PREPOSITIONS

GATE ACADEMY
THALAYOLAPARAMBU

PREPOSITIONS

A PREPOSITION IS A WORD THAT

SHOWS THE RELATION BETWEEN A
NOUN OR A PRONOUN, AND
ANOTHER WORD IN THE SENTENCE.
Eg. The cat is on the table.
The noun table is the object of the
preposition on.
The preposition shows the relation
between this object and the noun
cat.

COMMON PREPOSITIONS IN
ENGLISH

in, into, on, under, up, down, from, to

below, above, between, among, at,
since
About, during, with, without, of, off,
behind
Beside, before, after, by, around, over
Through, across, along, alongside,
inside
Outside, against, concerning, despite,
regarding, notwithstanding.

WHERE TO USE PREPOSITIONS

AND WHAT PREPOSITION TO USE
POSITION OF PREPOSITIONS
Normally come before nouns &
pronouns. But in some cases, they
are put at the end of the sentences.
i. In interrogatives, the preposition is
usually placed at the end.
Eg. What are you looking for?
What did they hit him with?
Who are you shouting at?

ii. In relative clause, a preposition

that comes before whom / which is
often shifted to the end. In such
cases the relative pronoun is often
omitted.
Examples: This is the book I was referring
to. (to which I was referring)
I met the poet you had told me
about.
(about whom you had told me)

USE OF PREPOSITIONS
a. Use or omission of to
1. The preposition to is not used between verbs
like ask, order, request, advise, invite, remind,
tell, urge, warn, encourage, beg and the person
addressed.
Egs. I asked him to arrange the flowers.
They requested him to read a story.
He told me the truth.
But, He said to me. He spoke to me.
He talked to me. He shouted to me.
( He spoke loudly to me.) He shouted at me.
(He spoke angrily to me.)
Similarly,
Children threw the ball to each other. (means; they
were playing.)
He threw the ball at me. (means; he wanted to hit
me.)

2. In sentences with 2 objects, the

indirect object usually comes after to
or for.

Egs.
I bought a book for John.
John gave a new shirt to his
brother.
But these sentences can be written
without the preposition by bringing
the indirect object near the verb.
I bought John a book.
John gave his brother a new shirt.

b. PREPOSITIONS OF TIME AND

DATE: in, at, on, by
In
Eg. In the morning
in the evening
But at night
At a time
Egs. At dawn
at 6.15
At 7 O clock at night
At an age
Egs. At his age
at seventeen
At seventy two
On a day
egs. On Monday On Diwali day
on Christmas day
But, at Christmas means; during Christmas time, not
necessarily on Christmas day.
by a certain time means at that time or earlier.
Eg. You should be home by ten. (at ten or earlier)
By the end of July, I will have known my result.

on time means at the exact time

Examples:-

The train left on time. (not earlier, not later)

The plane is on time.
in time means not later.

Examples:- I reached home in

time for dinner.
on reaching/on arrival means,
when one reached/arrived.
Eg. On reaching home, I heard
the news.

c. from, since, for, during

from.to can be used for both

time and place.

Examples:We have classes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m (time).

I went from Kochi to Ernakulam by boat
( place)

since is used for time. It indicates the

period from a specific point of time in the
past to the present.

Examples:- I have not met him since last

Monday.

Ever since they left Delhi, he has been living in

Chennai.

for is usually used for a period of time

Examples:I have known him for six years
He is going abroad for three weeks.
during is used to indicate a known
period of time.
During the Puja holidays, I was in
Mumbay.
I used to play badminton during my
College days.

d. We travel from a place to another

place. We reach/arrive at / get to a
place.

But, we arrive in a country or

large town.
We live in a country/ in a city/ at
a small place.
Binu lives in America.
My father is in New Delhi.
Bipin lives at C4/43, M.G.Road,
Ernakulam.

We go home / arrive home /reach home.

No preposition is used before home

We get in to a bus.
Then we are in the bus.
Then we got off the bus.
We may get on to the roof.
We can sit on the roof.
Over may mean being immediately
above, with possible physical contact.
Above implies some space in
between.
We live above them (not over them)
They put a sheet over him. (not above
him)

Under and below

There is a similar difference

between Under and below .

Under may imply physical

contact, while below indicates
same space between.
The Raos live below us. (not
under us)
I put the key under the pillow.
(not below)

e. Between & among

We usually say between when there
are two persons or things and among
when there are more than two.
He flies every day between Mumbay
and Delhi.
He was happy to be back among his
own people.
We always say: between one thing and
another.
The temperature varies between 40
and 45 degrees. ( It is wrong to say
between 40 to 45 degrees)
However, we can say; The
temperature varies from 40 to 45
degrees.

Beside and besides

Beside means by the side of.
Eg. He stood beside his
father.
Besides means in addition to
Eg. Besides my parents,
several others attended the
wedding.

ADJECTIVES +
PREPOSITIONS

Some adjectives always take

particular prepositions after them.
Absorbed in
According to
Accustomed to
Afraid of
angry with
Anxious to
Ashamed of
Aware of
Capable of

Composed of
Due to
Exposed to
Fond of
fit for
Inclined to
Interested in
Involved in
Liable to
Owing to
Ready for
Scared of
Sorry for (a person)
Sorry about (something)
Successful in
Suspicious of
Terrified of
Tired of

VERBS + PREPOSITIONS

Like adjectives, some verbs also

take particular prepositions after
them.
Some commonly used verbs with
their prepositions are given below:Abstain from something
Accuse someone of a wrong deed.
Agree with a person, to a proposal.
Alight from a vehicle.
Answer a question, to a person.
Apologize to a person, for a wrong
deed.
Appeal to a person, for help, against
an order.

VERBS + PREPOSITIONS.

Apply to a person, for a job.

Argue with a person, for or against
something
Ask for help, of a person
Attend to a person/work, on a person
(but attend a meeting/a class)
Believe in a person/thing.
Blame someone for something.
Buy something from a shop.
Call at a place/on a person.
Charge someone with a wrong deed.
Compare to (two dissimilar things),
with (two similar things). Recently
both are used interchangeably.

VERBS + PREPOSITIONS.

Compete with a person,

for something.
Complain to a person, against a person,
about something.

Comprise persons/things (no

prepositions after comprise.

Conform to a pattern.
Consist of several things.
Die of a disease.
Differ with a person, on something, from a
person, in some quality.
Dream of something.
Enter a place, into an agreement.
Entrust a person with something,
something to a person.
Escape from something, but escape
punishment.

VERBS + PREPOSITIONS.
Feed on grass.
Feel for a person
Fly into a range.
Furnish a person, room, building/ with
something.
Hope for something.
Inquire of a person, about a person,
some matter, into an accident.
Insist on doing something.
Jump at an offer, to a conclusion.
Knock at a door.
Look for something/ on, upon a person
as a friend.

VERBS + PREPOSITIONS.

Object to something.
Part from a person, with something.
Persist in doing something.
Play a game, on a piano.
Prefer something to another
Prepare for something
Protect someone for something.
Provide someone with something, for the
family.
Present someone with something, something
to someone.
Put up with a person, at a place..
Refer to a person/thing.
Remind someone of something
Resort to some action.

VERBS + PREPOSITIONS.

Supply a person with something,

something to a person.
Suspect someone of something.
Sympathize with a person, in his
difficulty.
Think of a person / something.
Wait for a person/ something to
happen.
Wish for something.

Verbs coming after a preposition

will ordinarily be in the ing form.

I object to his coming here.

There was no difficulty in locating the
house.
He insisted on taking his car.
He was charged with stealing a
scooter.
The prepositions but and except can be
exceptions.
Eg. He did nothing but agree with
everything.
The girl sat there doing nothing except
grumble.

Exercise-1. Fill in the blanks using

suitable prepositions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Vimal goes. school nine.

The seedling grew..a tree.just three
years.
King Lear was written . Shakespeare
who was borne 1564.
I was born .Mannar, a small village.
Kerala, but now I live Delhi.
. the morning, father goes .a walk.
I begin my day a cup of coffee
prepared by mother.
the summer holidays, we go .my
grandmother's place .
Indira was punished.her teacher.
Copying her neighbor's book.
Mohan did not attend the class.Monday.
She has been away Sunday.

Exercise-1. Fill in the blanks using

suitable prepositions...

11. He goes .bed..10 o clock and

gets up.sunrise.
12. My father goes ..his office .
Bus while we go school .foot.
13. Go the station and look . a
person ..a long beard.
14...what time do you get up. the
morning?
15. The bus stop was the other
side .the road; so we walked
the road and waited .the bus stop.

Exercise-2. Fill in the blanks

using correct prepositions.

1.The Venad express leaves.9 a.m.; you

should be .the station 8.40.
2.India was invaded...China...1962.
3.The man you were talking .is married
.my cousin.
4. Soon after it took offthe airport, the
plane fell ..the sea.
5. He compliedthe orders of the court
and looked ..the children.
6. I bought mangoes .Rs.20 a dozen a
fruit vendor .the market.
7. The boy was honoured .the Government
..playing .piano continuously .24 hours
..just one break.
8. He looked the room his pen, but
.success.

Exercise-2.

9. The Minister, accompanied some

officials, passed..the area
..stopping .any place.
10. She was accustomed ..the
moods .her husband who often flew
.a rage ..nothing.
11. I am inclined .agree .you, and
get rid .my lazy servant.
12. We set off.a hurry as we wanted
to catch .. the advance party.
13. He is aiming .completing his
work .the end of July.
14. The soldier was presented .a
medal..the gallantry shown him
. the time .attack.the enemy.

Exercise-2..

15. You will feel the effectthe

medicine only if you abstain ..
smoking.
16. The two brothers had nothing
commonthem.
17. The programme was over
midnight and we reached home only
.1.30 a.m.
18. The cutting down .trees upsets
the balance.nature and often
results.natural calamities.
19. He was arrested the police and
charged ..theft.
20 .spite.quarrelling ..her, he
went..saying that he was . love
.her.

words followed by Prepositions

with:
Abound with
Alliance with
Busy with
Cope with
Accordance with
Acquaintance with
Clash with
Charge with
Collide with
Correspond with
Disagree with
Disgusted with
Enmity with
Grapple with
Infactuate with
Meddle with
Pleased with
Part with
Satisfied with

Afflict with
Bargain with
Comply with
Credit with
Alternate with
Beset with
Disgrace with
Endow with
Remonstrate with
View with
Sympathise with
Tamper with
Fed up with
Infect with
Intoxicate with
Overcome with
Provide with
Supply with
Side with

to

According to
Alternate to
Alien to
Contribute to
Essential to
Forbid to
Indebted to
Menace to
to
Accustomed to
Apply to
Conductive to
Detrimental to
Entitled to
Faithful to
Insensible to
Married to
Priority to
Sentenced to

Adverse to
Attribute to
Conform to
Devoted to
Extend to
Give to
Just to
Prefer to
Allude to
Akin to
Congenial to
Due to
Exposed to
Indifferent to
Loyal to
Married to
Peculiar to
Superior to

Acquit of
Ashamed of
Aware of
Beware of
Cause of
Composed of
Convict of
oft
Accuse of
Afraid of
Assure of
Bereft of
Boast of
Complain of
Conscious of

Into:

Divide into Probe into

at

Aim at

from:

Abstain from Alight from Debar from Derive from

Differ from Deviate from Dissociate from Escape from
Emerge from Exempt from Prevent from Preserve from
Prohibit from Protect from Recover from

Jeer at

Throw at

us

Difficulty in

On:

Comment on Confer on Congratulate on Converge on

Focus on Incur on Insist on Intrude on Research on Opinion on

Employ in Interest in

Succeed in

Of: Deprive of Desirous of Full of Jealous of Proud of

Subversive of Suspect of Devoid of Disapprove of Guilty of

Oblivious of Repent of Sure of Lure into Translate into
Jump at Lash at Delight in Dressed in Engage in Involve in
Versed in

for

Leave for Plan for

Plead for Long for
Sympathy for Thank for
Wish for
Deal with (Somebody)
Deal in (goods)
Die of (Disease)
Die from (other reasons)
Key of (a door)
Key to (a problem)
Put out (light)
Put off (a match etc)
Fill with (energy, enthusiasm)

Fill in (a form)
Take up (a job)
Take to (some hobby)
Tear off (remove)
Tear up (to pieces)
Inquire into (matter)
Inquired of (person)
Look at (consider)
Look to (for some help)
Part from (people)
Part with (things)
Come/ go by (bus, car)
(The word Preposition means U
which is placed before. Particu
prepositions follow certain ye:
nouns, adjectives and participle
;1]