• The Cambridge Dictionary says that a preposition links a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun to another word, such as a verb or another noun.
• The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary explains that prepositions, like “in,” “from,” “to,” and “on,” show place, time, or method when used before a noun or pronoun.
• The Collins Dictionary defines a preposition as a word like “by,” “for,” or “with” that connects a noun group to other parts of the sentence.
• According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a preposition is a word that works with a noun phrase to form a phrase expressing a specific meaning or relationship.

Prepositions are used in sentences for various purposes:

1. Indicating direction, such as “He went to the market.”
2. Referring to time, like “The meeting starts at 10 a.m.”
3. Showing position or location, such as “The book is on the table.”
4. Expressing spatial relationships, like “The cat is under the chair.”
5. Forming prepositional phrases to provide more information, as in “She walked with her friend.”

Prepositions serve various purposes based on their function in sentences. They can be categorized into the following types:

These prepositions indicate when an event or action takes place.

Examples:

• We will meet at 5 p.m.
• The event lasted from morning to evening.
• He called after lunch.
• They stayed indoors until the storm stopped.
• People worked remotely during the lockdown.

These prepositions show where an object or person is located.

Examples:

• The keys are on the shelf.
• She waited behind the building.
• The ball rolled under the car.
• Place the chairs between the tables.
• He stood near the entrance.

These prepositions indicate the movement of an object or person from one point to another.

Examples:

• The boy ran toward the gate.
• She jumped into the pool.
• He handed the notebook to his friend.
• She returned from the trip yesterday.
• They live across the road.

These prepositions indicate the position or placement of something.

Examples:

• He stayed at his uncle’s house for the weekend.
• The shoes are in the cupboard.
• She lay on the sofa for hours.
• They stored the supplies under the stairs.
• He sat beside his brother during dinner.

These prepositions describe movement or position relative to a source or another object.

Examples:

• He leaned against the tree for support.
• The bus stop is opposite the school.
• The cat hid beneath the bed.
• They walked around the park after lunch.
• The bags were placed next to the door.

A prepositional phrase combines a preposition with a noun or pronoun, showing its relationship to another word in the sentence.

Examples:

• Please arrive on time for the meeting.
• The item is currently out of stock.
• Let’s hold the meeting outside the office today.
• Fill in the form before submitting it.
• He completed the task with help from others.

 

Here are some examples that show how prepositions function in sentences:

1. I will visit my friend in the afternoon.
2. She kept the notebook on the desk.
3. Arun found his dog hiding under the table.
4. Will you go with David or Anita?
5. I enjoy walking on the beach at sunrise.
6. John met Emma near the park.
7. Ravi stood opposite the entrance.
8. The coffee shop is located in front of the library.
9. My cousin climbed onto the ladder.
10. It’s relaxing to sit beneath the shade of a tree.

Here is a list of frequently used prepositions to enhance your daily conversations:

S. No.	Preposition	Preposition
1	About	After
2	Above	Against
3	Across	Along
4	Among	Around
5	At	Before
6	Behind	Below
7	Beneath	Beside
8	Between	Beyond
9	By	During
10	For	From
11	In	Inside
12	Into	Near
13	Of	Off
14	On	Over
15	Through	To
16	Under	Until
17	Up	With
18	Without

Here are some important rules for using prepositions effectively:

A preposition should always have an object, and if a verb follows, it must be in the gerund form.
Example:

• Shreya stopped him from making mistakes.

When an interrogative pronoun acts as the object, the preposition is usually placed at the end or beginning of the sentence.
Example:

• What are you talking about?
• About what are you thinking?

When an infinitive (to + verb) is used, the preposition is placed after the infinitive.
Example:

• This park is a nice place to relax at.

When the object is a relative pronoun like “that,” the preposition comes at the end of the sentence.
Example:

• This is the book that I was looking for.

In formal interrogative sentences, the preposition often comes at the beginning.
Example:

• By what means did he travel?

English has many prepositions, and their usage can often lead to confusion. Below is an explanation of some commonly confused prepositions: “In,” “On,” and “At”, along with how they are used to describe place and time.

Preposition	Usage	Examples
In	Refers to general locations like neighborhoods, cities, countries, or places with boundaries.	– I live in Canada. – They are staying in a hotel.
On	Refers to specific locations like streets, surfaces, islands, or large vehicles.	– The keys are on the table. – They live on 5th Avenue.
At	Refers to very specific locations or points.	– She is at the station. – We are at the entrance.

Preposition	Usage	Examples
In	Refers to general time periods like months, years, centuries, or parts of the day.	– He was born in July. – Technology advanced in the 21st century.
On	Refers to specific days, dates, or holidays with the word “day.”	– The festival is on Sunday. – We celebrate on New Year’s Day.
At	Refers to specific times, specific times of day, or holidays without “day.”	– We’ll meet at 5 p.m. – I slept late at night.