Prepositions

Introduction to Prepositions

Prepositions are words that join a noun, a pronoun or a group of words acting as a noun
with another part of a sentence. A preposition should always have at least one
object (noun, pronoun or a group of words acting as a noun). This is the object that it
joins with the rest of the sentence.

For example:

Reema’s house is located near the temple.

(Here, ‘near’ is a preposition that connects the noun ‘the temple’ with the rest of the
sentence. ‘The temple’ is the object of the preposition, i.e., the prepositional object.)

[Remember: A preposition will always have an object.]

Purpose of Prepositions

What does a preposition do?

A preposition shows the relation between its object and the part of a sentence with
which it joins the object. Consider the following examples to understand the different
relations shown by a preposition.

Nalini will return on Monday.

Here, ‘on’ is the preposition that connects ‘Monday’ with the rest of the
sentence. ‘Monday’ is the prepositional object.

Without the preposition, the sentence would look as follows:

Nalini will return _______ Monday.

Very clearly, ‘Monday’ has to be linked in some manner with ‘Nalini will return’.
When ‘on’ is added to the empty space, one gets to know WHEN Nalini will
return. She will return ON Monday. Hence, in this sentence, the preposition
indicates TIME.

Kapil is waiting in the park.

Here, ‘in’ is the preposition that connects ‘the park’ with the rest of the
sentence. ‘The park’ is the prepositional object.

Without the preposition, the sentence would look as follows:

Kapil is waiting _______ the park.

Very clearly, ‘the park’ has to be linked in some manner with ‘Kapil is waiting’.
When ‘in’ is added in the empty space, one gets to know WHERE Kapil is
waiting. He is waiting IN the park. Hence, in this sentence, the preposition
indicates PLACE.

Unni is going toward Raju’s house.

Here, ‘toward’ is the preposition that connects ‘Raju’s house’ with the rest of the
sentence. ‘Raju’s house’ is the prepositional object.

Without the preposition, the sentence would look as follows:

Unni is going _______ Raju’s house.

Very clearly, ‘Raju’s house’ has to be linked in some manner with ‘Unni is going’.
When ‘toward’ is added to the empty space, one gets to know WHERE Unni is
going. He is going TOWARD Raju’s house. Hence, in this sentence, the
preposition indicates MOVEMENT.
One should not learn things by rote.

Here, ‘by’ is the preposition that connects ‘rote’ with the rest of the
sentence. ‘Rote’ is the prepositional object.

Without the preposition, the sentence would look as follows:

One should not learn things ______ rote.

Very clearly, ‘rote’ has to be linked in some manner with ‘one should not learn
things’. When ‘by’ is added to the empty space, one gets to know HOW not to
learn things. Things should not be learnt BY rote. Hence, in this sentence, the
preposition indicates MANNER.

Yudhishtir went to Darjeeling for a vacation.

Here, ‘for’ is the preposition that connects ‘a vacation’ with the rest of the
sentence. ‘A vacation’ is the prepositional object.

Without the preposition, the sentence would look as follows:

Yudhishtir went to Darjeeling _____ a vacation.

Very clearly, ‘a vacation’ has to be linked in some manner with ‘Yudhishtir went to
Darjeeling’. When ‘for’ is added to the empty space, one gets to
know WHY Yudhishtir went to Darjeeling. He went there FOR a vacation. Hence,
in this sentence, the preposition indicates PURPOSE.

A leg of the round table is broken.

Here, ‘of’ is the preposition that connects ‘a leg’ with ‘the round table’. ‘The round
table’ is the prepositional object.

Without the preposition, the sentence would look as follows:

A leg _____ the round table is broken.

Very clearly, ‘a leg’ has to be linked in some manner with ‘the round table’. When ‘of’
is added to the empty space, it becomes clear that one of the legs OF ‘the round
table’ is broken. Hence, in this sentence, the preposition indicates POSSESSION.

Gagan Joseph’s new song is just like the one Tony Martini had composed for the
movie ‘A September Evening’.

Here, ‘like’ is the preposition that connects ‘Gagan Joseph’s new song’ with ‘the one
Tony Martini had composed’. ‘The one’ is the prepositional object.

Without the preposition, the sentence would look as follows:

Gagan Joseph’s new song is just ______ the one Tony Martini had composed for the
movie ‘A September Evening’.

Very clearly, ‘Gagan Joseph’s new song’ has to be linked in some manner with ‘the
one Tony Martini had composed’. When ‘like’ is added to the empty space, it
becomes clear that the new song composed by Gagan Joseph is very
much LIKE the one composed by Tony Martini for the movie ‘A September
Evening’. Hence, in this sentence, the preposition
indicates SIMILARITY/COMPARISON.

The toy was given to the little boy by his parents.

Here, ‘by’ is the preposition that connects ‘the toy given to the little boy’ with ‘his
parents’. ‘His parents’ is the prepositional object.

Without the preposition, the sentence would look as follows:

The toy was given to the little boy _____ his parents.

Very clearly, ‘the toy given to the little boy’ has to be linked in some manner with ‘his
parents’. When ‘by’ is added to the empty space, it becomes clear as to WHO gave
the toy to the little boy. It was given to him BY his parents. Hence, in this
sentence, the preposition indicates SOURCE/AGENCY.

The Preposition AT

AT Indicating PRICE
The apples are being sold at twenty rupees per kilogram.

AT Indicating MANNER

Shashi was running at top speed to escape the ghost in the white dress.

AT Indicating DIRECTION

Ghosh was shouting at Mithun for throwing away his wicket after getting a start.

The journalist threw the shoe at the minister.

AT Indicating PLACE/POSITION/LOCATION

You will find the marriage party at the end of this road.

Dinesh is usually found at the Hanuman temple on Tuesdays.

Mr. Jones will be staying at the Traveller’s Paradise hotel for the next three days.

Joginder was an all-rounder at school and college.

Regular study is at the top of my New Year resolution list.

If you want any movies, then you can call Rubina. She works at the video store.

You can find me at the Sahitya Academy Library.

The sun is at the centre of the solar system.

I saw Disha at Jini’s birthday party.

Only one issue of importance was discussed at the meeting yesterday.

[Remember: Use ‘at’ with the name of a place when you think of it as a
point.]

AT Indicating TIME

Dharam woke up at 3:00 A.M. to go to the airport.

The postman brings the daily mail at two in the afternoon.

Zeeshan and Anil like studying at night.

Rohan got up at sunrise and jogged from his house to the National Stadium.

Mr. Subramaniam is busy at the moment. Please call after half an hour.
The Preposition IN

IN Indicating TIME

I will see Harsh at this same place in five minutes.

Roshan’s cousins will be coming to Delhi in July.

Zafar’s last movie had released in the year 2000.

The young and educated of India were leaving for foreign shores in the 1990s.

Gini has won several awards in the past.

India was a colonised state in the nineteenth century.

Patel decided that he will trim the bushes in the morning.

IN Indicating PLACE/POSITION/LOCATION

Jonathan will meet me in the afternoon at the Tarana restaurant.

Yash has been in the publishing industry for the last five years.

The star was shining brightly in the sky.

The children have been playing in the field all day long.

The lawyer was sitting in the chair, waiting for his client.

The A4-sized sheets are in the lower drawer.

Johnny lives in a three room apartment all by himself.

Meena has been living in this building for years.

I was in the lift when the power went off.

Gayatri has been living in China for three years.

Ramesh was born in Thrissur.

Rosie’s name is mentioned in the latest issue of Business Everyday.

I read an article in yesterday’s paper about how to perfect your English.

[Remember: Use ‘in’ with the name of a place when you think of it as an
area.]

IN Indicating a SPECIFIC VEHICLE

All Chintamani wants to do is sit in a boat and fish all day long.
The suspect is hiding in the red Mercedes.

[Remember: Use ‘in’ when you mean a specific/particular car, taxi, lorry, van
or ambulance.]

The Preposition ON

ON Indicating SUBJECT/TOPIC

Chandu’s latest novel is based on Gandhi’s

life.

ON Indicating PLACE/POSITION/LOCATION

Everybody laughed when Ranbir fell on the floor.

The umbrella is lying on the table.

The address was written on a piece of red-coloured paper.

There are absolutely no fruits on this tree.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Siddhant told me that he lives on the fourth floor of this building.

My grandparents live on a poultry farm.

Jack saw some pirates hiding on the ship.

[Remember: Use ‘on’ with the name of a place when you think of it as a
surface.]
ON Indicating MANNER

They went to the temple on foot.

ON Indicating a SPECIFIC VEHICLE

The police were searching for an escaped convict on the bus.

I was sitting on a bicycle, while she was sitting in a car.

[Remember: Use ‘on’ when you mean a specific/particular bicycle,

bus, train, ship or plane.]

ON Indicating TV and RADIO

I saw Naina on the television last night.

The fishermen had heard the warning about the storm on the radio.

ON Indicating TIME
I forgot to thank Deepa at the party on Friday.

I found this magic wand beside the lake of truth on a Wednesday evening.

I had great fun on my birthday.

We will be in Goa on the first day of the coming New Year.

I will miss the flag hoisting ceremony on the Republic Day.

Other Common Prepositions 1

ABOUT

(ABOUT Indicating APPROXIMATION)

The house that Mr. Biswas has bought is about twenty years old.

(ABOUT Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The boys were standing about the house waiting for Rohan to come out.

(ABOUT Indicating MOVEMENT)

The horse is walking about the city looking for its master.

(ABOUT Indicating SUBJECT/TOPIC)

I overheard some people talking about Karan.

The book was about India’s long struggle for independence.

ABOVE

(ABOVE Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The painting was hung above the fireplace when I last saw it.
(ABOVE Indicating MEASUREMENT)

His IQ is well above the average IQ of the children belonging to his age group.

ACROSS

(ACROSS Indicating DIRECTION)

The wizard jumped across the wide river with the help of his magic shoes.

There is a little problem with the bridge across the river.

(ACROSS Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

I saw Revathi standing near the tea shop across the road.

(ACROSS Indicating EXTENT)

All across the country people are celebrating India’s victory.

AFTER

(AFTER Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

On the roll number list, my name comes after Mayank’s.

(AFTER Indicating TIME)

Pulkit has told me to tell you that he will be home after ten.

The priest ate his food some time after his cat had drunk its milk.

(AFTER Indicating DIRECTION)

The gardener broke his slippers running after the children.

AGAINST
(AGAINST Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

Yashika is talking on her phone, leaning against the window of her bedroom.

(AGAINST Indicating OPPOSITION)

Tulika will play against Manisha in the finals of the school tennis championship.

Urvashi wants to shift to Kottayam. Her brother is against this idea.

ALONG

(ALONG Indicating MOVEMENT)

In the torchlight, I saw my grandfather coming along the muddy path.

The children ran along the road to greet their cousins.

AMONG

(AMONG Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The cat was among the pigeons and still the birds were not scared.

(AMONG Indicating a GROUP)

The monkeys were fighting among themselves when the turtle came.

The old man wanted to divide his property equally among his five children.

AROUND
(AROUND Indicating APPROXIMATION)

The foundation for the building was laid around 1910.

(AROUND Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The children sat around the strange man and waited for him to speak.

(AROUND Indicating MOVEMENT)

The players were jumping around their coach in celebration of their win.

Other Common Prepositions 2

BEFORE

(BEFORE Indicating TIME)

The boss ordered Ramlal to finish the work before five o’clock.

Girish always comes to the office half an hour before his colleagues.

The thieves escaped through the window well before the alarm was raised.

(BEFORE Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

I couldn’t see a single thing as you sat before me.

BEHIND

(BEHIND Indicating TIME)

The flight is six hours behind its scheduled arrival.

(BEHIND Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

Murali was standing behind the door, waiting for Raghu to come
in.

BELOW

(BELOW Indicating AGE)

Children below five years are not allowed.

(BELOW Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

They are below the mountain. We can easily see them from here.

BENEATH

(BENEATH Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

To tell the truth was beneath his idea of morality.

Chandran was standing beneath Rupa’s window when the bee stung
him.

BESIDE

(BESIDE Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The car was parked beside the coconut tree.

(BESIDE Indicating COMPARISON)

The monkey looks more human beside you.

BESIDES
(BESIDES Indicating EXCEPTION)

There was no one else in the room besides Dinakaran.

(BESIDES Indicating IN ADDITION TO)

Besides you and me, Vikram also has a blue

Mercedes.

BETWEEN

(BETWEEN Indicating TIME)

(BETWEEN Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The flower pot containing the stolen jewels is kept between the two guards.

BEYOND

(BEYOND Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The ball was way beyond the fielder’s hands.

(BEYOND Indicating TIME)

I will not wait for you at the bus stop beyond 4:00
P.M.

BUT

(BUT Indicating EXCEPTION)

No one but you can stop them from taking such a decision.

Everyone but you was present at the wedding.

BY

(BY Indicating SOURCE/AGENT)

That song was sung by Hariharan.

(BY Indicating MANNER)

The children attracted attention onto themselves by shouting loudly.

(BY Indicating MOVEMENT)

Geeta said that she will come by the house in the evening.

(BY Indicating MEANS OF TRANSPORT)

Ratna will come by Rajhdhani Express.

He travels by bus regularly.

Other Common Prepositions 3

DOWN

(DOWN Indicating DIRECTION)

(DOWN Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

My best friend Heena’s house is located down the

road.

DURING

(DURING Indicating TIME)

During Vikramaditya’s reign, there was justice and peace all

over.

Someone was laughing during my piano recital.

The schools are closed during the really hot summer months.

EXCEPT

(EXCEPT Indicating EXCEPTION)

No one except you can stop the approaching

army.

Everyone except you was ready for the race.

FOR

(FOR Indicating REASON)

Dev was punished by his dad for throwing a stone at the bird.

My mom tells me to eat spinach for good health.

(FOR Indicating TIME)

Ramamurthy has been exercising for one hour.

[Remember: Use ‘for’ when the noun refers to time duration.]

(FOR Indicating PRICE)

The shopkeeper refused to sell the notebook for eight rupees.

(FOR Indicating FUNCTION/PURPOSE)

This movie is meant for intelligent viewers.

Jeetu has two extra tickets for the fourth India-Australia ODI.

He is a great player who stands for team spirit and sportsmanship.

(FOR Indicating FREQUENCY)

The teacher repeated herself for the umpteenth time.

(FOR Indicating EXCHANGE)

Utsav gave me his new video game for my cricket bat.

(FOR Indicating DIRECTION)

All these pilgrims are heading for Sabarimala.

FROM

(FROM Indicating TIME)

Hari was playing football from six to seven.

(FROM Indicating SOURCE)

A parcel has come from your uncle.

A message has arrived from heaven.

INTO

(INTO Indicating DIRECTION)

The puppy ran into the kitchen in pursuit of a rat.

Champu jumped into the river on seeing Sheru.

(INTO Indicating CHANGE)

Chota Jadugar changed a man sitting in the audience into a rabbit.

LIKE

(LIKE Indicating COMPARISON/SIMILARITY)

This place was like heaven on earth before the war.

I am like a dog chasing cats.

Other Common Prepositions 4

OF
(OF Indicating POSSESSION)

The actor Samar Khan is an old friend of mine.

The greatest work of Marquez is One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Gajar ka halwa is a speciality of my mom.

Big boss told me to get out of his room.

(OF Indicating SUBJECT/TOPIC)

They often think of each other.

(OF Indicating CONTENT)

I will have a cup of boiling hot coffee.

(OF Indicating QUALITY)

They are men of honour. They will not use unfair means.

(OF Indicating REASON)

The joke was so funny that the audience almost died of laughter.

OFF

(OFF Indicating DIRECTION)

The police let the criminal off the hook.

Raj took his hat off the stand.

The gardener told everybody to keep off the wet grass.

ONTO
(ONTO Indicating DIRECTION)

The detective threw his gloves onto the table.

The monkey climbed onto the branch on seeing the

crocodile.

OVER

(OVER Indicating AGE)

A person over eighteen years of age is eligible to vote.

(OVER Indicating OUTER COVERING)

It was so cold that Rishi wore a coat over the cardigan.

(OVER Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The rainbow bridge was built over the city museum.

PAST
(PAST Indicating DIRECTION)

The soldiers marched past Pintu while he was repairing his

bicycle.

(PAST Indicating TIME)

You will not stay outside home past ten o’clock.

SINCE

(SINCE Indicating TIME)

Yuvraj has been playing hockey since he was twelve.

Rini has been working non-stop since ten in the morning.

[Remember: Use ‘since’ when the noun refers to a point of

time.]

THROUGH

(THROUGH Indicating TIME)

Tarun said that he will be busy all through the next week.

(THROUGH Indicating DIRECTION)

There is no doubt that the burglar came through the open

window.

THROUGHOUT
(THROUGHOUT Indicating EXTENT)

There was peace and prosperity throughout the

world.

(THROUGHOUT Indicating TIME)

Raju was looking at the ceiling throughout the exam.

TILL

(TILL Indicating TIME)

We have till tomorrow to come up with a solution to the problem.

I will be in the examination hall from morning till noon.

TO

(TO Indicating DIRECTION)

Billu and Pinky are going to their Mamaji’s house tomorrow.

(TO Indicating INFINITIVE)

The team likes to get into a huddle after the fall of a wicket.

TOWARD

(TOWARD Indicating DIRECTION)

Latika is moving toward a bright future.

Other Common Prepositions 5

UNDER

(UNDER Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The gold coins of Jahangir lie hidden under the great banyan tree.

Donna is waiting for you under the park bridge.

(UNDER Indicating AGE)

Jimmy was not allowed to enter the theatre as he was under twenty.

UNDERNEATH

(UNDERNEATH Indicating
POSITION/LOCATION)

Trisha’s doll is lying underneath her bed.

The dog is hiding underneath the table.

UNLIKE
(UNLIKE Indicating CONTRAST/DISSIMILARITY)

This movie is unlike any that you have seen

before.

Unlike Karan, Ravi is a hard working boy.

It is so unlike Mohit to be at the office after five.

UNTIL

(UNTIL Indicating TIME)

They had until Tuesday to finish the project.

I will be working in the garden from two until three.

UP

(UP Indicating DIRECTION)

The regiment has decided to climb up those dangerous hills.

If you have to move up the ladder of success, then you will have to do this.

UPON

(UPON Indicating TIME)

The father and son ran with the bicycle upon seeing the police.

(UPON Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

The necklace was lying upon the dressing table.

WITH

(WITH Indicating METHOD)

In my native place, everyone eats food with their hands.

(WITH Indicating COMPANY)

The children want to go with their uncle.

(WITH Indicating POSSESSION)

He has confessed that he does not have the gold with him.

WITHIN

(WITHIN Indicating TIME)

Pulkit has been asked to complete the project within a week.

(WITHIN Indicating POSITION/LOCATION)

I will remain within the house until the weather outside becomes bearable.

WITHOUT

(WITHOUT Indicating ABSENCE)

The old man can see absolutely nothing without his

spectacles.

The two met each other without ill will.