for’ is often omitted in the phrase of duration.

For example:
We stayed there (for) five years.
(For) a lot of time, we just lay on the bed.
Phrases that begin with all.
✓ (for) all the day
✓ (for) all the week
✓ (for) all the year
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1.6.2. BEFORE, AFTER, SINCE AND UNTIL/TILL

These prepositions are to be used when they are followed by:
A. Temporal Noun Phrase:
It relates to time.
For example:
Before, next week.

B. A Subject less ‘V-ing’ Clause:

‘V-ing’ clause always has a gerund in it.
For example:
Since leaving school.

C. Additional Noun Phrases:

Until is followed by noun phrases because it specifies a terminal point positively and a commencement
point negatively.
For example:
Terminal Point
We slept until morning. (means we stopped sleeping then)
Commencement Point
We didn't sleep until morning (means we started sleeping then)

1.6.3. BETWEEN, BY AND UP TO

A. The preposition ‘between’ is used to connect two things, whether it is between two people, places,
ideas or period of the day.
For example:
I'll call you between lunch and 4 o' clock.
I cannot decide between Paris or London.
She can't decide between Elvis or Elton.

B. The preposition ‘by’ is used to express a spatial relationship, indication that somebody or something
is beside or close to somebody or something else.
For example:
He drove by his friend's apartment.
By the time, we had walked three miles, we were exhausted.

1.6.4. ABSENCE OF PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

No prepositions of time are used before last, next, this, that, some, every.
For example:
I saw him last week.
Rabbits are abundant this year.
Every summer she returns home.
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1.7. IDIOMATIC PREPOSITIONS

1. an ear for music
2. stop at nothing
3. bit off color
4. above board
5. beyond our means
6. go with the flow
7. go against the grain
8. straight from horse's mouth

1.8. USAGE OF PREPOSITIONS

A. USING ONTO, ON TO AND OFF
a. These two are not interchangeable. ‘Onto’ preposition cannot be used instead of ‘on to’ as an
adverbial.
Examples:
Harry was fined when he drove onto the runway. (accidently/prepositional)
Harry was fined when he drove on the runway. (having good time)
Harry passed the information on to the police. (adverbial)

b. The preposition ‘off’ shows distance between two points, especially movement away from the
speaker.
Examples:
Getting off the bus
Keep off the grass
Time off
Ten% off

B. USING AMONG AND BETWEEN

a. Use between to connect two persons, ideas or objects.
For example:
There is little difference between the two of them.

b. However, where several things are concerned individually, use between.

For example:
He divided the reward equally between five of us.

c. When describing a choice, between is followed by and not or.

For example:
It is matter of choosing between Jane and George.
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d. Among is used in connection with several entities.

For example:
There is little difference among all five candidates.
He shared the reward among his friends.

C. USING ROUND OR AROUND

They are interchangeable.
The lady looked round. (standard British use)
The lady looked around (standard American use)
They collected around about $60 for the fund.