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Types of Preposition

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to other words in a sentence. It connects the noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence, indicating relationships such as time, place, direction, agency, or instrument.

Examples: on, in, of, to, at, by, for, with, under, above, into, onto, upon, about, behind, besides, before, after, towards, inside, outside, below, around.

Prepositions are classified into six main types:

  • Prepositions for Time
  • Prepositions for Place
  • Prepositions for Direction
  • Prepositions for Agency
  • Prepositions for Instruments
  • Prepositional Verb

  Preposition for Time (e.g. at, on, in)


These prepositions are used to refer to time in the following ways. e.g. at, on, in. They indicate the relationship between actions or events and points in time.

Prepositions Time Nature

In

1. Month or Year 
e.g., in March, in July, in 2019, in 2015.

2. A particular time of a day or month or year
e.g., in the evening, in the morning, in the 3rd week of April, in winter, in summer.

3. A century or a specific time in past or future etc.
e.g., in the 20th century, in the early days, in the stone age, in the ancient times, in future, in past.

On

1. A Day 
e.g., on Sunday, on Friday.

2. Dates
e.g., on 8th February, on February 8, on the 8th of February, on 15th April 2018.

3. Particular days
e.g., on my birthday, on Independence Day, on the first day, on the last day.

At

1. Time of a clock
e.g., at 3 O’clock, at 4 PM.

2. Short & precise times 
e.g., at night, at sunset, at noon, at lunchtime, at the moment, at bedtime.

Examples.

  • She was born in 1998.
  • His father died in a car accident in 2018.
  • I was very happy on the first day of my job.
  • It is quite hot here in summer.
  • The shop closes at 10 PM.
  • The meeting was held on 15th February 2021.
  • I will meet him on Monday.
  • He gets up early in the morning.

  Prepositions for Place  (e.g. on, at, in)


These prepositions are used for different types of places. e.g., on, at, in.

  • In: Used for enclosed spaces or places with physical or virtual boundaries.
  • On: Used for surfaces.
  • At: Used for specific points or locations.
Prepositions Nature of the Places

In

Place having some (physical or virtual) boundary
Examples:.
In a hall
In a school
In the building
In the box
In the car
In a library
In a garden
In England
In a room
In a cupboard

On

Surfaces of things. 
Examples:
On the table
On the blackboard 
On the page
On a wall
On a roof
On the map

At

Specific Places:
Examples:
At bus stop
At the entrance
At the door.
At the bottom of the glass
At the edge of the roof

Examples:

  • They live in England.
  • The kids were playing in the room.
  • There is a book on the table.
  • She was drawing a map on the wall.
  • I met him at the bus stop.
  • She waited for her kids at the gate of the school.
  • The cat is sleeping under the table.

  Prepositions for Direction (e.g. into, to, through, towards)

These prepositions indicate the direction of something. They show movement and the relationship of a moving entity to its destination.

  • To: Indicates places which are generally the endpoint of movement.
  • Towards/Toward: Emphasizes direction; the endpoint may or may not have been reached.
  • Into: Indicates movement that ends inside something.

Examples:

  • They are going to the library.
  • He will go to London.
  • The snake was coming towards him.
  • They started their journey towards the border.
  • He threw a ball into the river.
  • Please come into the house.
  • She threw the letter into the fire.

  Prepositions for Agency (e.g. by, with)

These prepositions are used to express a causal relationship between the noun (doer or acter) and an action. e.g., by, with, etc. They are commonly used in the passive voice.

Examples:

  • This book is written by John Keats.
  • A lot of noise was made by the kids.
  • Some schools have been made by the government.

  Prepositions for Instrument, Devices, or Machines

The prepositions are used for joining nouns (instruments, devices, machines, etc.) and other words in a sentence. e.g., on, by, with the help of, etc.

Examples.

  • He goes to college by bus.
  • They opened the lock with a key.
  • This car runs on diesel.
  • He broke the glass with a hammer.
  • We washed the car with the help of a water pipe.


Click here to read "Prepositional Verb"


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