List of Prepositions With Examples

Prepositions are an important part of a sentence & it is a link that tells us the relationship between two words or phrases within a sentence. In the English language, while speaking or writing, lots of prepositions are used in our sentences. In English, a certain set of prepositions are used quite often. Knowing the meaning of prepositions & why they are used in a sentence, is quite important.

Table of Content

  • About Preposition
  • Prepositions List
  • Preposition List A-Z
  • List of Prepositions of Time
  • Prepositions List of Place
  • Prepositions List of Movement
  • Prepositions List of Manner
  • List of Prepositional Phrases

About Preposition

Prepositions are the parts of speech that at times can be very confusing. A noun’s time, location, direction, etc. are denoted by prepositions which are short words. A preposition is a link that tells us the relationship between 2 words or phrases within a sentence.

Example: “The child is sitting on the sofa.” The preposition in this sentence is on. They tell us how something is linked to the other, and what their relation is. The child isn’t under the sofa, for example: She’s on it.

  • They can be abstract at times. For & to are both prepositions, as is despite. Sometimes, it seems like prepositions are miscellaneous words that don’t fit anywhere else. But prepositions are in reality, just rules. Having examples makes us understand what prepositions are.
  • There are also prepositions which have the same meaning. This makes it difficult to use such prepositions unless we have a very good command over them. Example: When to use the preposition on & when to use the preposition in.
  • Another set of prepositions that are commonly mistaken are: At & to
  • Certain rules are there which help us remember how & when to use a set of prepositions. While studying propositions, one thing that you’ll hear people saying is that one shouldn’t end a sentence with a preposition. This is not entirely true.
  • We can end a sentence with a preposition, as long as it’s not just an extra word that isn’t needed. Example: “Where is the doctor at ?” does not need that last word, which happens to be a preposition. It should be removed. These are the only types of prepositions to be careful for, at the end of sentences.

Prepositions List

In English language, there are many prepositions which are used. A list will be given of the ones that we are most likely to use in a sentence. This list contains one-word prepositions as well as complex prepositions. Complex prepositions are when more than one word works together as a preposition. It is not the same as a prepositional phrase, which is a phrase starting with a preposition but ends with a noun.

Depending on how prepositions are used, some prepositions can function in multiple categories. They will appear in more than one list. Some of these words also fit into other speech categories, especially adverbs & conjunctions.

Preposition List A-Z

  • A
    • About
    • Above
    • Across
    • After
    • Against
    • Along
    • Among
    • Around
    • As
    • At
  • B
    • Before
    • Behind
    • Below
    • Beneath
    • Beside
    • Between
    • Beyond
    • By
  • C
    • Concerning
    • Considering
  • D
    • Despite
    • Down
    • During
  • E
    • Except
    • Excluding
  • F
    • For
    • From
  • I
    • In
    • Inside
    • Into
  • L
    • Like
  • N
    • Near
  • O
    • Of
    • Off
    • On
    • Onto
    • Out
    • Outside
    • Over
  • P
    • Past
    • Per
    • Plus
  • R
    • Regarding
    • Round
  • S
    • Since
  • T
    • Through
    • Throughout
    • Till
    • To
    • Toward
  • U
    • Under
    • Underneath
    • Until
    • Up
    • Upon
  • V
    • Versus
    • Via
  • W
    • With
    • Within
    • Without

List of Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of Time are used to denote when a particular action takes place.

Prepositions of Time

Example of the Prepositions of Time used in a Sentence

1. About

a. I was about to watch this movie.

b. She likes talking about movies.

2. As long as

a. As long as she has food, she is happy.

b. I’ll remember them as long as I live.

3. As soon as

a. As soon as I said it, I regretted it.

b. As soon as the situation improves, they will be free to go.

4. At

a. I looked at my child.

b. We are at war.

5. Around

a. I’ll be around if you need me.

b. We sat around the tree.

6. Ago

a. Long time ago, a river was here.

b. That was long ago.

7. After

a. Brush your teeth, after dinner.

b. Go for a walk after having dinner.

8. By

a. It’s OK by me.

b. I drove by our school.

9. Before

a. I was there the week before last.

b. It wasn’t long before I dozed off.

10. During

a. During COVID, there was a lot of uncertainty.

b. He worked during this time.

11. For

a. I’m going for a run.

b. She works for a bank.

12. From

a. Who’s it from?

b. She leapt from her bed.

13. Gone

a. All the food’s gone.

b. My car has gone.

14. In

a. Say it in Chinese.

b. The cat run in.

15. On

a. The gas is on.

b. The lights are on.

16. Past

a. In the past, I used to overthink.

b. We drove past the school.

17. Prior

a. She has a prior engagement this evening.

b. You must not arrive without prior notice.

18. Later

a. He left for Canada, 2 years later.

b. I’ll see you later.

19. Since

a. I’ve felt better since I’ve been here.

b. It’s been 4 years since we last met.

20. Until/till

a. We’ll stay here until she comes back.

b. That went fine until they opened the till to pull out the cash.

Prepositions List of Place

Prepositions of Place are ones that tell where one thing is in space compared to another.

Prepositions of Place

Example of the Prepositions of Place used in a Sentence

1. Above

a. There’s a mirror above the sink.

b. Her name comes above mine on the list.

2. Across

a. We took a ferry across the river. 

b. She reached across the table to shake his hand. 

3. Against

a. They took precautions against fire.

b. The rain beat against the windows.

4. At

a. My parents are at home.

b. I’m at work.

5. By

a. Will you stop by for a minute?

b. Did you go to the cupcake shop by the park?

6. Beneath

a.  We had a picnic beneath a large tree.

b. The paper was hidden beneath a pile of books.

7. Beyond

a. The parking area is just beyond those trees.

b. Our land extends beyond the fence to those trees.

8. Far

a. She got tired, after walking so far.

b. The dog wandered far from home.

9. Inside

a. Come inside.

b. How to go inside?

10. In

a. The clothes are in the suitcase.

b. My birthday is in March.

11. Into

a. She crashed into a tree.

b. Pour the milk into a bowl.

12. Near

a. Is there a hospital near by?

b. I was near to tears.

13. Next to

a. Her house is next to ours.

b. There’s a shop next to the hotel.

14. Out

a. They have gone out.

b. Have you gone out?

15. Round

a. They sat round the table.

b. The third round has started.

16. Outside

a. We moved outside for some fresh air.

b. There’s a cat outside.

17. Over

a. Get over him.

b. It seems we are over the worst of the storms.

18. Under

a. They hid under the table.

b. What’s under the bed?

19. With

a. Leave it with me.

b. I was down with fever.

20. Towards

a. She turned towards me.

b. She was warm & tender towards her.

Prepositions List of Movement

Prepositions of Movement (also known as prepositions of direction) tell how something moves in relation to another thing. Many of these are also prepositions of place. While Prepositions of place tell where something is, Prepositions of movement tell how something is moving.

Prepositions of Movement

Example of Prepositions of Movement used in a Sentence

1. Ahead

a. Get ahead of the white horse.

b. Just ahead of you, you’ll see a bus stop. 

2. Amid

a. He himself was perfectly calm amid the danger, though his followers were filled with alarm.

b. The firm collapsed amid allegations of fraud.

3. Along

a. Along the road means following the route of the road. 

b. We went for a walk along the beach at twilight.

4. Above

a. He waved the letter excitedly above his head.

b. The apartments are above a row of stores. 

5. Away

a. As they drove away from the school, they felt sad.

b. As he drove away from her house, he felt sad.

6. Below

a. There’s a shop below this clinic.

b. Don’t go below the belt.

7. Behind

a. Someone is walking behind me.

b. There is a cockroach behind my bag.

8. Beneath

a. The metro station is right beneath the airport. 

b. She could feel the train coming because the ground beneath her feet was moving.

9. By means of

a. We plan to pay for medical school by means of a second mortgage.

b. He’ll succeed by means of sheer persistence.

10. Down

a. They ran down the hill to the stream below.

b. He climbed down the ladder to the bottom of the well.

11. Past

a. Their car drove past us.

b. They saw someone running away from the school, past a car & towards the road.

12. Up

a. Don’t go up.

b. My grandparents live just up the road.

13. Off

a. Please take your papers off my desk.

b. I have to get off the bus at the next stop.

14. Via

a. Let us go via this route.

b. We flew home via Durban.

Prepositions List of Manner

Prepositions of Manner (also known as prepositions of agency or prepositions of instrument) tell us how something is done. This category also includes many legal phrases & whether or not people are includes or excluded.

Prepositions of Manner

Example of Prepositions of Manner used in a Sentence

1. According to

a.  I cooked the meal according to the directions on the box.

b. She always did everything according to the rules.

2. As

a. He was angry, but she was just as angry.

b. She spilled the milk just as she was getting up.

3. As per

a. As per the manager’s order, you are fired.

b. As per yesterday a lot of them must be in the bar.

4. As well as

a. There is his daughter as well as his sister. 

b. She thinks I did wrong by her mother as well as by her.

5. By

a. The bus went right by him without stopping.

b. They have a house by the lake.

6. Besides

a. Besides its famous cakes, the bakery also makes delicious breads & cookies.

b. These salads are delicious besides being healthy.

7. But

a. She bought him a shirt, but he hated the colour.

b. I can’t walk fast, but I can walk for a long time.

8. Considering

a. Considering the weather, we got here pretty quickly.

b. He exhibited great self-control considering her rudeness.

9. Concerning

a. The hearing is concerning itself with two ‘test’ cases.

b. I find many of the comments very concerning.

10. Contrary to

a. Contrary to what you might think, neither man was offended.

b. Contrary to popular belief, moderate exercise actually decreases your appetite.

11. Despite

a. Trains are still running, despite the snow.

b. She was able to lead a normal life, despite the illness.

12. Due to

a. She had five days off work due to illness.

b. The traffic jam was due to a terrible accident at the intersection.

13. Depending on

a. I tend to have a different answer, depending on the situation.

b. People in the rest of the country celebrated independence even later, depending on when the news of Congress’s action reached them.

14. Except

a. Everyone came except her.

b. She likes everyone except him.

15. Excluding

a. Consumer prices, excluding those for food and energy, rose 2.4 per cent.

b. Excluding water, half of the body’s weight is protein.

16. Less

a. We made it there in less than six hours.

b. She finished in less time than I did.

17. Like

a. I like her.

b. She looks like Jennifer.

18. Per

a. He averages 15 points per game.

b. The speed limit is 35 miles per hour.

19. With

a. I will come along with him.

b. Have ice-cream with chocolate sauce.

20. Worth

a. I think it’s worth publicizing.

b. That was worth the wait.

List of Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition & ends with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase (this noun, pronoun, or noun phrase is the object of the preposition).

Above the Clouds

For the Party

Across the Street

From the Airport

Against the Wall

In the Middle

Around the Corner

In the Car

At the Store

In Front of the Mirror

Across the Ocean

In the Morning

After the Movie

Near the Park

Along the Road

Off the Grid

At the Office

On Top of the World

Before the Concert

On the Phone

Behind the Scenes

On the Way

Beneath the Surface

Outside the Country

Between the Houses

Over the Rainbow

By the Ocean

Through the Woods

Because of the Rain

To the Beach

Behind the Curtains

Under the Radar

Below the Surface

Up the Stairs

Beside the River

Within the City

Beyond the Horizon

With My Friends

By the Window

Without My Phone

Down the Hill

Towards the Future

During the Day

Throughout the Night

Past the Bridge

Over the Moon

In the Morning

On the Table

Conclusion

Prepositions are an important part of a sentence & it is a link which tells us the relationship between two words or phrases within a sentence. Complex prepositions are when more than one word works together as a preposition. It is not the same as a prepositional phrase, which is a phrase starting with a preposition but ends with a noun. Depending on how prepositions are used, some prepositions can function in multiple categories. They will appear in more than one list. A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition & ends with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase (this noun, pronoun, or noun phrase is the object of the preposition).

List of Prepositions- FAQs

What is a Preposition?

Prepositions are an important part of a sentence & it is a link which tells us the relationship between two words or phrases within a sentence.

What are the 5 main prepositions?

The 5 main prepositions are in, on, at, to & from. “In,” “on,” and “at” are often used to express location or time, while “to” & “from” indicate direction or movement.

How does ‘Preposition of Place’ differ from ‘Preposition of Movement’?

Prepositions of Place are ones that tell where one thing is in space compared to another. Prepositions of Movement (also known as prepositions of direction) tell how something moves in relation to another thing. Prepositions of place tell where something is, Prepositions of movement tell how something is moving.

What are some preposition words?

Common preposition words in English include words like “in,” “on,” “at,” “to,” “from,” “with,” “about,” “above,” “below,” “beside,” “over,” “under,” “around” & “through.”

Define ‘preposition of time’.

Prepositions of Time are used to denote when a particular action takes place. Example: I’ll remember them as long as I live. In this sentence, the preposition of time ‘as long as’ speaks about the amount of time the person will remember someone. Thus, here ‘as long as’ denotes the action which is remembering.