Mastering English Prepositions: A Simple Guide to Sound Fluent and Confident
If you’re learning English or looking to improve your fluency, prepositions are something you simply can’t ignore. Tiny words like in, on, at, to, for, with, by may seem harmless, but they carry a lot of weight. Use them incorrectly, and you can easily change the meaning of an entire sentence!
This guide is here to help. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or someone looking to improve your English, understanding prepositions will significantly enhance your communication. Let’s break it down together.
What Are Prepositions?
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or a pronoun to indicate the relationship between the person or thing denoted by the noun and another entity.
To put it simply
A preposition shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and some other word in a sentence.
Prepositions express concepts of Time, Place, Distance, and Direction.
Prepositions of Time:
Definite time: at 9, at night.
The preposition at is used also when referring to special occasions: at Christmas; at the weekend.
A medium period of time: on – with a specific date/day: on Sunday; on 23rd of November
In – with parts of the day: in the evening.
Long duration: in, since, during, while, for, by.
In – with months: in April, with seasons, in summer.
Remember to omit the preposition before the words – today, yesterday, tomorrow, last and next
Preposition of Place:
• The specific ‘place’:
in / inside: in the desk; go inside; in India.
on: indicative of the surface: on the table; on the first floor.
at: specifying the venue /neighborhood: at Golden towers; at the crossroads.
• The neighborhood of the place: beside, by, next to, between, among, opposite, around, near, in front of, behind.
• A point higher than the place: over, above, on top of.
• A point lower than the place: under, beneath, underneath, below.
• A point vertically / horizontally from the place: up, down, over, across, along.
• A point away from the place: away, off, across, along, through, out of.
• A point towards the place: to, towards, into.
Key Notes: Prepositions are very important for effective communication as incorrect usage of preposition can completely change the meaning of a sentence.
- Use beside when you mean “by the side “of”, and besides when you mean in addition to…..
- Use between when referring to two persons/things; and use among when there are more than two persons / things.
- Use into when the action expressed by the verb begins outside and passes to the inside of whatever is named by the object; and use in when the action occurs within whatever is named by the object.
- Use to when expressing an action of going toward something but not of being there; and use at when speaking of already being at
- Use from (not than) after the word
- Use behind (not back of me, in back of) as a
- Use for (not on) after wait when referring to waiting a person/
- Wait on means to serve
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Commonly used Prepositions
• At: Use at when you are giving the exact location of something.
Example: I shall wait you at the bus stand• When you are using about two places you use at for the smaller place, and in for the bigger place.
Example: He lives at Chennai in Tamil Nadu• At: Use at when you mean exact time
Example: I will come at 5 a.m. (Sharply)• About / around: Use about/around when you are speaking about the surrounding area
Example: The children are playing about the garden. The children are playing around the garden.• About: Use about / around with the meaning approximately.
Example: I will come around 10 a.m• By / Beside: Use by or beside with the meaning of beside.
Example: She sat by / beside the door• Between: Use between when something is in the middle of two things.
Example: I sat between Sam and Jim.• Between: Use between to mention the period between two points of time.
Example: We have tea between 4 and 5.• Among: Use when something is in the middle of many things.
Example: He found the paper among the discarded documents.• Behind: Use behind when something is at the back of something.
Example: The Theatre was just behind my house.• In: Use in when something is inside.
Example: I am in / inside the room.• Into: Use into when something is moving inside
Example: They went into the room. The stone fell into the river• On: Use on when something is at the top of something.
Example: The book is on the table.• Over: Use over when something is moving on the top of something else.
Example: The train went over the bridge. The plane flew over the city• Above: Use above when you want to say that something is at a higher position.
Example: Just above the fancy store is the hair dress shop.• Near: Use near when something is close to something.
Example: There is a post office near the new building.• Opposite: Use opposite when something is face to face with something.
Example: The bus stand is just opposite Aksent Academy.• Under: Use under when something is below something.
Example: The letter is under the table.• Within: Use within when something is enclosed by something.
Example: The players are requested to play within the compound.• Across: Use across when something is moving from one point to another over the surface or when something is at another point from one point.
Example: The shop was just across the road.• Along: Use along when something is moving from one point to another on a straight path.
Example: Don’t walk along the railway tracks. There were shops all along the road.• Towards: Use towards when something is moving from one point to another point inside something.
Example: The train went towards the station.• From: Use from when you want to show the starting point of something.
Example: He came from home.• To: Use to when you want to show the reaching the ending point or destination.
Example: I went to Chennai.• After: Use after when you want to mean later.
Example: I will come and meet you after I report to my manager.• Before: Use before with the meaning “prior to” (Example 5 ‘o’ clock)
• By: Use by with the meaning not later than.
Example: I’ll pay the fees by Wednesday• During: Use during to denote a period of time
Example: What do you during lunch?• For: Use for when you want to mention the duration of some activity.
Example: I have been waiting for an hour.
To Remember:
- At for a PRECISE TIME
- In for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
- On for DAYS and DATES
Notice that use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions
• In the morning / On Monday morning
• In the mornings / On Sunday mornings
• In the afternoon(s) / On Sunday afternoons
• In the evening(s) / On Friday evenings
When we say next, last, this, tomorrow, yesterday and every we do not use at, in, on.
I went to New York last June. (in last June)
She is coming back next Monday. (on next Monday) I go home every Easter. (at every Easter)
We’ll call you this afternoon. (in this afternoon)
Place: at, in, on In General:
- At for a POINT
- In for an ENCLOSED SPACE
- On for a SURFACE
| At | In | On |
|---|---|---|
| At the bus stop | In the garden | On the wall |
| At the corner | In the garden | On the ceiling |
| At the entrance | In a box | On the floor |
Commonly Used Prepositions Examples to master English
Below
Please do not write below this line.
Skirts will be worn below the knee.
A police sergeant is below an inspector.
For further information, see below.
Under / Beneath / Underneath
Sana saw a light coming from under the door.
We took shelter under an oak tree.
The coin rolled underneath the piano.
This jacket’s too big, even with a sweater underneath.
They found the body buried beneath a pile of leaves.
After
I will come and meet you after I report to my manager.
After winning the World Cup, Dhoni became famous overnight.
She is leaving the school after 20 years as head teacher.
Wash your hands after touching raw meat.
This message arrived after everyone had gone home.
His birthday is two days after mine.
N comes after M in the alphabet.
Kate is my best friend, after you of course.
His dog fell in the river and he jumped in after it.
I’ll never forgive him after what he said.
Before
She’s lived there before the war.
He arrived before me.
I joined the police in 1999. Before that I was in the army.
You should seek legal advice before signing anything.
He was brought before the judge.
During
During the summer season, all the hotels are full.
I only saw her once during my stay in Goa.
There are extra flights to Colorado during the winter.
He was taken to the hospital during the night.
During his visit to South Africa, the president met Nelson Mandela.
What do you do during lunch?
From
He came from home.
Do you come from America?
The watch was a present from his daughter.
She wanted an apology from the president.
She collects postcards from all over the world.
He’s on the 3 o’clock flight from Chicago.
I lived with him from the age of twenty.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Seventeen from thirty-six is nineteen.
We live a few miles from the city.
I can tell from your eyes you’re a good man.
She’s been suffering badly from stress.
The situation changes from hour to hour.
He works from home three days a week.
Besides
What other sports do you like besides football?
We have lots of things in common besides music.
Besides working as a doctor, he also writes novels in his spare time.
I’ve got no family besides my parents.
I’ve got plenty of other things to do besides talking to you.
I don’t want to go anywhere besides India.
Behind
The theatre was just behind my house.
Stay close behind me.
A small street behind the station.
The sun disappeared behind the clouds.
We’re behind schedule.
I’m ranked sixth in the French class, behind five other pupils.
With
I ordered a sandwich with a drink.
He was with his friend when he saw me.
She has been working with her sister at the nail shop.
The manager will be with you shortly.
I met a guy with green eyes.
Were you the one talking with an accent?
People with a lot of money are not always happy.
I wrote a letter with the pen you gave me.
This is the soup that I made with rice and barley.
He cut my hair with his gold scissors.
I am emailing you with my sincere apology.
He came to the front stage with confidence.
Are you with me? Yes, I am completely with you.
She agrees with me.
About
The children are playing about the garden.
Sheela will come to party about 10 o’clock.
He has his wits about him.
The show is about to start.
I am not about to admit to your crime.
At
I will meet you at 12 p.m.
There is a party at the club house.
There were hundreds of people at the park.
We saw a baseball game at the stadium.
The bus will stop here at 5:45 p.m.
Please email me at abc@defg.com.
He laughed at my acting.
Kumar lives at Egmore in Chennai.
The conference will be at the Hyatt Hotel.
In
She always reads newspapers in the morning.
In the summer, we have a rainy season for three weeks.
The new semester will start in March.
She looked me directly in the eyes.
I am currently staying in a hotel.
My hometown is Los Angeles, which is in California.
This painting is mostly in blue.
The students stood in a circle.
This jacket comes in four different sizes.
I believe in the next life.
We are not interested in glamming.
Gandhi was born in 1869.
On
I put an egg on the kitchen table.
The paper is on my desk.
The garbage truck comes on Wednesdays.
I was born on the 14th day of June in 1988.
He is on the phone right now.
She has been on the computer since this morning.
My favourite movie will be on TV tonight.
The stick hit me on my shoulder.
He kissed me on my cheek.
I wear a ring on my finger.
Everything in this store is on sale.
Towards
The train went towards the station.
Anna pointed towards the window.
This is a first step towards political union.
Vimal was standing with his back towards me.
I would be happy to contribute towards the cost of the petrol.
Caroline’s name appeared towards the bottom of the list.
I’ll phone you some time towards the end of the week.
I saw Joanna hurrying towards me along the drive.
She had her back towards me.
He was warm and tender towards her.
The money will go towards a new school building.
We ran towards the castle.
Into
The stone fell into the river.
They went into the room.
She dived into the water.
She turned and walked off into the night.
The truck crashed into a parked car.
She carried on working late into the night.
The fruit can be made into jam.
She was sliding into depression.
Near
There is a Post Office near the new building.
I got into the near side of the bed.
Where’s the nearest bank?
We won in the end but it was a near thing.
The temperature that day was near 30 degrees.
The loss was near 15 per cent for the year.
People near to retirement need to know their pension funds are sufficient.
They are near to solving the puzzle.
There were rumors that the 66-year-old leader was near death.
We calculated the cost to the nearest 50 dollars.
Between
I sat between Sam and Jim.
We have tea between 4 and 5.
Q comes between P and R in the English alphabet.
The paper had fallen down between the desk and the wall.
Switzerland lies between France, Germany, Austria and Italy.
My job is somewhere between a secretary and a personal assistant.
It’s cheaper between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Children must attend school between the ages of 5 and 16.
Many changes took place between the two world wars.
Among
He found the paper among the discarded documents.
He is among the few who completely understand the subject.
A house among the trees.
They strolled among the crowd.
It’s OK, you’re among friends now.
They divided the money up among their three children.
Discuss it among yourselves (= with each other) first.
A British woman was among the survivors.
This attitude is common among the under 25s.
Around
We walked around the football field.
We left park around 8 o’clock.
The children are playing around the garden.
There must be a way around the problem.
The house is built around a central courtyard.
Over
Come over to my house for dinner sometime.
Could you roll over?
They sent over a gift for his promotion.
The big tree fell over on the road.
Can you bend over and get the dish for me?
He pushed it over the edge.
This amount is over our prediction.
Kids twelve and over can watch this movie.
The phone rang for over a minute.
I worked there over a year.
The train went over the bridge.
The plane flew over the city.
Above
The water came above our knees.
We were flying above the clouds.
The people in the apartment above mine are crazy.
A captain in the navy ranks above a captain in the army.
Inflation is above 6%.
Temperatures have been above average.
We cannot accept children above the age of 10.
I rate her above most other players of her age.
Within
The players are requested to play within the compound.
The ambulance arrived within minutes of the call being made.
Two elections were held within the space of a year.
Is it within walking distance?
We are now within range of enemy fire.
We expect an announcement within the next 24 hours.
To
I am heading to the entrance of the building.
The package was mailed to Mr. Kim yesterday.
All of us went to the movie theatre.
Please send it back to me.
The snow was piled up to the roof.
The stock prices rose up to 100 dollars.
This letter is very important to your admission.
My answer to your question is in this envelope.
Do not respond to every little thing in your life.
I work nine to six, Monday to Friday.
It is now 10 to five. (In other words, it is 4:50.)
Of
The highlight of the show is at the end.
The first page of the book describes the author’s profile.
Don’t touch it. That’s the bag of my friend’s sister.
I always dreamed of being rich and famous.
I got married in the summer of 2000.
This is a picture of my family.
I got a discount of 10 percent on the purchase.
I drank three cups of milk.
A large number of people gathered to protest.
I had only four hours of sleep during the last two days.
He got a perfect score of 5 on his writing assignment.
By
Can I sit by you?
He was standing by me.
The post office is by the bank.
The microwave was fixed by the mechanic.
The flowers were delivered by a postman.
The branch office was closed by the head office.
You can pass the exam by preparing for it.
I expressed my feeling toward her by writing a letter.
She finally broke the record by pure effort.
Please send this package to Russia by airmail.
I came here by subway.
Across
The shop was just across the road.
It’s too wide. We can’t swim across.
There’s a school just across from our house.
The children ran straight across in front of our car.
Over 70 airlines fly across the Atlantic between Europe and North America.
You have to be careful when you walk across the street in a big city.
He’s traveling across the United States on a bike.
Opposite
The bus stand is just opposite Aksent Academy.
They sat at opposite ends of the room.
A picture on the opposite page caught her attention.
Answers are given on the opposite page.
There’s a newly married couple living opposite.
He found it difficult to talk to members of the opposite sex.
The Foreign Secretary is currently having talks with his opposite number in the White House.
Students at opposite ends of the ability range.
I could see smoke coming from the windows of the house directly opposite.
Under
The letter is under the table.
The boat lay under several feet of water.
She placed the ladder under the window.
It took us under an hour.
Nobody under 18 is allowed to buy alcohol.
She has a staff of 19 working under her.
The hotel is still under construction.
I’ve been feeling under stress lately.
The wall collapsed under the strain.
I’m under no illusions about what hard work this will be.
Beside
She sat beside the door.
Come and sit beside me.
Your hat is beside the dog basket.
Your wallet is beside the kettle.
My painting looks childish beside yours.
Off
I’m off to Scotland next Tuesday.
They didn’t see each other till they got off the plane.
They cut a branch off the tree.
The restaurant is just off the main road.
The lights were off in the big house.
We told the children to take off their wet clothes.
She kicked off her shoes and settled down on the sofa.
We’re planning a trip to the zoo on my day off.
I took two weeks off in August.
I’ve been off alcohol now for three weeks.
I’m off sweet things at the moment.
There’s now 30% off all swimsuits.
People were warned to stay off the streets.
I’m starting to think I’d be better off without him.
Round / Away / Since
The children were dancing round in a circle.
She had a small mouth and round pink cheeks.
We’re sitting round the campfire.
The bird flew round and round the room, unable to escape.
The beach is a mile away.
Christmas is still months away.
Put your toys away.
There were ten children away yesterday.
Sorry, he’s away.
She was away from work for a week.
They danced the night away.
I’ve known Julie since she was born.
Seema has been living in Australia since 2000.
He’s been working in a bank since leaving school.
‘They’ve split up’. ‘Since when?’
Final Thoughts
Prepositions might be small, but they’re mighty. Understanding how to use them properly can instantly improve your English communication. Whether you’re writing an email, giving a speech, or just chatting with a friend, mastering prepositions adds clarity and fluency to your language.
Keep practicing, keep learning — and soon, using prepositions will become second nature!
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