Use of Preposition in English Language (Grammar)

 

📘 What is a Preposition in English Grammar?

Definition:

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence.

Main Types of Prepositions:

1. Prepositions of Place/Position

👉 They show the location or position of something.

Examples:

• in, on, at, under, over, between, behind, in front of, next to, beside

Sentences:

1. in – The books are in the bag.
2. on – The pen is on the table.
3. at – She is at the bus stop.
4. under – The shoes are under the bed.
5. over – The bird is flying over the house.
6. between – The ball is between the two boxes.
7. behind – The dog is behind the door.
8. in front of – He is standing in front of the school.
9. next to – The shop is next to the bank.
10. beside – She is sitting beside her mother..

2. Prepositions of Time

👉 They indicate when something happens.

Examples:

• at, on, in, before, after, since, for, during, until

Sentences:

1. at – I sleep at 10 p.m.
2. on – We have a holiday on Monday.
3. in – My birthday is in June.
4. before – I brush my teeth before breakfast.
5. after – We go to school after 7 a.m.
6. since – She has lived here since 2015.
7. for – I stayed there for two hours.
8. during – They laughed during the movie.
9. until – I will wait until you come.

3. Prepositions of Direction/Movement

👉 They show movement from one place to another.

Examples:

• to, into, onto, out of, off, over, through, across

Sentences:

1. to – I go to school every day.
2. into – She goes into the room quietly.
3. onto – The cat jumps onto the bed.
4. out of – He came out of the house.
5. off – The boy fell off the chair.
6. over – The bird flew over the tree.
7. through – We walked through the forest.
8. across – She ran across the road.

4. Prepositions of Purpose, Reason, Cause

👉 They explain why something happens.

Examples:

• for, because of, due to, out of

Sentences:

1. for – I made a card for my teacher.

(Used to show purpose or benefit)

2. because of – We stayed inside because of the rain.

(Used to show the reason something happened)

3. due to – The match was cancelled due to heavy rain.

(Formal reason, similar to “because of”)

4. out of – He shouted out of fear.

(Shows emotion or motivation behind an action)

5. Prepositions of Manner, Instrument, or Agent

👉 These show how something happens or by what means.

Examples:

• by, with, like, without

Sentences:

1. by – The book was written by my sister.
2. with – He cuts paper with scissors.
3. like – She sings like a star.
4. without – He went to school without his bag.

6. Prepositions of Comparison/Concession

👉 These express contrast, comparison, or unexpected results.

Examples:

• like, unlike, as...as, than, despite, although

Sentences:

1. like – She swims like a fish.

(Shows similarity)

2. unlike – Unlike her brother, she is quiet.

(Shows contrast or difference)

3. as...as – He is as tall as his father.

(Used for equal comparison)

4. than – This bag is heavier than that one.

(Used for comparing differences)

5. despite – Despite the rain, we went out.

(Shows contrast – action happened even though there was a problem)

6. although – Although he was tired, he finished the work.

(Shows contrast between two ideas in one sentence)

7. Prepositions of Condition

👉 These introduce a condition.

Examples:

• in case of, in the event of, under, unless

Sentences:

1. in case of – In case of fire, use the stairs.

(Means “if something happens,” often used in safety instructions.)

2. in the event of – In the event of rain, the match will be cancelled.

(Formal way of saying “if something happens.”)

3. under – The cat is sleeping under the table.

(Shows position below something.)

4. unless – I won’t go unless you come with me.

(Means “if not.”)