12.15: Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Prepositions

A preposition is a word that connects a noun or a pronoun to another word in a sentence. Most prepositions such as above, below, and behind usually indicate a location in the physical world, but some prepositions such as during, after, and until show location in time. Some prepositions, such as about and of can show a person's relation to an idea. Some preposition use is idiomatic, meaning that the usage is not based in a rule; rather, the usage is based in tradition.

In, At, and On

The prepositions in, at, and on are used to indicate both location and time, but they are used in specific ways.

Table 12.15.1: In

Preposition	Time	Example	Place	Example
in	year	in 1942	country	in Zimbabwe
	month	in August	state	in California
	season	in the summer	city	in Chicago
	time of day (not with night)	in the afternoon
	Degree	Example	Other	Example
			currency	in Yen
			language	in German

Table - On

Preposition	Time	Example	Place	Example
on*	day	on Monday	surfaces	on the table
	date	on May 23	streets	on 124th Street
	specific days/dates	on Monday	modes of transportation	on the bus
	Degree	Example	Other	Example
			communication	on the radio
			concerning	on magic

Table - At

Preposition	Time	Example	Place	Example
at	time	at five o’clock	addresses	at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
	with night	at night	location	at Rooney’s Grill
	Degree	Example	Other	Example
	temperature	at 0 degrees Celcius	idiomatic	She is good at dancing

The table above also points out uses other than time and place.

Exercise 1

On a separate piece of paper, edit the following letter from a resident to her landlord by correcting errors with in, at, and on.

Dear Mrs. Salazar,

I am writing this letter to inform you that I will be vacating apartment 2A in 356 Maple Street at Wednesday, June 30, 2010. I will be cleaning the apartment at the Monday before I leave. I will return the keys to you on 5 p.m., sharp, at June 30. If you have any questions or specific instructions for me, please contact me in my office. I have enjoyed living at Austin, Texas, but I want to explore other parts of the country now.

Sincerely,
Milani Davis

The table below has examples of the usage of other common prepositions.

Table 12.15.2 -- Common Preposition Usage

Preposition	Space	Time	Degree (measurement)	Other
about	all around The dog ran about the yard.	approximately It is about 1:00 p.m.	approximately It is about 70 degrees Farenheit.	concerning This is a book about mathematics.
against	contact I plywood leaned against the house.	conflict I was against what Karen wanted to do.	conflict The fight was five against three.	internal He was taken against his will.
				external The team won against all odds.
above	higher than The tree towers above the house.		more than The temperature is above freezing.	idiomatic She is above reproach. He is above suspicion.
around	state The fence is around the dog run.	approximately I scored around 1250 on the SAT.	approximately I rang around four miles before pooping out.
	action The dogs ran around the dog park.
before	in front of In the painting, the buildings were before the mountains.	earlier than Explorers reached the South Pole before astronauts reached the moon.
below	lower than The submarine was below the surface of the water.		less than His test scores were below average.
between	at some point in relation to two entities The ball was stuck between the garbage can and the fence.	at some point between two times They were going to meet up between 7 and 8 p.m.	at some point between two measurements I weight between 150 and 160 pounds.	idiomatic We an keep this secret between you and me, right?
by	near The cafe near the corner is the best.	no later than Be home for dinner by 5:30 p.m.	duplication The inchworm moved inch by inch.	without help I can do my work by myself.
			degree of failure The arrow missed the target by a mile.	alone He went shopping by himself.
for	goal We set out for Australia in our yacht.	duration We have been together for three years.	exchange I bought the top for $12.	reason People travel to France for the art.
	distance I drove for 500 miles.			goal/purpose We hunted for boar.
from	a starting point We ran the race from the beginning to the end.	duration I worked from 8 to 5:30.	beginning of range The temperature tomorrow will range from 48 to 58 degrees.	source The Egyptians made paper from papyrus.
	origin I moved here from Chicago.			cause The ground was charred from fire.
of	names of geographic locations or institutions I plan to transfer to the University of California.	before I woke up at a quarter of six.	portion I would like a cup of tea.	possessive A friend of mine recently went on the trip of a lifetime.
				source The table was made of metal.
over	above She wore a shawl over her shoulders.	spanning time Over the break, I did a thorough house cleaning.	more than I had to wait more than one-half hour for my doctor.	communication I read my news over the Internet.
	action above The pole vaulter made it over the pole.
through	penetrate The mountain lion snuck through the bushes.	duration Through the years, I've learned a few things.		endurance Through good times and bad, we make survive.
to	direction Kevin drove to the mountains.	until I slept to 7 a.m.	amount I will listen to the extent of my patience.	accompany I listened to the radio.
toward	in the direction of I walked toward the Northwest.	near It was toward 11 a.m. when things were stolen from my car.	measurement The snow began to melt as the temperature headed toward 40F.	goal People need to work together toward civil discourse.
under	below Moles burrow below the surface.	less than I will be there in under fifteen minutes	less than My dinner cost under $10.	condition She admitted to the crime under duress.
with	alongside, near The painting was hung parallel with window.	together I went with Amy to the movies.	equal standing or ability John kept the lead with Jordan.	in regard to I am happy with my purchase.
				manner They danced with style.

A beginner to prepositions may want to watch the following video, which shows the meaning of the words visually. This video mainly focuses on space and time meanings of prepositions.

Video \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Prepositions after Verbs

Prepositions often follow verbs to create expressions with distinct meanings. In fact, some verbs require prepositions after them. These expressions are sometimes called prepositional verbs. It is important to remember that these prepositions cannot be separated from the verb.

Table 12.15.3 - Verbs + Prepositions

Verb + Preposition	Meaning	Example
agree with	to agree with something or someone	My husband always agrees with me.
apologize for	to express regret for something, to say sorry about something	I apologize for being late.
apply for	to ask for something formally	I will apply for that job.
believe in	to have a firm conviction in something; to believe in the existence of something	I believe in educating the world’s women.
care about	to think that someone or something is important	I care about the health of our oceans.
consist of	to be made up of certain things	My lunch consists of a turkey sandwich and an apple.
detract from	to make less appealing	The workload detracts from the salary that the job offers.
hear about	to be told about something or someone	I heard about the teachers’ strike.
look after	to watch or to protect someone or something	Will you look after my dog while I am on vacation?
part with	to give away or be separated from something	I parted with a bookshelf of books when I moved.
rely on	to depend on	I rely on my alarm clock going off in the morning.
substitute for	to replace something temporarily	The flour substitutes for cornstarch in the gravy recipe.
talk about	to discuss something	We will talk about the importance of recycling.sus
speak to, with	to talk to/with someone	I will speak to his teacher tomorrow.
wait for	to await the arrival of someone or something	I will wait for my package to arrive.

Tip

It is a good idea to memorize these combinations of verbs plus prepositions. Write them down in a notebook along with the definition and practice using them when you speak.

Exercise 2

On a separate sheet of paper, complete the following sentences by choosing the correct preposition with the verb.

1. Charlotte does not ________ (apologize for, believe in) aliens or ghosts.
2. It is impolite to ________ (hear about, talk about) people when they are not here.
3. Herman said he was going to ________ (believe in, apply for) the internship.
4. Jonas would not ________ (talk about, apologize for) eating the last piece of cake.
5. I ________ (care about, agree with) the environment very much

Prepositions after Adjectives

Similar to prepositions after verbs, prepositions after adjectives create expressions with distinct meanings unique to English. Remember, like prepositional verbs, these expressions also cannot be separated.

Table 12.15.4 - Adjectives + Prepositions

Adjective + Preposition	Meaning	Example
afraid of	to fear something	I am afraid of big dogs that bare their teeth.
angry at, about	to feel or show anger toward (or about) someone or something	I am angry about the oil spill in the ocean.
confused about	to be unable to think with clarity about someone or something.	Shawn was confused about the concepts presented in class.
content with	to be satisfied with	I am content with the grade in my math class.
to be dependent on	to be reliant on something	The ex-smoker was dependent on her oxygen tank to breathe.
disappointed in, with	to feel dissatisfaction with someone or something	I was disappointed in my husband because he voted for that candidate.
dressed in	to clothe the body	He was dressed in a pin-striped suit.
to be free from/or	not shackled to something someone finds burdensome	I was free from my obligations for the summer.
happy for	to show happiness for someone or something	I was happy for my sister who graduated from college.
interested in	giving attention to something, expressing interest	I am interested in musical theater.
jealous of	to feel resentful or bitter toward someone or something (because of their status, possessions, or ability)	I was jealous of her because she always went on vacation.
to be sorry for	to have pity or regret	I am sorry for the things I said.
thankful for	to express thanks for something	I am thankful for my wonderful friends.
tired of	to be disgusted with, have a distaste for	I was tired of driving for hours without end.
worried about	to express anxiety or worry about something	I am worried about my father’s health.

Note:

The following adjectives are always followed by the preposition at:

• Good

She is really good at chess.

• Excellent

Henry is excellent at drawing.

• Brilliant

Mary Anne is brilliant at playing the violiin.

Exercise 3

On a separate sheet of paper, complete the following sentences by writing the correct preposition with adjective.

1. Meera was deeply ________ (interested in, thankful for) marine biology.
2. I was ________ (jealous of, disappointed in) the season finale of my favorite show.
3. Jordan won the race, and I am ________ (happy for, interested in) him.
4. The lawyer was ________ (thankful for, confused about) the details of the case.
5. Chloe was ________ (dressed in, tired of) a comfortable blue tunic.

Idiomatic Preposition Usage

The following phrases -- many of them noun phrases -- are expressed in a particular way and should be memorized. There isn't a rule or particular that determines the preposition to use; thus, the whole phrase is an idiom and should be memorized together.

Table 12.15.5 -- Idiomatic Prepositions

Idiomatic Phrase	Example
in the end	In the end, the whole disagreement was a misunderstanding.
talked about (not talked on)	The president talked about current events.
in case of	In case of fire, break the glass.
in charge of	The principal was in charge of the high school.
in favor of	Most students were in favor of starting school at 9 a.m.
on account of	We were late on account of a broken down bus.*
on behalf of	We present this plaque on behalf of the city council.
in the course of	In the course of completing the project, we discovered some other problems.
in the habit of	I am in the habit of emailing people back within a day.
in the name of	Sue donated flowers in the name of her aunt, who had died.
on the advice of	I am quitting vaping on the advice of my doctor.
on the basis of	I am cancelling this subscription on the basis of cost.
on the strength of	The correlation was made on the strength of the data.

*Note that a noun or noun phrase must be used after on account of as the object of the preposition. Sometimes student try to follow this phrase with an entire sentence, which is not grammatically correct.

Prepositional Phrases

Most of the time, prepositions begin prepositional phrases, which give more information about something in a sentence. As mentioned above, sometimes the verb you use requires a prepositional phrase after the verb. The subject of a sentence can never be the noun in a prepositional phrase. The subject is part of the core of the sentence, and the prepositional phrase is outside of that core. For more information , please see "Word Order and Sentence Structure" in section 12.2.

Example \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Subject verb preposition article noun(object of prep) infinitive gerund

Karen drove to the mountains to go skiing.

Sentence core prepositional phrase verbal phrase

Prepositions always must be followed by a noun in a prepositional phrase. Many times that noun will also be preceded by an article and/or an adjective.

Exercise 4

Underline the prepositional phrases in the following sentences. Do not underline any words that are not part of a prepositional phrase.

1. Under the moonlight, the coyotes howled and yipped.
2. I must finish my paper by Tuesday night.
3. I felt on top of the world when I learned I had one a prize!
4. Bill and Jordan thought they could play some basketball on Thursday after class.
5. Chihuahuas and pit bulls are popular dogs, but unfortunately, too many of them fill up animal shelters throughout the country.
6. Marta and Denise work toward understanding each others' points of view.

Exercise 5

Underline the prepositional phrases in the following sentences. Do not underline any words that are not part of a prepositional phrase.

1. Monica told us about her trip.

2. I hope we have sunshine throughout the summer.

3. The panther climbed up the tree.

4. The little boy was standing behind his mother's legs.

5. We stayed awake until dawn.

Contributors and Attributions

CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY:

• Adapted from College ESL Writers: Applied Grammar and Composing Strategies for Success. Authored by: Barbara Hall and Elizabeth Wallace. Provided by: GALILEO Open Learning Materials. License: CC BY-NC-SA (3.0): Attribution
• Adapted from Writing for Success. Provided by: The Saylor Foundation. License: CC-NC-SA 3.0.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CONTENT:

• Learn Prepositions Easily. Authored by: Jennifer Banks. License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube License.

This page last updated on June 8, 2020.