Prepositions and prepositional phrases
| Prepositions are words that show a connection between other words. Most prepositions are little words like at, in and on. Prepositional phrases are groups of words, such as out of and on top of. |
Preposition or Adverb ?
Some words can be used either as prepositions or as adverbs. If the word is followed by a noun or a pronoun, it is a preposition.
Look at these pairs of examples. In each of the sentences marked preposition, there is a noun or pronoun after the preposition. This noun or pronoun is called the object of the preposition. Notice that objects are printed in color.
She put her hand inside my bag.
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Preposition noun
It was raining, so they decided to stay inside.
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Adverb
His friends walked past him without speaking.
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Preposition pronoun
A car drove past at high speed.
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Adverb
Prepositions of Place
Some prepositions show where something happens. They are called prepositions of place.
Sally was sitting under a tree.
There’s a wooden floor underneath the carpet.
Some geese flew over their house.
John and Sarah were hiding inside the wardrobe.
There was a tree beside the river.
I have a friend who lives in Wyoming.
A big truck parked in front of their car.
The cat jumped on top of the cupboard.
One girl sits in the middle of the playground and the others dance round her.
Prepositions of Time
Some prepositions show when something happens. They are called prepositions of time.
School starts at nine o’clock.
I brush my teeth in the morning and at night.
We’re going to the zoo on Saturday.
No, you can’t watch a video. It’s past your bedtime already.
I visited my grandparents during the summer.
You must finish the work by Friday.
I’ll do my homework before dinner.
“Mom, can you help me with my homework?” “Not now. You’ll have to wait until this afternoon.”
Prepositions of Direction
Some prepositions show where something is going. They are called prepositions of direction.
The boys chased after each other.
The football rolled down the hill.
A man was walking his dog along the riverbank.
The freeway goes right through the city.
We were travelling towards Miami.
A girl went past them on a bike.
This road leads away from the stadium.
They watched the train pull out of the station.
Prepositions with Special Uses
Many prepositions are used in other ways. Here are some of them.
of
I bought a bag of rice and a quart of milk.
Would you like a glass of orange juice?
Kathleen is a member of the chess club.
I need three pieces of paper.
Most of the children in my class like school.
There are several ways of cooking meat
for
I made this bookmark for Mom.
Is there room for me on this seat?
I’d like a new computer for Christmas.
We’re going downtown for a meeting.
What’s this bag for?
This word is too difficult for me to spell.
with
He pounds nails in with a hammer.
Mix the flour with water.
She painted the picture with her new paints.
Would you like to come with us to the arcade?
I can do difficult problems with help from Mom.
Who is the man with the beard?
Michael came home with dirty hands.
Cross the busy street with care.
except and instead of
I like all kinds of food except pasta.
Everyone likes chocolate except Tom.
We go to school every day except Saturday and Sunday.
You should eat fruit instead of candy.
Dad is coming to the theater with us instead of Mom.
We could watch TV instead of reading our books.
like, as and then
The words like, as and then are used to compare things.
Kathleen looks like her dad.
Andrew smiles like his mother.
Peter sings like a professional singer.
Are these shoes the same as those?
Sue is nearly as tall as the teacher.
My backpack is bigger than John’s.
Dad is taller than all of us.
This painting is more beautiful than that one.
The neighborhood streets are less busy than downtown streets.
Prepositions with Adjectives, Verbs or Nouns
Prepositions are used with some adjectives. The adjectives in these examples are printed in color and the prepositions are bold.
Dad was angry with us.
We were afraid of the big dog.
She’s not very interested in sports.
John is very good at drawing.
Prepositions are used with some verbs. The verbs in these examples are printed in color and the prepositions are bold.
I’m looking for my pencil. Have you seen it?
Can you think of another word for ‘pleased’?
Does this book belong to you?
We’re listening to CDs.
Prepositions are used with some nouns. The nouns in these examples are printed in color and the prepositions are in bold.
What’s the answer to this question?
Is there a reason for this delay?
What’s the matter with you?
Here’s an example of good behavior.
Congratulations on winning the competition!
Traffic can cause damage to the environment.