Preposition - Definition, Use & Examples, Worksheet

Prepositions: The Guiding Stars of Language

📘 Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. What Are Prepositions?
• 3. Use of Prepositions
• 4. List of Prepositions with Examples
• 5. Conclusion
• 6. Preposition Worksheet/Exercise
• 7. FAQs

Definition:

• A word which comes before noun or pronoun to show its relationship with other words in a sentence is called as "Preposition".

For example:

1. I am going to market.
2. He kept the book on the table.
3. John is good at drawing.

1. Introduction

Imagine a world without directions or relationships between things – it would be quite chaotic! Thankfully, prepositions come to our rescue as the guiding stars of language. These little words act like bridges, helping us understand the position, location, and connections between objects and ideas. 

In this friendly exploration of prepositions, we will uncover their purpose, usage, and how they lead us to a clear understanding of the world around us.

2. What Are Prepositions?

Prepositions are essential words that help us indicate the relationship between nouns (people, places, things, or ideas) and other words in a sentence. They give us vital information about where something is located, its direction, or how it relates to other elements in the sentence. 

Preposition is a concept which we have to understand. This concept is abstract. Prepositions are very essential and are used in multiple ways.

Let's look at some examples of prepositions to see how they work:

1. She is at the park, enjoying the sunshine.
2. The cat is on the table, playing with a ball.
3. The bird flew over the tree, reaching for the sky.
4. The books are under the bed, neatly stacked.

3. Use of prepositions

1. Prepositions Show Position and Location

Prepositions are like GPS devices for our sentences. They help us pinpoint the location of objects in relation to something else.

When we need to describe where something is, prepositions guide the way.

For example:

1. The ball is in the box on the shelf.
2. The shoes are beside the door.
3. The cat is between the two cushions.

2. Prepositions Show Direction

Prepositions also show us the direction in which something is moving or the path it's taking.

When we need to describe the movement of something, prepositions act as signposts.

For example:

1. The kids are running toward the playground.
2. The river flows along the mountains.
3. The birds are flying through the sky.

3. Prepositions Show Time

Prepositions help us understand when something is happening, whether it's a specific time or a duration.

When we need to express time-related information, prepositions function as our temporal guides.

For example:

1. She has a dentist appointment at 2 PM.
2. They will be on vacation during the summer.
3. We can meet after the movie ends.

4. Prepositions Show Relationships

Prepositions are the connectors of our language, showing relationships between different elements in a sentence.

When we need to establish connections, prepositions help us build bridges.

For example:

1. The book is about dinosaurs.
2. The dog is with its owner.
3. He is interested in art and music.

4. List of Prepositions with Examples

There are many preposition. Some are listed below with examples.

Sr No.	Preposition	Usage	Example
1	At	Time, Place, Price, Idea of aim, Skill	Meet me at 5 PM. / She is at the door. / It was sold at ₹500./ He is looking at me./ She is good at drawing.
2	In	Place, Time, Enclosure	He is in the room. / We met in July./ They were our neighbors in 2002./ We went for vacation in summer. / Put it in the box.
3	On	Surface, Day/Date, Device	The book is on the table. / Born on Monday./My birthday is on 28th April. / Watch it on TV.
4	By	Agent, Means of Transport	The book was written by her. / He came by car.
5	With	Instrument, Companion	He cut it with a knife. / She came with her brother.
6	From	Origin, Source	He is from Delhi. / I got this from my friend.
7	To	Direction, Recipient	Give this to Riya. / Go to the market.
8	For	Purpose, Duration	This gift is for you. / I waited for an hour.
9	Into	Motion toward the inside	He jumped into the pool.
10	Onto	Movement on a surface	She climbed onto the stage.
11	Over	Above, Covering	A blanket is over the bed. / The plane flew over the city.
12	Under	Below, Beneath	The pen is under the book.
13	Above	Higher than	The temperature is above normal.
14	Below	Lower than	He scored below average.
15	Inside	Within a space	The keys are inside the bag.
16	Outside	Beyond an area	He is waiting outside the house.
17	Between	Space separating two items	The ball is between the boxes.
18	Among	In the middle of a group	He is popular among students.
19	Along	Following the line of	We walked along the beach.
20	Across	From one side to another	He swam across the river.
21	Behind	At the back of	The sun set behind the hills.
22	In front of	Before or facing	The car is parked in front of the house.
23	Near	Close to	The school is near the park.
24	Beside	Next to	She sat beside her friend.
25	Past	Beyond in time or place	He walked past the shop.
26	About	Topic, Approximation	This book is about history. / It’s about 8 PM now.
27	During	Within a period	We talked during the break.
28	Before	Earlier than	Wash hands before eating.
29	After	Later than	We went out after lunch.
30	Until	Up to a time	Wait until 6 PM.
31	Since	From a time till now	We’ve been friends since 2010.
32	Within	Inside a time limit	Finish it within 10 minutes.
33	Without	Lacking	He left without saying goodbye.
34	Off	Away from	He fell off the bike.
35	Toward	In the direction of	He walked toward the exit.
36	Upon	Formal for "on"	The decision was based upon facts.
37	Beneath	lower than or underneath	The shoes were hidden beneath the bed.
38	Amid	In the middle of or surrounded by something	She stood amid the crowd.
39	Beyond	On the far side of or further than something	The town is beyond the mountains.

5. Conclusion

Prepositions are the guiding stars that help us navigate the vastness of language. They show us the way, giving us crucial information about positions, directions, times, and relationships between objects and ideas. Thanks to prepositions, our sentences become clearer, and we can better understand the world around us.

So, the next time you speak or write, let prepositions be your trusty guides, leading you to effective communication and understanding!

See also : Conjunction

6. Preposition Worksheet/ Exercise

Instructions: Read each sentence carefully and fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions to complete each sentence.

1. The cat is ___ the roof.
2. We went ___ the mountains for our vacation.
3. She walked ___ the park to enjoy the scenery.
4. The children played ___ the playground all afternoon.
5. The keys are ___ the table.
6. The birds flew ___ the trees.
7. He hid the gift ___ the bed.
8. We will meet ___ the café at 7 o'clock.
9. The dog ran ___ the street to chase the squirrel.
10. She placed her bag ___ the chair and sat down.

Answer Key:

1. on
2. to
3. through
4. in
5. on
6. among
7. under
8. at
9. across
10. on

Take the English Quiz

📚 Learn All 8 Parts of Speech:

🧠 Parts of Speech: Overview
1️. Noun – Definition, Types, Gender, Number & Examples
2️. Pronoun – Definition, Types & Usage
3️. Adjective – Types, Degrees & Examples
4️. Verb – Types, Tenses & Examples
5️. Adverb – Kinds, Functions & Examples
6️. Preposition – Usage, Types & Examples
7️. Conjunction – Types & Uses
8️. Interjection – Meaning & Examples

FAQs: Preposition

1. What is a preposition?

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. It often indicates location, direction, time, or manner. Examples include "in," "on," "at," "by," "for," "with," and "about."

2. What are the different types of prepositions?

There are several types of prepositions, including prepositions of place, time, direction, manner, and agency.

3. What is a preposition of place?

A preposition of place indicates where something is located. Examples include "in," "on," "at," "under," "above," and "between."

4. What is a preposition of time?

A preposition of time indicates when something happens. Examples include "at," "on," "in," "during," "before," and "after."

5. What is a preposition of direction?

A preposition of direction indicates the direction in which something moves. Examples include "to," "into," "towards," "through," "across," and "up."

6. What is a preposition of manner?

A preposition of manner describes how something is done. Examples include "by," "with," "like," and "as."

7. What is a preposition of agency?

A preposition of agency indicates the agent performing an action, usually used with passive verbs. Examples include "by" and "with."

8. Can a preposition be used at the end of a sentence?

Yes, a preposition can be used at the end of a sentence, especially in informal or conversational English. For example, "What are you looking for?" and "This is the book I told you about."

9. What is a prepositional phrase?

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, its object (a noun or pronoun), and any modifiers of the object. For example, in the phrase "in the morning," "in" is the preposition, "the" is a modifier, and "morning" is the object.

10. How do you choose the correct preposition?

Choosing the correct preposition can be tricky because it often depends on idiomatic usage and specific context. It's helpful to learn common prepositional phrases and practice reading and listening to native English speakers to get a sense of which prepositions are used in various contexts.