Prepositions of Cause, Reason or Purpose / Prepositions of agent/manner / Prepositions of source / Prepositions of measurement/standard/value / Prepositions of possession
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.
Fundamental Prepositions
Prepositions of Time
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
years | They were married in 1977 |
months | My birthday is in May |
decades | I was a teenager in the 90s |
centuries | This happened in the 20th century |
seasons | I was able to study in the summer |
periods of the day: morning/afternoon/evening | We have breakfast in the morning |
At
times | I will finish work at 6:00 o'clock |
holiday periods | I will see my family at Christmas |
at night | I do my best work at night |
at the weekend | They like to go hiking at the weekend |
at lunchtime/dinnertime/breakfast time | Daddy normally comes home at dinnertime |
On
Days | We will see you on Monday |
Days + period | There is a staff meeting on Monday morning |
Dates | The holidays start on the 20th of July |
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:
next week/month/year etc | |
last night/week/month/year | |
this morning/week/month/year | |
every day/night/week/month/year | |
today/tomorrow/yesterday | |
Prepositions of Place
There are three fundamental prepositions of place in English: at, in & on:
AT - We use at when something as a specific point or location:
at the airport | at the top |
at university | at the bottom |
at the hospital | at the front/back |
at school | at the table |
at the window | at the cinema |
at the traffic lights | at the piano |
at the train station | at the match |
at the pub | at the door |
IN - We use in when something is contained inside something else, with barriers or frontiers. This can be a physical or abstract enclosure:
in a field | in the classroom |
in a cup | in Zaragoza |
in the sea | in a/the river |
in England | in the car |
in bed | in a magazine |
ON - We use on to refer to something on a line or surface:
on the wall | on the table |
on the page | on a chair |
on the plate | on a sofa |
on my face | on the river |
on a bike | on the screen |
An article on the use of in, at and on as prepositions of place and time can be found here.
Prepositions of Movement
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.
Further Prepositions
Prepositions of Cause, Reason or Purpose
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 Agency/Manner
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
Prepositions of Source
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
Prepositions of Measure/Standard/Value
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
Prepositions of Possession
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
Proficient Prepositions
Compound/Complex Prepositions
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 | due to |
along with | except for |
apart from | instead of |
because of | prior to |
contrary to | regardless of |
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
in aid of | in line with |
on behalf of | in relation to |
in front of | with reference to |
in accordance with | with respect to |
in addition to | by means of |
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"
Compound/Complex phrase | Simpler form |
at that point in time | then |
at this point in time | now |
by means of | by |
by reason of | because of |
by virtue of | |
during the course of | during/through/over |
for the reason that | because |
from the point of view of | from, for |
in accordance with | by, under |
inasmuch as | since |
in a manner similar to | like |
in excess of | more than, over |
in favour of | for |
in order to | to |
in relation to | about, concerning |
in terms of | in |
in the event that | if |
in the nature of | like |
in the (immediate) vicinity of | near |
in (close) proximity with | near |
on the basis of | by, from |
prior to | before |
similar to | like |
subsequent to | after |
with a view to | to |
with reference to | about, concerning |
with regard to | about, concerning |
with respect to | on, about, for, in concerning, with, to |
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.