Preposition definition grammar

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I am going ______ the store.to3. Understanding these combinations is crucial for accurate writing.

For example:

  • Afraid of: “I am afraid of spiders.”
  • Interested in: “She is interested in science.”
  • Good at: “He is good at playing the piano.”
  • Happy with: “I am happy with my results.”
  • Excited about: “They are excited about the trip.”

Using the correct preposition after an adjective ensures that the sentence conveys the intended meaning.

Ending Sentences with Prepositions

The rule against ending sentences with prepositions is often considered a stylistic guideline rather than a strict grammatical rule.

I will wait ______ Friday.until9. For example, “I went to the store with John and Mary.” Here, “John and Mary” are both objects of the preposition “with.”

How can I improve my preposition usage?

Practice regularly, pay attention to how native speakers use prepositions, and look up the correct preposition when you are unsure.

Common examples include to, from, toward, into, onto, out of, through, across, and along.

  • To indicates direction: “I am going to the store.”
  • From indicates origin: “I am coming from the store.”
  • Toward indicates direction: “He walked toward the park.”
  • Into indicates entering a space: “She went into the house.”
  • Onto indicates moving onto a surface: “The cat jumped onto the roof.”
  • Out of indicates exiting a space: “He came out of the room.”
  • Through indicates passing through something: “The train went through the tunnel.”
  • Across indicates moving from one side to the other: “He swam across the river.”
  • Along indicates moving in a line: “We walked along the beach.”

Prepositions of Manner

These prepositions describe how something is done.

Common examples include by, with, and in.

  • By indicates the means of doing something: “I traveled by car.”
  • With indicates using an instrument or tool: “She cut the bread with a knife.”
  • In indicates a state or condition: “They fought in a brave manner.”

Prepositions of Purpose

These prepositions indicate the reason or intention behind an action.

She was born ______ 1995.in4. The book is ______ the table.on2. She is afraid ______ spiders.of10. The cake is made _______ flour, sugar, and eggs.of10. The museum is located _______ the city center.in8.

Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions.

QuestionAnswer
1. The meeting is ______ 2 PM.at
5. Prepositions are a closed class of words, meaning that new prepositions are rarely added to the English language. The cat is hiding (under/below) the bed.under
7.

The car is parked ______ the house.

in front of

Exercise 2: Choose the correct preposition.

QuestionAnswer
1. The picture is (above/over) the sofa.above
6. This relationship may indicate where, when, who, or what.

Most often prepositions are used to introduce prepositional phrases.

Prepositions serve to modify and generally function in prepositional phrases as adjectives or adverbs.

Examples of prepositions indicating where:

  • along (the path)
  • amid (torment)
  • throughout (the garden)
  • within (men)

Examples of prepositions indicating when:

  • since (the storm)
  • after (the party)
  • before (noon)
  • until (tomorrow)

Examples of prepositions indicating who:

  • besides (Petra)
  • except (the children)
  • with (everyone)
  • for (the teacher)

Examples of prepositions indicating what:

  • besides (the essay)
  • of (the few)
  • like (the dog)
  • with (chocolate)

Preposition List

Here is a list of prepositions.

While some style guides discourage it, ending a sentence with a preposition is often natural and acceptable, especially in informal contexts.

The key is to ensure that the sentence sounds clear and not overly awkward.

Conclusion

Prepositions are vital for constructing clear, precise, and grammatically correct sentences in English.

The word or words that follow the preposition are the object of the preposition.

Examples:

  • along (the path)
    • The path is the object of the preposition.
  • amid (torment)
    • Torment is the object of the preposition.
  • throughout (the colorful garden)
    • The colorful garden is the object of the preposition.

Some Prepositions Also Function as Subordinate Conjunctions

Some prepositions can also function as subordinate conjunctions.

preposition definition grammar

These combinations create set phrases that are important to recognize.

For example:

  • Interest in: “She has an interest in art.”
  • Need for: “There is a need for improvement.”
  • Reason for: “What is the reason for your absence?”
  • Solution to: “I found a solution to the problem.”
  • Relationship with: “He has a good relationship with his family.”

Knowing these noun-preposition combinations helps in forming natural and correct sentences.

Prepositions and Adjectives

Adjectives can also be followed by specific prepositions to complete their meaning.

Compound prepositions are formed by combining two or more words (e.g., according to, because of, in front of).