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 3. A century or a specific time in past or future etc. |
| On | 1. A Day e.g., on Sunday, on Friday. 2. Dates 3. Particular days |
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.
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