
Chapter 5: Prepositions – Learn English Grammar
5.1 What Are Prepositions?
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in a sentence. It indicates time, place, direction, manner, cause, or possession.
Examples:
- The book is on the table. (on shows the relationship between “book” and “table”)
- We met after lunch. (after shows a time relationship between “met” and “lunch”)
- She walked towards the park. (towards shows the direction of movement)

5.2 Types of Prepositions
1. Prepositions of Place (Where?)
These prepositions indicate position or location.
Preposition | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
In | Inside a space | She is in the room. |
On | On the surface | The phone is on the table. |
At | A specific point | We met at the bus stop. |
Under | Beneath | The cat is under the chair. |
Over | Above without touching | The plane flew over the city. |
Between | In the middle of two things | The park is between the school and the mall. |
Behind | At the back | He is behind the door. |
Next to | Beside | She sat next to me. |
Examples in sentences:
- The books are on the shelf.
- The dog is sleeping under the bed.
- My school is near the hospital.
2. Prepositions of Time (When?)
These prepositions indicate time relationships.
Preposition | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
In | Months, years, centuries, long periods | We were born in July. |
On | Days, dates, specific occasions | She arrived on Monday. |
At | Specific times | The train leaves at 5 PM. |
By | Before a deadline | Finish your homework by 8 PM. |
Before | Earlier than something | We met before the show. |
After | Later than something | They left after dinner. |
Since | From a point in time until now | I have lived here since 2015. |
For | Duration of time | She stayed for two weeks. |
Examples in sentences:
- We will meet at 6 PM.
- My birthday is on January 10.
- He has been working here since 2020.
3. Prepositions of Direction or Movement (Where to?)
These show the direction of movement.
Preposition | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
To | Towards a destination | She is going to school. |
Into | Movement inside | He went into the room. |
Onto | Movement onto a surface | The cat jumped onto the table. |
From | Starting point | We came from London. |
Towards | In the direction of | He ran towards me. |
Out of | Leaving a place | She walked out of the house. |
Examples in sentences:
- He ran towards the exit.
- She got into the car.
- The ball rolled onto the road.
4. Prepositions of Manner (How?)
These show the way something happens.
Examples:
- He solved the problem with ease.
- She looked at him in anger.
- They traveled by car.
Common Prepositions of Manner:
- By (by train, by car)
- With (with a knife, with care)
- In (in fear, in silence)
5. Prepositions of Cause, Reason, and Purpose
These show why something happens.
Examples:
- He was absent because of illness.
- She got a reward for her hard work.
- The flight was delayed due to bad weather.
Common Prepositions for Cause:
- Because of
- Due to
- Owing to
- For
6. Prepositions of Possession
These show ownership or relationship.
Examples:
- The keys of the house are missing.
- He is a friend of mine.
Common Prepositions of Possession:
- Of
- With
- To
7. Prepositions in Phrasal Verbs
Prepositions are often part of phrasal verbs (verb + preposition).
Examples:
- Look after (take care of) → She looks after her brother.
- Get over (recover from) → He got over his illness.
- Give up (quit) → He gave up smoking.

Exercises
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition of place:
- The keys are ___ the table.
- She is waiting ___ the bus stop.
- The cat is hiding ___ the couch.
- There is a beautiful park ___ my house.
- The boy sat ___ the chair.
B. Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition of time:
- My birthday is ___ July.
- We will meet ___ 6 PM.
- She was born ___ 2002.
- The concert is ___ Friday.
- He has lived here ___ five years.
C. Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition of movement:
- We are going ___ school.
- She walked ___ the door.
- The ball rolled ___ the hill.
- He jumped ___ the river.
- The bird flew ___ the tree.
D. Identify the prepositions in these sentences:
- She is sitting between her two friends.
- The book is on the table.
- He was absent because of illness.
- They ran towards the exit.
- The bus arrives at 9 AM.

Answers
A. Prepositions of Place:
- on
- at
- under
- near
- on
B. Prepositions of Time:
- in
- at
- in
- on
- for
C. Prepositions of Movement:
- to
- through
- down
- into
- over
D. Identifying Prepositions:
- between
- on
- because of
- towards
- at

Written by Amlan Das Karmakar
Amlan Das Karmakar, aka Phoenix (https://itsamlan.com) is a professional Web Developer and Designer and Linux System Administrator. He has expertise in HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (latest ECMA), PWA Development, PHP, Node.JS, Python, Bash Scripting, NGiNX Server, REST API, MySQL Database, MongoDB Database, GIT Version Control System, Bind9 DNS Server, CoTURN Signalling Server, WebRTC, FFMPEG, RTMP, HLS, MPEG DASH, Bubblewrap, TWA Development, Apache Cordova, ElectronJS based multi-platform Software Development. He has expertise in handling both Debian-based Linux Distributions like Ubuntu 22.04 and Fedora-based Linux Distributions like CentOS 8 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. He was also listed in Google Hall of Fame in 2017 (https://bughunters.google.com/profile/e755e2c0-235d-41b6-893b-d64486bb771f/awards). He is the Co-founder of Bengal Web Solution (https://bengalwebsolution.com) and has been working there as the Head, Dept. of Web and App Development, AI and ML Deployment since 2011. In StackOverflow (https://stackoverflow.com/users/3195021/phoenix), he has 2626 Reputation, 4 Gold Badges, 16 Silver Badges and 20 Bronze Badges as of 19th Feb. 2023, 5:30pm (GMT +5:30). He completed his Masters in English from the Vidyasagar University and ranked among the toppers with 1st class. He graduated from The University of Burdwan with English (Hons.) earlier in 2017.
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