This document Grammar: Using Prepositions with Examples and the objects they relate to in short phrases. Prepositions included are in, on, at, by, under, over, across, through, above, below, between, among, behind, in front of, beside, inside, outside, near, far, against, throughout, with, without, except, including, until, since, for, from, to, towards, off, on top of, onto, inside of, outside of, in between, amid, during, for, across, behind, above, below, underneath, amongst, within, beyond, across, inside, behind, near, between, in front of, beside, on top of, against
Grammar: Using Prepositions
1
Adapted in part from George Yule’s Oxford Practice Grammar. Advanced, Oxford, 2006, pp. 124-137 and
http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/prepositions by Guillaume Filion © 2017, the CAC,
University of Victoria. This copy is solely for the use by a student, staff, or faculty member. Any other use may be
infringement of copyright if done without securing the permission of copyright owners.
Prepositions: The Basics
A preposition is a word or group of words used to link nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence.
Some examples of prepositions are single words like in, at, on, of, to, by and with or phrases such as in front of,
next to, instead of.
Prepositions in English are most frequently dictated by fixed expressions. While there are some general guidelines
to follow, many prepositions are used idiomatically with certain verbs. In these cases, it is best to memorize the
phrase instead of the individual preposition.
A Few Rules for Usage
Although there are hardly any rules as to when to use which preposition, most commonly prepositions define
relationships between nouns and locate words, actions or ideas in a particular time or place. To remember the
role of prepositions, notice that ''position'' appears in the word ''preposition''!
The following tables contain rules for some of the most frequently used prepositions in English:
Prepositions – Time
English
Usage
Example
in
months/seasons
years
time of day
centuries and historical periods
after a certain period of time
in August/in the summer
in 1985
in the evening
in the 19
th
century
Mystic Market closes in two hours.
at
time of days
noon, night, and midnight
names of mealtime
age
at 2:30
at night
at breakfast
I learned how to use a computer at 12.
on
days of the week
on Friday
since
from a period of time up to the present
(when it started)
I have been a student since 2004.
for
how long a period of time has been
I have been a student here for 2 years.
from...to...
the beginning and end of a period of
time
My appointment is from 13:30 to 14:00.
until
a period of time up to a specific point in
time
I cannot go dancing until I finish reading this chapter.
by
in the sense of ''at the latest''
due date
You must return your book by April 21
st
.
My essay is due by the end of the week.
Grammar: Using Prepositions
2
Adapted in part from George Yule’s Oxford Practice Grammar. Advanced, Oxford, 2006, pp. 124-137 and
http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/prepositions by Guillaume Filion © 2017, the CAC,
University of Victoria. This copy is solely for the use by a student, staff, or faculty member. Any other use may be
infringement of copyright if done without securing the permission of copyright owners.
Prepositions – Place (Location and Direction)
English
Usage
Example
in
when something is in a place, it is inside it
(enclosed within limits)
in class/in Victoria
in the book
in the car/in a taxi
You look serious in this photo.
at
located at a specific place (a point)
for events
place where you are to do something
typical (watch a movie, study, work)
at the library
at a concert/at a party
at the cinema/at school/at work
on
being on a surface (not enclosed)
for a certain side (left, right)
for a floor in a building
for public transport
for television, radio
I left the keys on the table.
Go down this hall to the end, turn right, and it's
the third door on your left.
My apartment is on the fourth floor.
I forgot my phone on the bus.
You can hear my brother on the radio.
to
moving toward a specific place (the goal or
end point of movement)
Every morning, I take the bus to campus.
from
for the origin or starting point
I used carrots from my garden.
I received a suspicious email from my bank.
I will be on vacation from July 31 for a week.
towards
movement in direction of something
I suddenly saw a dog running towards me.
across
movement from one side to another
There is a coffee shop across the street.
I swam across the lake.
through
movement from one side to another but
''in something''
I entered the room through an open window.
You have to go through the kitchen to get to the
bathroom.
between
a place ''in the middle'' of two or more
separate people or things
I was standing between my friend and his parents.
The gap between the rich and poor keeps growing.
among
a place ''surrounded'' by more than two
people or things together as a group (in the
sense of ''included in'')
France is among the countries of Western Europe.
Among the advantages of exercising regularly are
lower risks of depression and a better quality of
life.
Grammar: Using Prepositions
3
Adapted in part from George Yule’s Oxford Practice Grammar. Advanced, Oxford, 2006, pp. 124-137 and
http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/prepositions by Guillaume Filion © 2017, the CAC,
University of Victoria. This copy is solely for the use by a student, staff, or faculty member. Any other use may be
infringement of copyright if done without securing the permission of copyright owners.
Prepositions - Connections
English
Usage
Example
of
between two noun phrases to show that the
first belongs to or is part of the second
to say how people are related
The keyboard of my computer is pink.
Richard is the son of Audrey/He is a good friend of
mine.
with
Between two noun phrases when the second is
a particular feature of the first
to say that people or things are together
for the specific thing used to perform an action
I spilled coffee on the computer with a pink keyboard.
I think Sarah is studying with Tara/I went to a workshop
with my friend.
My roommate killed a spider with a book.
by
when we want to describe an action in a more
general way
My roommate saved my live by killing the spider.
Prepositions in Academic Writing
Here are the prepositions most frequently used in academic writing, with some explanations for their use:
English
Usage
Example
about
For topics (in the sense of ''with regard
to/concerned with'')
She was the author of many books about the history of
ancient Egypt.
for
with a purpose/giving a reason (associated with
an action; shortened form of ''for the purpose
of'')
The concept of class is important for understanding
how society works.
Theories about strategies for linking nouns and verbs
from
the origin, cause or agent of something
The meaning is often hard to guess from the individual
words.
in
inclusion, location or position within a time
period or limits
You can see this in works by contemporary authors.
on
the basis for something
Many engineers proceed on the assumption that the
digital age is unique.
of
belonging to, relating to, or connected with
describe a relation/causation
the origin, cause, motive or reason of
something
The results of the investigation are still relevant.
The root of the problem is the absence of any evidence
supporting our thesis.
Henderson discovered that the king died of poisoning
by analyzing blood samples.
by
describe a direct cause or agent
According to folklore, he was killed by strangulation by
the Mad King when he protested the new tax.
