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Reference: https://www.englishgrammar.org/
Prepositions
Read the following sentences:
 There is some water in the bottle.
 He is fond of his daughter.
 He fell off the ladder.
In sentence 1, the word in shows the relation between two things – water and bottle.
In sentence 2, the word of shows the relation between the adjective fond and the noun
daughter.
In sentence 3, the word off shows the relation between the verb fell and the noun
ladder.
These words which are used before a noun or a pronoun to show its relationship with
another word in the sentence are called prepositions. The noun or pronoun which
follows a preposition is called its object. Note that pronouns used after a preposition
should be in the objective case.
 He is fond of her. (NOT He is fond of she.)
A preposition may have two or more objects.
Between you and me there are few secrets. (Here the pronouns you and me are the
objects of the preposition between.)
Kinds of prepositions
There are different kinds of prepositions.
Simple prepositions
These are words like at, in, for, to, with, on, off, out, etc.
 He is in the office.
 She sat on the bench.
 She is angry with him.

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Compound prepositions
These are words like above, before, behind, below, across, among, around, beside
and between. Compound prepositions are generally formed by adding the prefix ‘a-‘ or
‘by-‘ to a noun, an adjective or an adverb.
Phrase prepositions
These are groups of words that serve as prepositions. Examples are: according to,
along with, because of, in front of, by means of, on behalf of, in accordance with, in
addition to, with reference to and in spite of.
 Owing to his ill health, he retired from business.
 He succeeded by dint of perseverance and hard work.
 She stood in front of the mirror.
 I can’t get along with him.
Relations shown by prepositions
Prepositions show various kinds of relations. The most important among them are the
following:
Place
 She ran across the street.
 The boy fell among the thorns.
 We were at the foot of the hill.
 The thief was hiding behind the cupboard.
Time
 I have a meeting in the afternoon.
 You must return before sunset.
 Wait till tomorrow.
 We waited for hours.
Method and manner
 The letter came by post.
 He cut the cake with a knife.
 They fought with courage.
 They succeeded by hard work.

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Reason and Purpose
 She died of malaria.
 He trembled with anger.
 Smoking is injurious to health.
Possession
 He is a man of principles.
 Mumbai is the financial capital of India.
 I saw a boy with red hair.
Direction and Motion
 He fell into the well.
 He climbed up the tree.
 She walked towards the market.
 The moon moves around the earth.
Objects of prepositions
The object of a preposition may be a noun, a pronoun, a gerund, an infinitive or a noun
clause.
 The house was built near a river. (Noun)
 She was talking to him. (Pronoun)
 We were prevented from entering the house. (Gerund)
 What would you like to do besides watch a movie? (Infinitive)
I am content with what I have. (Noun clause)
Preposition collocations with nouns and verbs
Prepositions cause a great deal of confusion. Most ESL students find it difficult to use
them correctly.
One way of learning the correct use of prepositions is to look at several examples
illustrating usage. In English, there are a large number of collocations. These are words
which are often used together with other words.
Examples of collocation are given below.
Comment
The word comment takes the preposition ‘on’.
He commented on her lovely hair. (NOT He commented about her lovely hair.)

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Reason
What is the reason for her unhappiness? (NOT What is the reason of her
unhappiness?)
The word reason collocates with the preposition for.
Discuss
The verb discuss does not take a preposition.
Let us discuss your problem. (NOT Let us discuss about your problem.)
Consider
The verb consider does not take any preposition.
You should consider every aspect of the situation. (NOT You should consider about
every aspect of the situation.)
Participate
Incorrect: They were asked to participate the group discussion.
Correct: They were asked to participate in the group discussion.
The word participate collocates with the preposition ‘in’.
Adapt
Incorrect: One must be able to adapt changing circumstances.
Correct: One must be able to adapt to changing circumstances.
The verb adapt takes the preposition ‘to’.
Dissatisfaction
Incorrect: These protests show their dissatisfaction of the new rules.
Correct: These protests show their dissatisfaction with the new rules.
Dissatisfaction takes the preposition ‘over’.
Against as a preposition
Against is a preposition. When you do something against somebody or something, you
oppose them or it.
 Human rights organizations have been campaigning against the death penalty.

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 Are you against internet censorship?
When you play against somebody, you try to defeat them.
 Argentina lost the World Cup final match against Germany.
 We must fight against the anti-social elements that lead our kids astray.
Count against
If something counts against you, it causes you to have a disadvantage.
 She is 45, so her age may count against her.
If someone turns against you, they become unfriendly towards you.
 No one thought that he would turn against his own brother.
When you lean against a wall, you touch it.
If there is a law against something it is illegal.
 The country does have some legislation against child labor.
If you swim against the current, you move in the opposite direction.
 They were sailing against a strong wind.
As against
 Why is there a preference for boys as against girls in many Asian countries?
Here is a list of idiomatic expressions using the word against.
Against the law
If something is against the law, it is not allowed by the law.
 It is against the law to smoke in public places.
Against your will
If you do something against your will, you do it, although you do not want to do it.
 Martha married her father’s friend against her will.
 No one should be forced to leave their home against their will.
Against someone’s wishes/advice
If someone does something against your wishes, they do it although you do not want
them to do it.
 She married her boyfriend against her father’s wishes.

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Along
The word along can be used as a preposition or an adverb.
When it is used as a preposition, it is followed by a noun.
 We walked along the road.
When along is used as an adverb, it is not followed by a noun.
 She brought her children along.
Along is used to talk about movement on or beside a line.
 She hurried along the road towards us.
Along is used with nouns like road, river, line etc: words that refer to things with a long
thin shape.
 They were sailing along the western coast of India.
 There are several shops along the street.
Along can also be used to refer to a place on or beside a river or road.
 Gunshots were heard from somewhere along the road.
Along can also mean ‘come to the place where somebody is’ or ‘go to the place where
something is happening’.
 Finally a truck came along, and we all jumped in.
 Can I bring my daughter along?
 Don’t forget to take your books along with you.
Along can also mean ‘arrive’ in a few structures.
 The manager will be along in a few minutes. (= The manager will arrive in a few
minutes.)
Come along can mean ‘come with me.’
Along and through
To talk about periods or activities, we use through.
The children were sleeping all through the journey. (NOT The children were sleeping
all along the journey.)

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Except, accept, past, passed
Except, expect and accept
These words are often confused.
Except is a preposition. It should be followed by a noun which acts as its object.
 Everybody came except John.
Here the noun John acts as the object of the preposition except. Except shows the
relationship between ‘everybody’ and ‘John’.
Expect is a verb
 I expected him to call but he didn’t.
 We expect her to win the first prize.
Accept is also a verb.
 She accepted the invitation.
Past and passed
Past can be used as a preposition, but passed cannot be used like this.
 I walked past the school.
 It is past your bedtime.
Past can also be used as an adverb. In this case, it is not followed by a noun.
 A policeman walked past.
Passed is a verb. It refers to the action of passing.
 She has passed the test.
Note that the word past usually refers to time or distance.
Into and Onto
The word into is a preposition. It is usually written as one word.
 King Midas turned everything he touched into gold.
 When she kissed the frog it turned into a handsome prince.

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Sometimes the words in and to appear next to each other in a sentence. In this case,
they should be written as two words.
 The minister himself stepped in to avert a PR crisis. (NOT The minister himself
stepped into ….)
Onto
Onto is a preposition.
 He threw the hat onto the roof.
The difference between into and onto is similar to the difference between in and on.
Prepositions in collocations
Invest with / invest in
To invest someone with something is to give them a particular quality.
 These animals have been invested with an ability to survive in extreme climates.
To invest someone with something is to give them power, authority or influence.
 The Black Cats are invested with the authority to protect the minister.
Invest in
To invest in something is to buy it or to spend money on something that will be
profitable or useful in the long time.
 He plans to invest in real estate.
 I think I should invest in a new laptop.
 The government should invest in education.
Authority on
If you are considered an authority on something, you are an expert in that subject.
 He is an authority on classical music.
 This book is acknowledged to be the authority on idiomatic expressions.
Authority over
 Parents have legal authority over their children. (= Parents have a legal right to
make decisions that affect their children.)

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Proceed with / to
To proceed with something is to continue something.
 The local council plans to proceed with its decision to demolish the old fort.
To proceed to is to move in a particular direction.
 Passengers for flight 303 should proceed to Gate 32.
To proceed to is to move to the next stage in a series of events.
 The Italian team will proceed to the semifinals.
Impressed with / by
Impress can be used with by and with. There is little or no difference of meaning.
 I was impressed with / by her knowledge.
Genius for
If you have a genius for something, you have a natural talent for doing it.
 She has a genius for choosing the right words.
 Napoleon had a genius for military tactics.
Words that take the prepositions to and for
Several verbs, adjectives and nouns are followed by prepositions. Most of these
expressions are idiomatic. Here is a brief list of words taking the prepositions to and for.
The following words take the preposition to.
According to
He acted according to my advice.
Affectionate to
The old woman is affectionate to all.
Note that we say: affection for, not affection to.
He has great affection for his grandchildren.

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Alternative to
The alternative to death was submission but that simply wasn’t acceptable to the brave
soldiers.
Derogatory to
He will never do anything derogatory to his high position.
Take exception to
He took exception to my remarks.
Hindrance to
Illiteracy is a hindrance to progress.
Partial to
She is partial to her family.
Respectful to
You must be respectful to your seniors but you are not supposed to be servile.
Insensible to
He is insensible to pain and pleasure.
The following words take the preposition for.
Ambition for
His ambition for name and fame knows no bounds.
Desire for
She has no desire for fame.
Except for
Except for John, everyone else attended the function.
Fondness for
She has great fondness for children.
Infatuation for
His infatuation for his master’s daughter led him astray.

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Prepared for
We are prepared for everything.
Qualified for
He is qualified for the job.
Respect for
I have great respect for him.
Before, across and in front of
We do not normally use before to talk about position/place. Instead, we use in front of.
A tall guy was standing in front of me.
There were hundreds of people in front of me in the queue.
The professor stood in front of the desk.
The opposite of in front of is behind.
When the professor stands in front of the desk, the desk is behind him.
Who is that fat guy standing behind Jane?
As a preposition, before normally indicates time. It is the opposite of after.
I need to be there before 8 pm. (NOT I need to be there in front of 8 pm.)
The teacher told us that we should be in our seats at or before 9 am.
Before can refer to place in a few cases. For example, you can bring somebody before
the magistrate. Students who misbehave in the class are often brought before the
head master / mistress.
Before can also indicate position in a list.
The letter C comes before D and after B.
Before (conjunction or adverb)
Before can also be used as a conjunction or an adverb clause of time.
I should get to work before my boss arrives.
I will give you a ring before I leave.
Before she married Justin, she dated another guy for a couple of years.

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Across
Across is a preposition. In British English, across means ‘from one side to the other’.
He walked across the road.
Across can also mean on the opposite side of a road, line etc.
My sister lives across the road.
Despite and in spite of
Despite and in spite of mean exactly the same, but despite is more common than in
spite of.
Despite and in spite of are prepositions. Both expressions can be followed by a noun
or noun-equivalent.
I enjoyed the movie despite having a headache.
OR I enjoyed the movie in spite of having a headache.
Both expressions are used for saying that something happens although something else
might have prevented it.
The government went ahead with its decision to build the nuclear power station despite
/ in spite of widespread opposition.
Despite the fact that / in spite of the fact that
Despite and in spite of cannot be directly followed by a that-clause. Before a that-
clause, we use the expression the fact.
He still loves her despite the fact that she cheated on him.
OR He still loves her in spite of the fact that she cheated on him.
Many people are successful despite the fact that they do not have a university degree.
(NOT Many people are successful despite that they do not have a university degree.)
Despite yourself
To do something despite yourself is to do it even though you didn’t intend to.
The boy found the money on the table and took it despite himself. (The boy had no
intention to take the money; he took it, nonetheless.)

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Notes
Never use of after despite. Always use of after in spite.
We enjoyed the evening despite the bad weather.
OR We enjoyed the evening in spite of the bad weather.
She always looks cheerful in spite of / despite her problems.
The same ideas can be expressed using though and although.
We enjoyed the evening though / although the weather was bad.
She always looks cheerful though / although she has many problems.
Note that though and although are conjunctions. They should be followed by a clause.
Idiomatic expressions with prepositions
Verbs often combine with prepositions. These combinations are called phrasal
verbs. There are numerous phrasal verbs in English and they cause a great deal of
difficulty for ESL students. It is nearly impossible for a non-native speaker to learn all of
these idiomatic expressions. Still, you must be familiar with the most important ones.
Interestingly, sometimes the same verb takes different prepositions with different
objects. The meanings of all of these expressions are usually the same.
Examples are given below.
Agree on / agree about / agree with
Agree with a person, policy or opinion
I entirely agree with your opinion.
I don’t agree with you.
Agree about a subject of discussion
We never agree about anything.
Agree on a price, a matter of discussion etc.
We couldn’t agree on a price.
Agree to a suggestion or proposal.
She didn’t agree to my proposal.

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Angry about / angry with
We are angry with people and angry about things. The preposition at is sometimes
used with both people and things.
She was angry with me for reading her letters.
OR She was angry at me for reading her letters.
My parents were angry about my dismal performance. OR My parents were angry
at my dismal performance.
Argue about / argue with
We argue about a matter.
After his death, his children argued about his property.
They argued about his affair. (NOT They argued with his affair.)
We can argue with a person.
I don’t want to argue with you.
He argued with his wife. (NOT He argued about his wife.)
We can also argue for or against a preposition.
They argued against increasing the legal drinking age.
Compare to and compare with
To show likeness, compare is usually used with to.
Life is often compared to a dream.
She likes to compare herself to her mother.
My mother always compared me to my brother.
To show differences, compare is usually used with ‘with’.
We can’t compare dogs with cats. (There are far more differences between them than
there are similarities.)
My mother was never satisfied with my academic performance. She always compared
me with my brother who used to get better grades.

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As a general rule, use compare with when differences are more important than
similarities. Use compare to when similarities are more important. Of course, these
differences are not very important.
There are several other idiomatic expressions that are often confused.
Correspond to / correspond with
To correspond to something is to match up with something.
This pin does not correspond to the receptacle it is supposed to fit into.
To correspond with somebody is to write letters back and forth.
I think you should correspond with the manager about this.
Differ from / differ with
You can differ with a person. Things can differ from totally different things.
Her mother differed with her over her decision to split with her boyfriend.
I beg to differ with you.
Our products differ from theirs because they are more intuitive.
Tablets differ from laptops in many ways. First, they do not have a physical keyword.
Second,…
Exchange with / exchange for
We exchange something for something.
I would like to exchange my car for a faster one.
He exchanged dollars for euros.
I exchanged pleasantries with her.
Prepositions: some problems areas
A preposition is word used to describe the relationship between other words in a
sentence.
Prepositions are almost always combined with other words. In grammars, these
structures are called prepositional phrases.

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A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition followed by an article or another
determiner and an adjective or two, followed by a pronoun or noun. Here the adjective
modifies the noun or pronoun which acts as the object of the preposition.
A prepositional phrase acts as an adjective or an adverb.
Ending a sentence with a preposition
You may have heard that ending a sentence with a preposition is a serious breach of
grammatical rules. Well, not really. Of course, you are not supposed to end every one of
your sentences with a preposition, but sometimes ending a sentence with a preposition
is better than moving it to another location in the sentence.
Consider the two examples given below.
1) The professor asked the students to indicate the reference book they are
quoting from. (This sentence ends in a preposition.)
2) The professor asked the students to indicate from which reference book they are
quoting.
As you can see, sentence 2 isn’t much better than sentence 1 although it doesn’t end in
a preposition.
The prepositions in, at and on can all indicate position. Here is a list of common word
combinations with these prepositions.
In the bed / in the bedroom / in the car / in the class / in the library / in school
At class / at home / at the library / at the office / at school / work
On the bed / on the ceiling / on the floor / on the horse/ on the plane / on the train
As you can see, with some of these locations, different prepositions are possible.
No prepositions are used with the following expressions: downtown, downstairs,
outside, inside, upstairs, uptown etc.
Difference between as and like
These two words are often confused. Use ‘like’ to state that someone is very similar to
another. Like is a preposition and should be followed by a noun or pronoun.
She is like her mother. (= They are very similar.)
She plays the piano like her sister.
As is used to describe the function of a person or object.
He works as a bartender.

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Examples are given below.
My sister is just like my mother, but I am more like my father.
Don’t use your nail as a screwdriver.
He is just like his brother. They are both crazy about soccer.
As can also be used as a conjunction. In this case, it is followed by a clause or a
prepositional phrase. As a conjunction as shows similarity.
Nobody loves her as I do.
The same idea can be expressed using like.
Nobody loves her like me. (Note that here the preposition likeis followed by the object
pronoun me.)
In August, as in July, the weather is very hot.
Here the conjunction as is followed by the prepositional phrase ‘in July’.
In a very informal style, like is often used as a conjunction. This is very common in
American English. However, this is not considered correct.
Nobody loves her like I do.
Prepositions before that-clauses
Prepositions cannot normally be followed by conjunctions. Of course, this is possible in
a few cases, but prepositions are normally dropped before that-clauses. This usually
happens after words referring to saying, writing, thinking etc.
Compare:
 I knew about his illness. (Here the preposition about is followed by a noun.)
 I knew that he was ill. (NOT I knew about that he was ill.)
 I heard about his problems.
 I heard that he was facing some problems.
 I had no idea of his state of mind.
 I had no idea that he was depressed.
 I was not aware of his presence in the room. (Here the preposition of is followed
by the noun his presence.)

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 I was not aware that he was present in the room. (NOT I was not aware of that he
…)
In cases where the preposition cannot be dropped before that, we add the phrase ‘the
fact’.
 I managed to arrive in time for the meeting in spite of the fact that the train was
late.
 (NOT I managed to arrive in time for the meeting in spite of that …) (NOT I
managed to arrive in time in spite that …)
 She paid no attention to the fact that I had the necessary qualifications. (NOT
She paid no attention that I had the necessary qualifications.)
 They went out despite the fact that it was raining. (NOT They went out despite
that it was raining.)
Prepositions before question words
Prepositions are dropped before common question words. This usually happens
after common verbs like tell, ask, depend, sure, idea and look. This is especially
common in indirect questions.
 Tell me about your plans. (Here we use the preposition aboutbefore the noun
‘your plans’.)
 Tell me what you intend to do. (More natural than ‘Tell me about what you intend
to do’.) (Here the preposition is dropped before the question word what.)
 I asked her about her relationship status.
 I asked her whether she was in a relationship. (NOT I asked her about whether
she was in a relationship.)
 She may win the prize – it depends on her performance.
 She may win the prize – it depends (on) how well she performs.
 Look at this.
 Look (at) what I have brought for you.
The prepositions cannot normally be left out after other verbs.
 I am worried about her health.
 I am worried about how she is going to cope. (NOT I am worried how she is
going to cope.)

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Compare:
 The teacher asked me what I had done. (More natural than ‘The teacher asked
me about what I had done’.)
 The police questioned me about what I had seen. (NOT The police questioned
me what I had seen.)
 Your chances of getting a good job can vary according to whether you live in a
city or in a village.
Note that we cannot put if after a preposition. We use whether instead.
 I am worried about whether she is happy. (NOT I am worried about if she is
happy.)
Prepositions: some common mistakes
Prepositions are words used to describe a relationship between other words in a
sentence. They are small words; still, they cause a great deal of confusion. In this
lesson we will take a look at some of the most common mistakes in the use of
prepositions.
Since and for
These prepositions are often confused. Since is used to reckon from a particular
date. For is used for a period.
 Incorrect: I am ill since three months.
 Correct: I have been ill for three months.
 Correct: I have been ill since May.
When since / for indicates time, the verb in the main clause should be in the present
perfect or past perfect tense.
 Incorrect: This is my first time to play tennis since a long time.
 Correct: I have not played tennis for a long time. / This is my first game of tennis for a long
time.
The adjectives inferior, superior, prior etc.
The adjectives inferior, superior, senior, junior, prior etc. take the
preposition to, not than.
 Incorrect: She always felt inferior than her younger sister.
 Correct: She always felt inferior to her younger sister.

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 Incorrect: This material is superior than that.
 Correct: This material is superior to that.
The verbs resemble, enter, discuss, marry etc.
The verbs resemble, enter, discuss, lack, approach and marry are followed by direct
objects without prepositions.
 Incorrect: This resembles to that.
 Correct: This resembles that.
 Incorrect: Your mother lacks of tact.
 Correct: Your mother lacks tact.
 Incorrect: We are now approaching to Victoria Terminus.
 Correct: We are now approaching Victoria Terminus.
 Incorrect: He reached to Singapore.
 Correct: He reached Singapore.
 Incorrect: She married to/with her boss.
 Correct: She married her boss.
Using for
The word for can be used as a preposition and a conjunction. As a preposition, it is
followed by a noun.
 Let’s buy some flowers for mummy.
 I waited for hours, but she didn’t come.
As a conjunction, for is used to connect two clauses. A for-clause usually shows
cause/reason.
 I asked him to turn the music down, for I wanted to sleep.
Notes
A for-clause is not very common in this context and it sounds too formal. In an informal
style, we are more likely to express the same idea with because.
 I asked him to turn the music down because I wanted to sleep.
A for-clause may also express an inference.

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 She must have gone to bed for there is no light in her room.
As a preposition for is used to express several ideas. For example, it can be used to
indicate purpose, destination, duration etc. It may also be used to express your liking,
suitability or skill for something.
 I have bought a gift for you.
 What can I do for you?
 The college provides vocational training for young boys and girls.
 Thousands of people have sacrificed their lives for the country.
For can indicate duration.
 It has been raining for hours.
 I have been waiting for 20 minutes.
For cannot be used with a verb to indicate purpose. The infinitive alone is used to
express a person’s purpose.
 I went to the college to see Professor Charles. (NOT I went to the college for
seeing Professor Charles.)
However, for can be used with an –ing form to indicate the purpose of a thing.
 A thermometer is used for measuring temperature.
When the clause has a person as subject, we are more likely to use an infinitive.
 We use a thermometer to measure temperature.
Below, under and beneath
These words have very similar meanings and are often confused.
Both below and under can be used to mean ‘in a lower position than something’.
Although they are both possible in some cases, sometimes we use them in different
circumstances.
To talk about something being covered by something else, we use under.
 The cat was sleeping under the blanket. (NOT The cat was sleeping below the
jacket.)
 I felt that he was hiding something under his jacket. (NOT He was hiding
something below his jacket.)
 The whole village was under water.

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Below is mainly used in cases where an object is not directly under another.
 We could find something below the surface of the water.
 Millions of people still live below the poverty line. (Somewhere below that
hypothetical line separating the poor from the rich)
Below is also used in measurements where we think of a vertical scale.
 This part of the country is below sea level.
Under can also mean ‘younger than’ or ‘less than’.
 Children under the age of twelve are not supposed to watch this film.
There are quite a few fixed expressions using the word under. Common examples
are: under construction, under fire, under attack, under arrest, under pressure, under
these conditions etc. Below cannot be used in these expressions.
 You are under arrest.
 The bridge is still under construction.
 Her actions have always been under constant media scrutiny.
Beneath is mainly used in a literal or formal style.
 Coral reefs that lie beneath the waters were a beautiful sight.
 They sat beneath a huge mango tree.
As you can see below and under are also possible in these cases.
Prepositions used to introduce objects
Prepositions are sometimes used to introduce objects. A few English verbs are
normally followed by a direct object without a preposition. Common examples are:
discuss, enter, reach, marry, resemble etc. However, many English verbs take a
preposition before the object.
Common verbs that are followed by at + object are: glance, look, laugh, smile, stare,
rejoice etc.
 She smiled at me. (NOT She smiled me.)
 Don’t laugh at the beggars. (NOT Don’t laugh the beggars.)
 The pretty girl glanced at her reflection.
 Why are you staring at me?

23. 23
 Look at that.
Notes
When look is not followed by a direct object, it does not take the preposition at.
 Look. (NOT Look at.)
 Look at that car. (NOT Look that car.)
With mirror, we use the preposition in, not at.
 She looked in the mirror.
Verbs that take the preposition of
The verbs approve, consist, die and smell are usually followed by the preposition of.
 He didn’t approve of the plan.
 His dad became really angry when he came home smelling of alcohol.
 Lunch consisted of chicken soup and salad.
 Several people died of flu.
The verb remind is followed by indirect object + of + direct object.
 She reminds me of her mother.
The verbs dream and think can be followed by of or about.
 I am thinking of my holidays in the Swiss Alps.
 I am thinking of inviting her to my party.
Note that when we put a verb form after think or dream, it should be in the –ing form.
 I often dreamed of being rich when I was younger.
Verb + for + object
The following verbs take the preposition for: call, hope, look, wait, watch, wish etc.
 I hope for a raise this year.
 I am looking for the keys.
 I waited for her for several hours.
To watch for something is to pay attention so that you will see it when it arrives or
becomes visible.

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 Watch for the birds. They will eat the grains.
 If you wish for a promotion, you have to impress the manager.
Prepositions indicating position close to a point
To talk about position close to a point, we use the following prepositions: near, by, next
to, between, among and opposite.
Near
Near means close to someone or something
 There is a temple near my house.
 Some students were standing near the gate.
 Most shops near the station remained closed throughout the day.
 ‘Is the railway station far from here?’ ‘No, it is quite near.’
 Who is that girl sitting near the door?
By
By means beside or close to someone or something
 She was sitting by the window.
 There is a coffee house by the store.
 Come and sit by me.
Next to
Next to means besides or very near to someone or something.
 Who is that girl sitting next to your brother?
 She has bought an apartment next to the lake. (There is nothing between her
apartment and the lake.)
 The baby was sleeping next to his parents.
 A large mango tree grows next to my house.
Between and among
They both show position between / among objects.
 She sat between her two kids. (There was a child on each side of her.)

25. 25
 I found the keys lying among the books.
Opposite
Opposite means ‘on the other side of a room, road, river etc.’
 The bedroom is opposite the living room.
 There is a library opposite the school. (= The library is on the other side of the
road from the school.)
Across as a preposition and an adverb
Across can be used as a preposition or an adverb. When used as a preposition, it is
followed by a noun.
 We walked across the desert. (Here the noun the desert acts as the object of the
preposition across.)
Across means from one side to the other.
 She walked across the road. (= She walked from one side of the road to the other
side.)
Across can be used to talk about movement from one place, space or line to the other.
 The airplane flying across the Atlantic when it developed engine trouble.
 They are building a bridge across the river. (= The bridge will extend from one
side of the river to the other side.)
Across can also be used to show the width of something.
 The river is only a few meters across in some places.
Across can show position. It means on the opposite side of a road, river, line etc.
 There is a petrol pump just across the road. (= The petrol pump is on the
opposite side of the road.)
 The people across the border are moving. (= The people on the opposite side of
the border are moving.)
Across can also be used to show position in many parts of an area or country.
 They have several offices across Europe. (= They have several offices in many
parts of Europe.)

26. 26
Across can also be used for saying that something affects a large part of your body.
 Suddenly he felt a sharp pain across his chest.
Across is also used for saying that something spreads until it covers the whole of a
particular area.
 A warm smile spread across her face.
When used as an adverb, across is not followed by a noun.
 She hurried across to greet us. (Here the adverb across modifies the verb
hurried.)
Mistakes in the use of prepositions
In this lesson we will take a look at some of the most common mistakes in the use of
prepositions.
 Incorrect: The ball rolled slowly in the goal.
 Correct: The ball rolled slowly into the goal.
 Incorrect: She ran in the room crying.
 Correct: She ran into the room crying.
The prepositions in and on are used to show position. To say where things are going,
we use into and onto.
 Incorrect: The train will arrive within five minutes.
 Correct: The train will arrive in five minutes.
We use in to say how soon something will happen. Within means ‘inside’ or ‘not
beyond’.
 Incorrect: If you don’t live by your income, you will incur huge debts.
 Correct: If you don’t live within your income, you will incur huge debts.
 Incorrect: The ball went to the window ad fell on the ground.
 Correct: The ball went through the window and fell on the ground.
Through is used for movement in a three dimensional space.
 Incorrect: He wrote the book in a month’s time.
 Correct: He wrote the book in a month.

27. 27
The expressions in a week’s / month’s time is used to say how something will happen.
It is not used to say how long something takes.
 Incorrect: We usually go and see Granny on Sunday.
 Correct: We usually go and see Granny on Sundays.
 Incorrect: I don’t care for your opinion.
 Correct: I don’t care about your opinion.
Care for means ‘like’ or ‘be fond of’. If you care about something, you feel that it is
important or interesting.
Using through
Through can be used as a preposition or an adverb. When through is used as a
preposition, it is followed by a noun. When it is used as an adverb, it is not followed by a
noun.
Through means from end to end or side to side of.
 The River Thames goes through London.
 We drove through the desert.
Through can also be used to talk about entering at one side and coming out at the
other.
 The road goes through the forest.
 The train went through the tunnel.
 She wouldn’t let me through.
To go through something is to examine it.
 We must go through the accounts. (= We must examine the accounts.)
Through can also be used to talk about time. It means from beginning to end of.
 He will not live through the night. (= He will die before morning.)
Through as an adverb
As an adverb through means from end to end, side to side or beginning to end.
 I have read the letter through twice and cannot understand it.
Through can mean ‘all the way’.

28. 28
 Does this train go through to Bangkok? (= Does this train go all the way to
Bangkok?)
All through
 I was awake all through the night.
Through can also indicate the cause, etc.
 The accident happened through no fault of yours.
Time prepositions
On
Use on with days.
 I met him on Friday.
 My birthday is on May 18th
.
 We are having a small party on Christmas day.
Use at with clock times and other expressions of time such as noon,
night and midnight.
 The train departs at 6.30.
 We usually have dinner at 9 o’clock.
 I will meet you at noon.
 Phone me at lunch time.
Use in with other parts of the day and with months, years and seasons.
 We usually go out in the evening.
 I saw him in the morning.
 I was born in May.
 Trees shed their leaves in autumn.
 Days are short and dark in winter.
 I take a nap in the afternoon.
 They got married in 1996.
 This house was built in 1972.

29. 29
Other prepositions indicating time
In English, we use several prepositions to show time. The most common among them
are: since, for, by, during and within. The sequences from-to and from-until are also
used to talk about time.
 We have lived in this city since 2007. (We arrived in this city in 2007 and have
lived here ever since.)
 She has been gone since Tuesday. (She went on Tuesday and has not returned
yet.)
 I am going to Vienna for two weeks. (I will spend two weeks there.)
 I work from nine to six.
 I will be here from three o’clock onwards.
 The program lasted from 3 to 6. (Beginning at 3 and ending at 6)
 It rained during the night. (For a certain period of time in the night)
 We must finish the work within a year. (= No longer than a year)
Prepositions after particular words and
expressions
Certain words and expressions are followed by particular prepositions. Here is a list of
the most common combinations.
Insist on
She insisted on paying for the drinks.
Interested in
He was always interested in politics.
Kind to
People have always been kind to me.
Lacking in
She is lacking in tact.
Laugh at
The little girl laughed at the poor beggar.

30. 30
Laugh about
We will all laugh about this one day.
Listen to
Why don’t you listen to me?
Look at
What are you looking at?
Look for (= try to find)
I am looking for my keys.
Marriage to
Her marriage to James didn’t last very long.
Nice to
She is nice to everybody.
Operate on (a patient)
They operated on her yesterday evening.
Pay for (something that is bought)
Will you pay for the drinks?
Polite to
You weren’t polite to me last night.
Prevent somebody from doing something
She prevented me from entering her room.
Reason for
Nobody knows the reason for the accident.
Rude to
She was pretty rude to me last night.
Run into (= meet)
I ran into James at the library this morning.
Shocked at / by

31. 31
I was shocked at / by the news of her death.
Sorry about something that has happened
I am sorry about your accident.
Sorry for / about something that one has done
I am sorry for / about interrupting you.
Sorry for a person
I really feel sorry for her.
Correct use of some prepositions
Study the following sentences. They contain some common mistakes in the use of
prepositions.
Resemble
Incorrect: This resembles to that.
Correct: This resembles that.
Incorrect: The baby resembles with her mother.
Correct: The baby resembles her mother.
The verb resemble does not take a preposition before its object.
Write
Incorrect: He wrote me.
Correct: He wrote to me.
Incorrect: Write to me a letter.
Correct: Write me a letter.
When write has no direct object, we put to before the indirect object.
Explain
Incorrect: I shall explain them this.
Correct: I shall explain this to them.
The verb explain is followed by direct object + preposition + indirect object.

32. 32
Invite
Incorrect: He invited me in dinner.
Correct: He invited me to dinner.
Invite takes the preposition to after it.
Reach
Incorrect: He reached to the station.
Correct: He reached the station.
The verb reach does not take a preposition before its object.
Incorrect: He is favorite with his friends.
Correct: He is a favorite with his friends.
Ask
Incorrect: She did ask any question to him.
Correct: She did not ask him any question.
Ask is usually followed by indirect object + direct object.
Waste, spend
Incorrect: We should not waste much time in trifles.
Correct: We should not waste much time on trifles.
Incorrect: He spent a lot of money in daughter’s wedding.
Correct: He spent a lot of money on his daughter’s wedding.
Some prepositional phrases
A prepositional phrase is a group of words introduced by a preposition. There are
quite a few prepositional phrases in English and these set phrases are often used with
specific verbs.
Prepositional phrases usually go at the end of sentences. Some of them also go at the
beginning of sentences. In this lesson we will learn the usage of some common
prepositional phrases.
By heart
To learn something by heart is to memorize it.

33. 33
The teacher asked us to learn the poem by heart.
At a loss
They sold the car at a loss.
When you are at a loss for words, you are unable to speak.
I was so confused that I was at a loss for words.
From my perspective / from my point of view / from where I stand
All of these phrases mean ‘in my opinion’.
A: What do you think about their decision to withdraw support?
B: From my point of view, it is disastrous.
‘From where I stand, it appears that we are going to lose.’
By the way and by the by
These phrases are used when you want to add information.
Tom: What do you think of this cellphone? Is it any good?
Bill: This is the most popular and, by the way, the cheapest model we have in stock.
This phrase is also used when the speaker wants to open a new subject in a casual
manner.
Peter: Oh, by the way, Mark, do you still have that leather jacket you borrowed from
me?
Mark: Let me check. I thought I gave it back.
For better or (for) worse / for better, for worse
If something happens for better or worse, it happens whether its results are good or
bad. Note that this phrase is mainly used in a marriage ceremony.
Different uses of about
The preposition about has several uses. It can refer to movement or position in various
directions or places.
 The children were running about. (= The children were running in various
directions.)
 Clothes were lying about the room. (= Clothes were lying in various places in the
room.)

34. 34
About can also mean near or nearby.
 Is anybody about? (= Is anybody nearby?)
 There was no one about to save the boy from drowning.
In connection with
About can mean in connection with.
 We talked about his plans.
 They told the police about it.
 I don’t know anything about it.
Roughly
About can be used to make a rough estimate of something.
 There were about twenty boys in the class. (It is a rough estimate of the number of
students in the class. The actual figure could be slightly higher or lower.)
 It is about 3 o’clock. (Not exactly 3 o’clock)
 She is about forty years old. (Not exactly forty)
Expressions with about
How about and what about
These expressions are usually used to ask for a person’s opinion regarding something.
 How about it? (= What is your opinion?)
 What about going for a long drive? (= What is your opinion about going for a long
drive?)
 She is a pretty girl. But what about her character?
While you are about it = while you are doing it
About and on
About and on can have similar meanings. About can be used to talk about ordinary,
general kinds of communication. On is used to talk about something more serious or
academic.
Compare:
 It is a picture book for children about the castles of Europe.
 It is a text book on African history.

35. 35
Words with appropriate prepositions
Some verbs, adjectives and nouns are followed by particular prepositions. Here are
some of the most common combinations. Note that alternatives are sometimes
possible, and that British and American usage sometimes differ.
Absorbed in
He is completely absorbed in his research work.
Abstain from
You must abstain from smoking and drinking.
Acceptable to
That suggestion is not acceptable to us.
Acquainted with
I am only slightly acquainted with him.
Acquitted of
James was acquitted of the charge of theft.
Adapt to
One must learn to adapt oneself to changing circumstances.
Addicted to
James is addicted to gambling.
Admit to
He was admitted to the Medical College.
Admit of
This is an urgent matter which admits of no delay.
Allotted to
I have performed the task allotted to me.
Amazed at
I was amazed at her performance.
Anxious to
She is anxious to hear from her son.
Avail … of
Avail yourself of this opportunity.
Aware of
I am not aware of their plans.
Backward in
She is rather backward in her studies.

36. 36
Believe in
Do you believe in ghosts?
Boast of
She boasts of her aristocratic upbringing.
Brood over
Don’t brood over past failures.
Call at (=visit)
On the way we called at a friend’s house.
Call for (= demand)
The principal has called for an explanation from the suspended students.
Care for
I don’t care for your objections. I have decided to do it.
Commonly confused prepositions
About and On
Both about and on can mean ‘regarding’. There is a slight difference of meaning.
Compare:
 We had a discussion about money.
 He gave a lecture on finance.
About used in the first sentence suggests that the discussion was ordinary. On used in
the second sentence suggests that the lecture was serious or academic, suitable for
specialists.
Above and over
Above and over can both mean ‘higher than’.
 The water came up above / over our waist.
Above is preferred when one thing is not directly over another.
 There is a temple above the lake. (The temple is not directly over the lake.)

37. 37
Over is preferred when one thing covers or touches another.
 He put on a sweater over his shirt. (NOT He put on a sweater above his shirt.)
In measurements of temperature and height we use above. In measurements of ages
and speeds we use over.
 The temperature never rose above 5 degrees Celsius.
 You have to be over 18 to see that film.
Across and through
The difference between across and through is similar to the difference meaning
on and in. Through is used for movement in a three dimensional space, with things on
all sides. Across cannot be used with that meaning.
Compare:
 We went through the wood. (We were in the wood.)
 The road goes through the forest.
 We walked across the desert. (We were on the desert.)
Commonly confused prepositions part 2
Across and over can both be used to mean ‘on the other side of a line / road / bridge
etc’.
 There is a hospital across / over the border. (= There is a hospital on the other
side of the border.)
 His shop is across / over the road. (= His shop is on the other side of the road.)
Across and over can also be used to talk about movement to the other side of a line /
road etc.
 He jumped across / over the stream.
We prefer over when we say ‘on/to the other side of something high’.
 He climbed over the wall. (NOT He climbed across the wall.)
We prefer across when we say ‘on / to the other side of something flat’.
 We swam across the river. (NOT We swam over the river.)

38. 38
Along
The preposition along is used with nouns that refer to things with a long thin shape.
Examples are: road, river, corridor, line
 She ran along the road.
 There are trees along the riverside.
Along and through
To talk about periods or activities, we prefer through.
 She was silent all through the journey. (NOT She was silent all along the
journey.)
Note that along can also be used as an adverb particle.
 Come along. (= Come with me.)
 Run along now. (= Go away.)
Prepositions: Some special points to be noted
Cases where prepositions are omitted
Prepositions of time are generally omitted before words like ‘last’, ‘first’, ‘next’ or ‘this’.
 I met him last Friday. (NOT I met him on last Friday.)
 We will discuss the matter next time.
 I will visit my parents this week.
The use of preposition in the following types of sentences is optional.
 I was here (in) the July before last.
 They visited us (on) the day before yesterday.
 He left the city (on) the next day.
 We lived there (for) three months.
Prepositions are after certain verbs
Some intransitive verbs become transitive when a preposition is placed after them.
Examples are: listen to, apply to, partake of, aware of, beware of, depend upon,
dispense with, dispose of and prevail upon

39. 39
Different prepositions
Some words which differ slightly in form and meaning from each other take different
prepositions after them.
Examples are:
Desire for; desirous of
Confidence in; confident of
According to; in accordance with
Sensible of; insensible to
Affection for; affectionate to
Ambition for; ambitious of
Fond of; fondness for
Neglectful of; negligent in
Dislike to; liking for
Gerund after preposition
The infinitive cannot be used with certain words which require a preposition followed by
a gerund.
 I am thinking of visiting my parents.
 He is bent of attending the meeting.
 You have no excuse for being late.
Special uses of some prepositions
In and at
Both at and in can be used with the names of cities, towns and villages. We
use in when we are talking about the place as an area; we use at when we see it as a
point.
Compare:
 My sister lives in Tokyo.
 Our plane stopped at Tokyo on the way to Iran. (Tokyo = Tokyo airport)
We use at to talk about group activities and shops/workplaces.
 I first met him at a party. (NOT …in a party.)
 There weren’t many people at the meeting.
 I saw him at the baker’s. (= baker’s shop)

40. 40
We use in with the names of streets and at when we give the house number.
 He lives in MG Street.
 He lives at 128 MG Street.
We use on when we think of a place as a surface.
 The cat is lying on the floor.
 Hang this picture on the wall.
Till and until
Both till and until are used of time.
 We waited till / until 12 o’ clock.
 He slept till / until 11 am.
Since
Since is used before a noun or phrase denoting some point of time. It is preceded by a
verb in the perfect tenses.
 He hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday.
 He has been ill since last Monday.
 It has been raining since yesterday.
In
In is used before a noun denoting a period of time. It means ‘at the end
of’. Within means ‘before the end of’.
 I shall return in an hour. (= at the end of one hour)
 I shall return within an hour. (= before the end of one hour)
Correct use of some prepositions
Prepositions may be small words, but they are very important ones and their correct
use shows your mastery of the language. Here are some hints about the correct use of
some prepositions.
Beside and besides
Beside means ‘by the side of’. Besides means ‘in addition to’.
 They have a house beside the sea. (by the side of the sea)
 He stood beside me. (by my side)

41. 41
 He plays the violin besides the piano and the guitar. (He plays three instruments.)
 Besides being a good actor, he is also a good singer. (= In addition to being a good actor,
he is also a good singer.)
Since and for
Since should be used with a point of time in the past. It is used with a present perfect
tense. For is used only when you refer to a period of time.
 He has been absent since Tuesday. (NOT He has been absent for Tuesday.)
 I have been ill since last week.
 He has been absent for three days. (NOT He has been absent since three days.)
 I have been ill for two weeks.
Between and among
Between is used to refer to two or three separate people or things. Among is used
when the reference is to a group of people or things which we do not see separately.
 She sat among the children.
 She sat between Susie and Ann.
 This is a custom which exists among the Hindus.
 He has a house between the river and the woods.
By and with
By is used to refer to the doer of the action. With is used to refer to the instrument with
which the action is performed.
 The spider was killed by the boy.
 The boy killed the spider with a stone.
Correct use of prepositions – part II
In and At
In is usually used with large places – countries, districts, large cities etc. At is generally
used for small and unimportant places like villages, small towns etc.
 We shall meet him at the club this evening.
 His brother lives in Paris.
Notes: This rule is not very rigidly followed. In is often used with small places. At,
however, is seldom used for big places.
On, in, at and by
At shows an exact point of time; on shows a more general point of time and in shows a
period of time.

42. 42
 I have a meeting at 4 pm.
 The train leaves at 2 o’clock.
 I was born on a Monday.
 I was born on April 21st.
 I was born in January.
 We will visit them in the summer.
 It is very hot in the day but quite cold at night.
By shows the latest time at which an action will be finished. So it is usually used with a
future tense.
 I will be leaving by 6 o’clock.
 I hope to finish the work by next week.
On and upon
On is generally used to talk about things at rest. Upon is used about things in motion.
 She sat on a chair.
 He jumped upon his horse.
In, within
With reference to time, in means at the end of a certain period; within means before
the end of a certain period.
 I will finish writing this book in three days. (at the end of three days)
 I will finish writing this book within three days. (before the end of three days)
Unnecessary prepositions
Sometimes we use prepositions where they are not necessary. While expressions like
‘check up on’ and ‘as from’ are not exactly considered incorrect, they should be avoided
in academic and formal writing.
Study the examples given below.
Incorrect: If we don’t hurry, we will miss out on the show.
Correct: If we don’t hurry, we will miss the show.
To miss out on is to fail to participate in something. This expression is not exactly
wrong; however, you can express the same idea using miss.
Incorrect: Are you able to meet with me in the morning?
Incorrect: Are you able to meet up with me in the morning?
Correct: Are you able to meet me in the morning?

43. 43
To meet with something is to experience trouble, danger or difficulty unexpectedly.
She met with an accident yesterday. (NOT She met an accident yesterday.)
In other cases, meet should be used without a preposition.
Incorrect: There will be no more chemistry lessons this term, as from Monday.
Correct: There will be no more chemistry lessons this term, from Monday.
Incorrect: Will you please separate out the good mangoes from the bad ones?
Correct: Will you please separate the good mangoes from the bad ones?
Incorrect: Do not throw things out of the window?
Correct: Do not throw things out the window?
Of is totally unnecessary here.
Incorrect: Where are you going to?
Correct: Where are you going?
The preposition to is almost always dropped in questions after where. But note
that to cannot be dropped in the short question Where to?
‘Could you send these parcels off for me?’ ‘Where to?’