Types of Prepositions in English

Types of Prepositions in English

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in a sentence. Prepositions often indicate time, place, direction, manner, cause, possession, and purpose.

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1. Prepositions of Place (Where?)

These prepositions describe location or position.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• In (inside a place) → "She is in the room."
• On (on a surface) → "The book is on the table."
• At (specific point or location) → "He is at the door."
• Under (below something) → "The shoes are under the bed."
• Between (in the middle of two things) → "The school is between the park and the hospital."
• Behind (at the back of) → "The car is behind the house."
• Next to (beside) → "She sat next to me."

✅ Example Sentences:

• The keys are in the bag.
• The painting is on the wall.
• He is waiting at the bus stop.

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2. Prepositions of Time (When?)

These prepositions indicate time, duration, or frequency.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• In (months, years, centuries, long periods) → "I was born in July."
• On (days, specific dates) → "We have a meeting on Monday."
• At (specific time) → "The train arrives at 5 PM."
• Since (starting point of time) → "I have lived here since 2010."
• For (duration of time) → "We stayed for two hours."
• By (before a specific time) → "Finish the work by Friday."

✅ Example Sentences:

• The shop closes at 10 PM.
• We will travel in December.
• I have known her since childhood.

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3. Prepositions of Direction/Movement (Where to?)

These prepositions describe movement from one place to another.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• To (toward a destination) → "She is going to school."
• Into (entering something) → "He went into the house."
• Onto (moving towards a surface) → "The cat jumped onto the table."
• From (starting point) → "He traveled from London to Paris."

✅ Example Sentences:

• He walked to the store.
• The dog jumped onto the couch.
• We drove from New York to Los Angeles.

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4. Prepositions of Manner (How?)

These prepositions describe the way or manner in which something happens.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• By (means of doing something) → "She traveled by car."
• With (using a tool or instrument) → "He wrote the letter with a pen."
• Like (similar to) → "He runs like a professional athlete."

✅ Example Sentences:

• He fixed the problem with a screwdriver.
• She solved the puzzle by thinking carefully.

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5. Prepositions of Cause, Reason, and Purpose (Why?)

These prepositions explain why something happens.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• Because of → "The match was delayed because of the rain."
• Due to → "The flight was canceled due to bad weather."
• For → "This gift is for you."

✅ Example Sentences:

• The game was postponed due to heavy rain.
• She got an award for her hard work.

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6. Prepositions of Possession (Who Owns It?)

These prepositions show ownership or belonging.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• Of → "The door of the house is red."
• To → "This book belongs to John."
• With → "The house with a blue roof is mine."

✅ Example Sentences:

• The leg of the table is broken.
• The bag belongs to Sarah.

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7. Prepositions of Comparison or Contrast (How Different?)

These prepositions show comparison, contrast, or similarity.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• Like → "She sings like a star."
• Unlike → "Unlike her brother, she is very quiet."
• As → "She works as a teacher."

✅ Example Sentences:

• He runs like a cheetah.
• Unlike his father, he loves adventure.

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8. Prepositions of Agent (Who Did It?)

These prepositions indicate who or what performed an action.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• By (doer of an action) → "The book was written by J.K. Rowling."
• With (tool used) → "The cake was made with love."

✅ Example Sentences:

• The painting was created by a famous artist.
• The floor was cleaned with a mop.

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9. Prepositions of Measure, Standard, or Rate (How Much?)

These prepositions show quantity, rate, or proportion.

📌 Common Prepositions:

• Per → "Tickets cost $10 per person."
• By → "He was driving at 60 miles per hour."

✅ Example Sentences:

• The hotel room costs $100 per night.
• Apples are sold by the kilogram.

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10. Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition + object (noun/pronoun) and provides more details.

📌 Examples:

• In the morning
• On the table
• By the river

✅ Example Sentences:

• We will meet in the morning.
• The keys are on the table.

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Summary Table: Types of Prepositions

Type	Examples
Place	in, on, at, under, behind, between, next to
Time	in, on, at, since, for, by
Direction	to, into, onto, from
Manner	by, with, like
Cause/Reason	because of, due to, for
Possession	of, to, with
Comparison	like, unlike, as
Agent	by, with
Measure	per, by

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Here are some exercises to practice prepositions! 😊

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1. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Preposition

Choose the correct preposition from the list below:
(in, on, at, by, with, for, under, between, to, from)

1. The book is ______ the table.
2. I will meet you ______ 10 AM.
3. She traveled ______ train to the city.
4. We went ______ a walk in the park.
5. The ball rolled ______ the table.
6. My birthday is ______ June.
7. He is sitting ______ me and my friend.
8. We have been friends ______ 10 years.
9. She jumped ______ the pool.
10. I got a letter ______ my grandmother yesterday.

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2. Choose the Correct Preposition

Select the correct preposition to complete the sentence.

1. The movie starts ______ 8 PM.
   a) in
   b) at
   c) on

2. I walked ______ the street and saw an old friend.
   a) in
   b) on
   c) by

3. The restaurant is located ______ the corner of the street.
   a) in
   b) at
   c) on

4. They are planning to meet ______ the park tomorrow.
   a) in
   b) at
   c) by

5. He is good ______ playing the guitar.
   a) at
   b) in
   c) with

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3. Match the Sentence with the Correct Prepositional Phrase

Match the sentence with its correct prepositional phrase.

1. The cat is sitting ______.
   a) on the table
   b) by the river
   c) under the tree

2. We walked ______ to get there.
   a) through the forest
   b) in the morning
   c) to the store

3. I placed the book ______.
   a) between the shelves
   b) at the airport
   c) on the desk

4. She waited ______.
   a) at the bus stop
   b) on the table
   c) with her friends

5. The keys are ______.
   a) on the floor
   b) under the bed
   c) in the box

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4. Correct the Mistakes

Each sentence below contains a mistake with the preposition. Correct the sentence.

1. I will meet you in 5 PM.
   ➡ _______________________________________________________

2. He walked to the park by 10 minutes.
   ➡ _______________________________________________________

3. The ball rolled off the table.
   ➡ _______________________________________________________

4. We are going on a holiday in Friday.
   ➡ _______________________________________________________

5. I am good at playing piano.
   ➡ _______________________________________________________

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Here are the answers to the preposition exercises! 😊

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1. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Preposition

1. The book is on the table.
2. I will meet you at 10 AM.
3. She traveled by train to the city.
4. We went for a walk in the park.
5. The ball rolled under the table.
6. My birthday is in June.
7. He is sitting between me and my friend.
8. We have been friends for 10 years.
9. She jumped into the pool.
10. I got a letter from my grandmother yesterday.

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2. Choose the Correct Preposition

1. The movie starts b) at 8 PM.
2. I walked b) on the street and saw an old friend.
3. The restaurant is located b) at the corner of the street.
4. They are planning to meet b) at the park tomorrow.
5. He is good a) at playing the guitar.

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3. Match the Sentence with the Correct Prepositional Phrase

1. The cat is sitting a) on the table.
2. We walked c) to the store to get there.
3. I placed the book c) on the desk.
4. She waited a) at the bus stop.
5. The keys are b) under the bed.

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4. Correct the Mistakes

1. I will meet you at 5 PM.
2. He walked to the park in 10 minutes.
3. The ball rolled off the table.
4. We are going on holiday on Friday.
5. I am good at playing the piano.

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