Prepositions in English Grammar

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Table: Prepositions of Time

The following table provides and overview of the most common prepositions of time in
English grammar along with information on usage and examples.

Preposition Usage Example

after later than a certain point in time after school

as of/from the time or date something begins I’m on holiday as of/from

tomorrow.

ago a certain time or date in the past two years ago

at night-time at night

referring to the weekend at the weekend

(but AE: on) (am. Engl.: on the
weekend)

certain times (when?) at half past nine

Public holidays (Without a day) at Christmas, at Easter

before before a certain time or date before 2004

by in the sense of at the latest I will be back by 6 o’clock.

before/up until a certain point in time By 11 o’clock I had read five

pages.

during within a period of time during the summer holidays

for during a certain period of time for two years

(compare: since)

from … when something begins and ends from Monday until/till/to

until/ Friday
till/to

in months/seasons in August / in winter

a section of the day in the morning

specific years in 2006

approximate time (when?) in an hour, in the past,

in the future

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 Preposition Usage Example

on weekdays on Monday

Dates on 16th May

Public holiday (with a day) on Easter Monday

past for times of day (on the clock) ten past six (6:10)
(AE also: after) (am. Engl. auch: ten after
six)

since starting at a certain point in the past since 1980

(compare: for)

to for times of day (on the clock) ten to six (5:50)

(AE also: before, of, till) (AE also: ten before/of/till
six)

until/till in the sense of how much longer He is on holiday until/till

something will last Friday.

Table: Prepositions of Place and Movement

The following table provides and overview of the most common prepositions of place
and prepositions of movement in English grammar along with information on usage
and examples.

Preposition Usage Example

above higher than something else, but not The castle stands above the
directly over it town.

across to get to the other side to walk across a bridge

to swim across a lake

against in opposition to Barcelona is playing against

Manchester tonight.

in contact with something, either Michael stood with his back

supported by it or colliding with it against the wall.

at in the sense of next to, in front of, by at the door, at the station

sitting at a table (for a meal) at the table

at an event at a concert, at the party

a place where people do a certain at the cinema, at school, at

activity (see films, learn, work) work

visit/appointment at sb’s house, at the doctor’s

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Preposition Usage Example

behind located directly behind There is a beautiful garden

behind the house.

below under something, but above the The fish are below the
floor/ground surface.

between between two things/objects The train doesn’t stop

between Sheffield and Leeds.

by, next to, located very close to Jane is standing by/next

beside to/beside the car.

from from/out of a place a flower from the garden

in room, building, street, town, country in the kitchen, in hospital, in

London, in Ireland

book, newspaper, etc. in the book

car, taxi in the car, in a taxi

picture, world in the picture, in the world

into to enter a room or a building to go into the kitchen/house

in front of located directly before/in front of There are two men in front of
the house.

near not far away The school is near here.

on attached the picture on the wall

located by a river London lies on the Thames.

on a flat surface on the table

on a side (left, right) on the left

on a floor/storey (of a building) on the first floor

public transportation on the bus, on a plane

television, radio, internet on TV, on the radio, on the

internet

onto up on to something to jump onto the table

over when something else is covered Put a jacket on over your

shirt!

in the sense of more than over 16 years of age

to get to the other side (alsoacross) to walk over a bridge

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 Preposition Usage Example

to cross a high obstacle to climb over a wall

through edges above, below, and on both to drive through a tunnel

sides

to to a person, to a building to go to the cinema

to a place, to a country to go to London/Ireland

to go to the USA

to bed to go to bed

to work to go to work

towards in the direction of something (but not to go 5 steps towards the

all the way there) house

under under something, but on a The bag is under the table.

floor/surface

Other Important Prepositions

The following table provides and overview of common important prepositions in
English grammar along with information on usage and examples.

Preposition Usage Example

about for subjects, in the sense of about We were talking about you.
what

at for ages She learned Russian at 45.

by the creator, author, etc. a book by Mark Twain

increase/climb, decrease/sinking Prices have risen by 10

percent.

travel in a vehicle by car, by bus

for to show purpose or intention flowers for Jane

because/a result of something She spent 5 years in prison

for fraud.

from the person bringing it is mentioned a present from Jane

of possessive case for things a page of the book

on to travel (foot, horse) on foot, on horseback

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Preposition Usage Example

with in the company of with my parents, with a friend

someone/something

having something a woman with red hair

indicating a material/instrument used The scratch was treated with

to do something an anticeptic.

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