Grammar Guide : Parts of Speech Prepositions

Fundamental Prepositions:

Prepositions of time / Prepositions of place / Prepositions of movement

Further Prepositions:

Prepositions of Cause, Reason or Purpose / Prepositions of agent/manner / Prepositions of source / Prepositions of measurement/standard/value / Prepositions of possession

Proficient Prepositions:

Compound/Complex prepositions / Participle Prepositions

Prepositions are words or 'groups' of words used in front of nouns and pronouns to tell us about the relationship between things.

He put his cards on the table

'On' is a preposition. In, at, from, near, of, around, behind and over are more examples of prepositions.

It is often argued the fundamental and most important prepositions in English are In, On and At, especially as they can indicate a relationship to time and place.

The word preposition literally means something that is placed before and they are normally placed before nouns or pronouns. The role they play is to demonstrate where one thing is in relation to another. Some expressions can be used as prepositions and are often called complex prepositions.

Prepositions of time show the relationship between two ideas in reference to time. As a general understanding, they work in one of the following ways:

to indicate an unspecified amount of time (e.g in)

to indicate a specific time (e.g. at)

to indicate a specific date (e.g. on)

to indicate a span of time (e.g. from... to...)

to indicate something takes place prior to something else (e.g. before)

to indicate something happening while something else is also happening (e.g. during)

The three fundamental prepositions of time in English are: in, at and on

In

At

On

An article on the use of in, at and on as prepositions of place and time can be found here.

No prepositions

Some expressions are used with NO prepositions:

There are three fundamental prepositions of place in English: at, in & on:

AT - We use at when something as a specific point or location:

IN - We use in when something is contained inside something else, with barriers or frontiers. This can be a physical or abstract enclosure:

ON - We use on to refer to something on a line or surface:

An article on the use of in, at and on as prepositions of place and time can be found here.

Prepositions of movement (or sometimes called prepositions of direction) show movement from one place to another. They always describe movement and are normally used with verbs of motion.

The most common preposition of movement is to.

These prepositions are used to provide us the answer to the question why. They give us the reason in a sentence.

To

Usually used to show the purpose of a noun, connecting the noun to a verb.

We use the kettle to boil the water

They ran to catch the bus

My sister would always ask our mum to lend her money

For

Also used to show the purpose of a noun. It usually joins the noun to another noun or an adjective. If it joins the noun to a verb, the gerund form is usually used.

I need good grades for the placement I want

Thank you for doing the washing up

Sit at the table for your dinner

Prepositions of manner are all about how something happened. They include on, by, like, with etc.

The most common examples of this type of preposition are by and with.

They are used to connect an activity and the actor, the doing and the doer. Building a connection between the noun and the verb.

Sometimes they may be called Prepositions of Method or Instrument.

By

Most commonly used to show the means or method used to do something:

We went to Glasgow by train

I got home by taxi

It can be used to indicate who is doing an action

Often seen in passive sentences.

The Harry Potter books were written by J.K. Rowling

My favourite shirt was given to me by my mother.

We can also use it to indicate how something is done:

By giving him money, you only encourage him to ask for more.

Did you think you could get the job by lying about your qualifications?

We can also use by to express what caused something to happen not just how something happened

She explained everything to me by email

She gothome by catching the bus

An alternative to by in this form is to use via. This is a little formal and not as common:

He broke up with her via Whatsapp

By is used in different structures, such as: by + noun or by + -ing + noun

With

Usually used to represent the doing of an action. Often called a preposition of instrument.

He ate the soup with a spoon

We cleaned the car with a hose

Can also be used to indicate a person or organisation accompanies the subject doing the action. With is used as follows: with + noun

I was advised to attend the meeting with my lawyer

I used to wash the car with my brother

With can also be used as a preposition of method to show how an action was done:

She showed me how angry she was with a menacing stare

I handled the precious object with care

For

Used for purpose

I made a cake for her birthday

Of

to associate a measure

I would like a pint of beer

Like

to show a similarity

He looks like his father

He eats like a pig!

As

Used to show a role

He works as a teacher

Wasn't he playing as a goalkeeper last time we played them?

In

to show how something was done:

Can you write that message in Spanish?

She was in a hurry

We can use the structure In a ... way/manner to describe the quality of actions

She spoke to me in a calm and reasonable way

They performed their task in a professional manner

On

to show method

I came to work on the tram

We completed the project on the computer

These are prepositions that indicate the source, motive or origin of something:

From

This connects two nouns or a verb and a noun

David is from Manchester

The Vikings came from the harsh Scandinavian lands to settle in England

Where did you get that shirt from?

From the result of this game we have learnt there are serious problems with the defence

In this sense, prepositions are used to specify a value, standard or measurement.

By

The most common preposition of measure, sometimes used in comparisons:

We won the game by two goals

The whale is the heaviest mammal by some considerable amount

The material is measured by the metre

At

The second most common preposition of measure, used often when very precise measures are being discussed:

The class 43 locomotive could run at125mph

The bank charges interest at 7%

Of

Usually used when the concept cannot be measured in numbers, but the measurement can still be described. Very common with uncountable nouns, like liquids and abstract concepts:

Can you get me a pint of beer?

Despite the impossible odds, the team triumphed. The bravery of the players was unquestionable

These prepositions connect a thing with the person or animal that it belongs to, they can also be used to indicate a connection between two things. The most common prepositions of possession are of, with and to.

This is the Bank of England

She is the girl in the red dress with the matching handbag

This book is the property of Liza

The car belongs to my husband

He is the one with the leather jacket

Of

This preposition of possession is often used with cities/countries, people and possessive pronouns.

Of+noun/possessive pronoun

London is the capital of England

He is a friend of mine

With

This preposition of possession is used with animals/objects/characteristics/materials:

With+adjective/noun

The dog with the white patch is mine

The boy with the leather jacket is the leader of the gang

I am the girl with golden hair

To

Used to show ownership, often used in the structure belong(s) to

To+object pronouns

These tools belong to the workmen

This house belonged to my family for generations

These are prepositions that consist of two or more prepositional words combined together.

Two word compound prepositions

The first word is usually an adjective, adverb or conjunction. The second word a simple preposition.

Some examples of two word compound prepositions:

According to all sources, the street's the place to go

As of this afternoon, we are no longer responsible for the contract

Contrary to popular belief, the player is still very popular with the fans

They were determined to argue with me instead of finding agreement

Three word compound prepositions

A three word compound preposition is normally made of a central noun or article with a simple preposition before and after.

Some examples of three word compound prepositions

I went to the graduation ceremony on behalf of my son

In accordance with tradition the crowd sang the national anthem

There is a wonderful bar in front of the stadium

I have to complete the speaking test in addition to the writing exercises

Writing Tip:

It is generally recognised that compound/complex prepositions can make writing unnecessarily complicated. It is worth thinking about whether a more direct or simple preposition can cover what you wish to communicate more effectively. The following table not only gives a series of recommendations for such replacements, but also serves as a useful guide for the meaning of such complex or compound "expressions"

Participle Prepositions

This is the title we give to verbs that act as a preposition. They usually take the -ing or -ed form. Some of the most common examples are : excluding, given, considering, notwithstanding

Given: as a preposition when you wish to say something is being considered as a valid point

Given his age, it is impressive that he is still playing at the highest level.

Considering: as a preposition this means taking something into pre consideration

Considering his age, it is impressive that he is still playing at the highest level.

Following: as a preposition means after or as a result of a particular thing or action

Following intense negotiations, an agreement was reached on the fee for the player.

Regarding: as a prepositions means "relating to" or "about" something or someone

Regarding your request, I will ask the board what their position is later today.