Prepositions in English: A Beginner’s Guide

What Is a Preposition?

A preposition is a word that connects a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence. It usually tells us where something is, when something happens, or how something is done.

• The book is on the table.
• We met after lunch.
• She opened the box with a key.

The noun or pronoun that follows the preposition is called its object. Together, they form a prepositional phrase (on the table, after lunch, with a key).

Why Prepositions Are Difficult

Prepositions rarely follow logical rules — they follow usage. Compare:

• You ride on a bus, but you sit in a car.
• You are at school as a place, but in school as a student.
• A meeting happens on Monday, in March, and at 9 o’clock.

There is no single rule that explains all of these. The best strategy is to learn prepositions in phrases, not as isolated words. Read a lot, notice which prepositions appear with which words, and memorize common combinations (depend on, interested in, good at).

1. Simple Prepositions (by Form)

Made of a single word: in, on, at, by, for, from, to, with, under, over, about.

• The keys are under the sofa.
• This gift is for you.

2. Compound (Complex) Prepositions (by Form)

Made of two or more words that work as one unit: because of, instead of, in front of, next to, according to, in spite of.

• The match was cancelled because of the storm.
• Park the car in front of the house.

3. Participle Prepositions (by Form)

Some words ending in -ing or -ed work as prepositions: including, excluding, regarding, concerning, considering, given.

• The trip costs $500, including flights.
• Regarding your question, I’ll reply tomorrow.

⚠️ Don’t confuse these with verbs! In "She is including you in the plan," the word including is a verb, not a preposition.

Prepositions of Time — When?

• at — clock times, specific moments: at 6 p.m., at midnight, at noon
• on — days and dates: on Friday, on June 5th, on my birthday
• in — months, years, seasons, long periods: in July, in 2026, in winter
• for — duration: for two hours
• since — starting point: since Monday
• during — throughout a period: during the lesson
• by — deadline: by Friday

The train leaves at 7:15. I’ve lived here since 2020. Finish the report by Thursday.

Prepositions of Place — Where?

• in — inside an enclosed space: in the room, in the box
• on — touching a surface: on the desk, on the wall
• at — a point or location: at the door, at the station
• under — lower than something: under the bridge
• above / over — higher than something: above the clouds
• between — in the middle of two things: between the two houses
• behind — at the back of: behind the curtain

Your phone is on the shelf, between the books. Someone is waiting at the entrance.

Prepositions of Direction — Where to?

These show movement: to, into, onto, from, toward(s), through, across, along, out of.

• We walked to the park and then along the river.
• The cat jumped onto the roof.
• She ran out of the building and across the street.

💡 in vs. into: in describes a position, into describes movement. The fish is in the water (position) vs. The fish jumped into the water (movement).

Prepositions of Manner — How?

These show the method, instrument, or way something is done: by, with, like, as, in.

• We paid by card.
• He cut the bread with a knife.
• She sings like a professional.
• I’m speaking to you as a friend.
• They left in a hurry.

💡 like vs. as: like compares (he works like a machine — he isn’t one), as states a real role (he works as a chef — that’s his job).

Preposition or Adverb?

Some words (up, down, behind, before, around, inside) can be prepositions or adverbs. The test is simple: a preposition has an object; an adverb doesn’t.

• She looked behind the door. → behind + object → preposition
• She looked behind. → no object → adverb

Position in a Sentence

Prepositions normally come before their object, but in questions and relative clauses the preposition often moves to the end of the clause. This is called preposition stranding, and it’s completely natural in modern English.

• Who are you waiting for?
• That’s the movie I told you about.

Formal style sometimes keeps the preposition at the front (For whom are you waiting?), but in everyday English the stranded version sounds much more natural.

Common Mistakes

• ❌ Where are you going at? → ✅ Where are you going? (no extra preposition needed)
• ❌ We discussed about the plan. → ✅ We discussed the plan. (discuss takes no preposition)
• ❌ married with → ✅ married to
• ❌ in Monday → ✅ on Monday
• ❌ listen the music → ✅ listen to music

Quick Review

• Prepositions link nouns/pronouns to the rest of the sentence and show time, place, direction, or manner.
• By form, they can be simple (in), compound (in front of), or participle (regarding).
• A preposition + its object = a prepositional phrase.
• A word with no object after it is an adverb, not a preposition.
• Ending a sentence with a preposition is fine in modern English.
• Learn prepositions in collocations, not in isolation.

Practice: Test Yourself

Match each bold preposition to its category: