Grammar - Prepositions
Prepositions – Complete Explanation
A preposition is a word placed before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show the relationship between that noun/pronoun and another word in the sentence.
A preposition can show:
Place (where?)
Time (when?)
Direction (where to?)
Movement
Cause
Purpose
Possession
Agency (by whom?)
Examples:
The book is on the table.
We arrived at noon.
She walked to school.
What Comes After a Preposition?
A preposition is followed by:
A Noun
on the table
in Yangon
A Pronoun
with him
for them
A Noun Phrase
under the old tree
near the bus station
Structure
Preposition + Object
Examples:
in the room
on the desk
after lunch
with my friend
The noun or pronoun after the preposition is called the object of the preposition.
Types of Prepositions
1. Prepositions of Place
Show where something is.
In
Used for enclosed spaces.
Examples:
in a room
in a box
in a country
Sentence:
She lives in Myanmar.
On
Used for surfaces.
Examples:
on the table
on the wall
on the floor
Sentence:
The book is on the desk.
At
Used for a specific point.
Examples:
at the door
at school
at the station
Sentence:
He is waiting at the bus stop.
Other Place Prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning |
|---|---|
| under | below |
| above | higher than |
| below | lower than |
| behind | at the back |
| in front of | before |
| beside | next to |
| between | in the middle of two |
| among | in the middle of many |
| near | close to |
| opposite | facing |
Examples:
The cat is under the chair.
She sat between two friends.
Prepositions of Time
At
Specific times.
Examples:
at 6 o'clock
at noon
at midnight
Sentence:
The meeting starts at 9 a.m.
On
Days and dates.
Examples:
on Monday
on 5 May
on my birthday
Sentence:
We will meet on Friday.
In
Months, years, seasons, periods.
Examples:
in January
in 2025
in summer
Sentence:
I was born in 2010.
Other Time Prepositions
| Preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| before | before dinner |
| after | after school |
| during | during class |
| since | since 2020 |
| for | for three years |
| until/till | until Monday |
| by | by 5 p.m. |
Examples:
I have lived here since 2022.
She worked for two hours.
Prepositions of Direction
Show movement toward something.
Examples:
to
into
onto
toward
through
across
Sentences:
He went to school.
The bird flew into the cage.
They walked across the road.
Prepositions of Movement
Examples:
| Preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| into | go into the room |
| out of | come out of the house |
| across | walk across the bridge |
| through | go through the tunnel |
| along | walk along the river |
| up | climb up the hill |
| down | run down the stairs |
Prepositions of Agent or Instrument
By
Shows the doer of an action.
Example:
The letter was written by John.
With
Shows the instrument used.
Example:
She cut the paper with scissors.
Prepositions of Cause and Purpose
Because of
Example:
The match was canceled because of rain.
For
Example:
This gift is for you.
Simple, Double, and Compound Prepositions
Simple Prepositions
One word.
Examples:
in
on
at
by
with
from
Double Prepositions
Two words joined together.
Examples:
into
onto
upon
within
Compound Prepositions
More than one word.
Examples:
in front of
because of
according to
in spite of
Prepositional Phrases
A preposition and its object form a prepositional phrase.
Examples:
in the classroom
under the tree
after lunch
Sentences:
The students are in the classroom.
The cat slept under the tree.
Difference Between "In", "On", and "At"
Place
In
Large areas or enclosed spaces.
in a city
in a room
On
Surface.
on the table
on the wall
At
Specific point.
at the gate
at the bus stop
Time
In
in July
in 2025
On
on Monday
on 10 June
At
at 7 o'clock
at midnight
Difference Between "Between" and "Among"
Between
Used for two people or things.
The school is between the bank and the hospital.
Among
Used for more than two.
She sat among her friends.
Difference Between "Since" and "For"
Since
Starting point.
since Monday
since 2020
For
Length of time.
for two hours
for five years
Examples:
I have studied English since 2020.
I have studied English for five years.
Common Prepositional Combinations
Adjective + Preposition
afraid of
interested in
good at
proud of
Examples:
She is good at Mathematics.
We are interested in science.
Verb + Preposition
listen to
look at
depend on
believe in
Examples:
Listen to the teacher.
It depends on the weather.
Common Errors
❌ He arrived to Yangon.
✅ He arrived in Yangon.
❌ She is good in English.
✅ She is good at English.
❌ I have lived here since five years.
✅ I have lived here for five years.
❌ The picture is in the wall.
✅ The picture is on the wall.
Quick Summary Table
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Place | in, on, at, under, beside |
| Time | in, on, at, before, after |
| Direction | to, toward, into |
| Movement | through, across, along |
| Agent | by |
| Instrument | with |
| Cause | because of |
| Purpose | for |
Most Common English Prepositions
in
on
at
by
with
from
to
for
of
about
under
over
between
among
through
across
during
since
until
Easy Definition to Remember
Preposition = a word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word in terms of place, time, direction, movement, cause, purpose, or manner.
Examples:
The cat is under the table. (place)
We will meet at 7 p.m. (time)
She walked to school. (direction)
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