Grammar: Using Prepositions

Adapted in part from George Yule’s Oxford Practice Grammar. Advanced, Oxford, 2006, pp. 124-137 and

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



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

century



Mystic Market closes in two hours.



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.



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.



in the sense of ''at the latest''



due date



You must return your book by April 21



My essay is due by the end of the week.

Grammar: Using Prepositions

Adapted in part from George Yule’s Oxford Practice Grammar. Advanced, Oxford, 2006, pp. 124-137 and

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



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.



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



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.



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

Adapted in part from George Yule’s Oxford Practice Grammar. Advanced, Oxford, 2006, pp. 124-137 and

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



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.



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.



inclusion, location or position within a time

period or limits



You can see this in works by contemporary authors.



the basis for something



Many engineers proceed on the assumption that the

digital age is unique.



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.



describe a direct cause or agent



According to folklore, he was killed by strangulation by

the Mad King when he protested the new tax.

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