Prepositions

Prepositions show location, proximity, and relationships:

He is standing on a pencil.

She is at the beach.

The flower is in the glass.

Prepositions are necessary yet somewhat arbitrary. The most important to learn now are in, at, and on. Most prepositions have very specific applications as shown below:

He's putting strawberries into his mouth.
The cat is drinking from a bowl.
There is food on the table.

There are hundreds of different prepositions and prepositional phrases. To learn them all will take years of practice. The best way to learn them well is by reading books, magazines, and newspapers. Listening to the radio helps as well. You can also learn about prepositions in class from a teacher, but it's important to realize that it requires a lot of practice and memorization. Some common prepostions are listed below in alphabetical order. I'll add more as I think of them.

about:  They read about the car accident in the newspaper. above:  Planes fly above the ground across:   We walked across the street to get a slice of pizza. across from:  Across the street from the park is a hospital. after:   Tom and Sue had some ice cream after dinner. against:  She was so tired that she had to lean against the wall. along:  I noticed a lot of garbage along the side of the highway. at:  He needs to be at work in the afternoon. before:  Before Tom and Sue went out for dinner, they saw a movie. behind:  What's behind the door? below:  It was 41 degrees below zero yesterday. (- 41 degrees!) beneath: Get beneath the covers and keep warm tonight. beside: I put the shovel beside the fence. between: B comes between A and C. by:  You should try to be here by 10:00. down: Let's walk down the street and get some gyros. for:  They work for a big company. from:  Ali moved to Minnesota from Somalia. in:  Now he lives in Minnesota. in back of:  John parked his car in back of the store. in front of:  The sign in front of the store told him to park in back. into:  When we walked into the classroom, we met the teacher. inside:  Is there any food inside the refrigerator? near:  Jorge lives near the place where he works, so he walks to work. of:  There are plenty of apples for everybody to have one. off:  She got off the bus at the corner. on: Look on the table and you'll see the books. onto:  They walked onto the airplane and sat down. out:  A cat fell out the window, but he survived the fall. outside:  The teachers are talking together outside the classroom. through: Running through a waterfall is refreshing. to:  Did you go to the store yet? with:  Who did you go to movies with?        or....With whom did you go to the movies?

aboard

1. There's a crew of fifteen people aboard this ship.
2. The passengers aboard the bus are heading downtown.
3. Aboard this plane are supplies and food for the people living on the island.
4. There are only three people aboard the helicopter.
5. They have traveled all around the world aboard this sailboat.
6. Pirates tried to get aboard the ship, but they were unsuccessful.
7. They got aboard the lifeboat just before their ship sank.
8. Many business people work on laptops while aboard flights.
9. Welcome aboard! I hope you'll like working for our company.

about

 

1. He looks like he's about four years old.
2. She's about 12 years old.
3. When he woke up, there were about ten people waiting for his garage sale to begin. (garage sale: a homeowner sells unneeded, personal items from his or her garage)
4. He's been on the phone for about ten minutes.
5. He weighs about 240 pounds.
6. Those mountains are about five miles away.
7. He's just about to sneeze.
8. It took about 20 minutes to get our pizza delivered.
9. She's reading a very interesting book about European history.

above

 

1. The clouds above the trees are moving very slowly today.
2. He lifted his bike above his head.
3. The "Do Not Enter" sign is above the "Wrong Way" sign.
4. A bat is flying above his head and he's freaking out.
5. The red light is above the yellow and green light.
6. He's so strong, he can lift over 200 pounds above his head.
7. The snow above the valley still hasn't melted yet.

according to

 

1. According to my watch, it's 11:45.
2. The weather tomorrow is going to be nice according to the weatherman.
3. According to this map, we're only 300 miles from our destination.
4. The subway is down here according to the sign.
5. According to the sign, it's not safe to go on the ice.
6. Did you make the cookies according to the recipe?
7. It's 57 degrees outside according to the thermometer.
8. Our sales have increased 71 percent over the last year according to this chart.
9. According to the weathervane, the wind is blowing from the west.
10. According to the compass, we're headed north.
11. According to the website, we're studying in the Purple Level this month.

across

 

1. Use this bridge to go across the creek.
2. These bridges will get you across the Han River.
3. You have to be careful when you walk across the street in a big city.
4. The best place to walk across a busy street is at a pedestrian crossing.
5. They're traveling across the field on horseback.
6. He's traveling across the United States on a bike.
7. They're sitting across from each other. ("across from" = opposite side)
8. Across the street there's a small shop and some apartments.
9. This bear just walked across a river and onto a snow bank.

after

 

1. It gets dark very quickly after sunset.
2. After 5:00 a lot of people head home from work.
3. Cemeteries get a lot of new visitors after a war.
4. Human beings started to learn how to make many new tools after prehistoric times.
5. They decided to remain on good terms after their divorce.
6. Strawberries in Minnesota become ripe after the middle of June.
7. Lucinda and Gary got something to eat after a walk in the park.
The word "after" is also used as a subordinating conjunction in an adverb clause.

against

 

1. This skateboarder is leaning against the fence.
2. The waves are crashing against the rocks.
3. The fighter in the yellow jersey has his opponent against the ropes, so he'll probably win the fight.
4. This Turkish flag stands out brilliantly against a deep blue sky. ("against" sometimes means "in contrast.")
5. She gets angry when something goes against her beliefs. ("go" is often used before "against" when describing disagreement.)
6. He protested against the war in Iraq last weekend. ("against" is often use when someone is in opposition to something.)
A building developer wants to cut down this tree and build a new Walmart, but this protester is against it.

ahead of

 

1. There's a car ahead of Brian's car, but it isn't moving. (ahead of = in front of)
2. It's a good idea to get your work finished ahead of time. (ahead of = before)
3. His ideas about science and technology are ahead of everyone else's.
4. Sergio is thinking about the week of vacation that he has ahead of him.
5. The home team is ahead of the visiting team by two points.
6. Marcia and her coworkers are trying to stay ahead of the competition.
7. Victor wants to stay ahead of the other students, so he works very hard on his school work.

along

 

1. There's a beautiful building along the river. (note: You could also say, "by the river," "on the river," "beside the river," or "alongside the river." The best choice here, in my opinion is "along the river.")
2. These trees are lined up along the road.
3. The sign along the highway tells drivers the name of the highway and the distance to the next couple of towns.
4. They enjoy walking along the beach.
5. They enjoy walking along the river.
6. They get along with each other very well.*
7. He went for a walk in the woods and did some bird watching along the way.
* The word "along" is added to many different verbs to make a verb phrase: "get along," "take along," and "bring along" are a few examples: He gets along with his coworkers. (get along = have a good relationship. You should take an umbrella along with you. It might rain. (take along = carry something) She brought her little brother along to the party. (bring along = accompany; take something or someone with--this is very similar to "take along.")

among

 

1. She's very popular among her friends. (among = within a group)
2. Among their three children, one has blond hair and the other two have red hair.
3. The cooperation among these four coworkers has improved tremendously in the last year.
4. What are some of the differences between these two women? (Use "between" when making comparisons with two things or two people.)
5. What are some of the differences among these three women? (Use "among" when making comparisons with three or more things or people. Many Americans use "between" instead of "among" in a situation such as this one. It's not a big mistake, but it is still a mistake. )
6. Among the poor and homeless, there are many who have mental illness that goes untreated.
7. They enjoy walking among the trees in the forest.
8. Riding on the ferris wheel is among their favorite things to do at the state fair.
9. There are a few strawberries among the fruit in this bowl.

around

 

1. It would be interesting to travel around the world someday.
2. They put their arms around each other.
3. They planted a lot of gardens around their house.
4. The place I need to go to is just around the corner.
5. It's fun to hang around downtown San Francisco during the day.
6. This man is very comfortable with working around bees.
7. When classes are over, he likes to walk around the school and talk to people.
8. A: Do you know what time it is? B: I think it's around 1:00.
9. He looks like he's around 30 years old.

at  

 

1. I have to wake up tomorrow at 6:00.
2. He's at work today.
3. They're at church right now.
4. John decided to stay at home today because he's sick.
5. She's studying at the library.
6. My favorite radio station is at 91.1 FM on the radio dial.
7. She was at school yesterday.
8. They're at the park.
9. Andrea lives at 2124 Oak Street. (Use "at" for an address.)
Use the preposition "at" for time and place.

because of

 

1. She continues to work as a waitress because of the great tips. Note: "Because of" and "because" are different. "Because of" is followed by a noun; the word "because" is followed by a clause.
2. Some people don't like red cabbage because of the taste. "Because of" is used to describe a reason why something is true.
3. Antique furniture is found in many American homes because of its beauty and its value.
4. Hockey is a sport with a lot of injuries because of the fighting.
5. Because of an approaching storm, she's going to take down her tent and go home.
6. He keeps getting into trouble because of his violent temper
7. Because of his strong faith in God and desire to help people, Roger decided to become a priest.
8. I couldn't get to sleep last night because of the baby.

before

 

1. It feels good to wake up before sunrise. ("Before" is often used with time.)
2. It's about twenty-five minutes before ten.
3. Moses went before King Pharaoh and asked him to let his people go.
4. These musicians enjoy performing before an audience.
5. She stretches her legs before a race.
6. The mountain that lies before us will take a week to climb. We have a long journey before us.
7. She has many new challenges before her.
The word "before" is also used as a subordinating conjunction in an adverb clause.

behind  

1. The sun is behind the clouds today.
2. This boy is hiding behind a tree.
3. He doesn't like to work behind a desk.
4. There are thousands of office workers behind the glass and steel of this skyscraper.
5. Behind the horse, there's a man in a carriage.
6. There are five hikers walking behind a tour guide.
7. She's falling behind at work, so now she takes her work home and finishes it on the weekend.
8. He looks so sad behind those metal bars!
9. It's a good idea to pay attention to the road when you're behind the wheel of a car. (behind the wheel = driving)
10. This horse is kept behind a fence; otherwise, he might run away. (You can also say, "kept inside a fence")