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.

more prepositions here

 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.

more prepositions here

 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.

more prepositions here

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.

more prepositions here

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.
 more prepositions here

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.

more prepositions here

 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.")

amid / amidst
 1. There are quite a few
weeds amid the flowers in
this garden.

(amid: among; in the

middle.)

2. Amid the ruins of this

ancient village are many
interesting artifacts.

3. A person can feel quite

anonymous amidst the
hustle and bustle of a train
station.

4. Amid the performance, a

bird flew into the
gymnasium and distracted
everyone.
5. A lot of people get killed
amidst the mayhem and
confusion in fighting hand-
to-hand.

(amid / amidst: during)

6. Amid concerns about

global warming, I bought a
conference bike to promote
the concept of emission-
free transit.

7. Our luggage was

difficult to find amid all the
travel bags and suitcases.

Note: The prepositions "amid" and "amidst" have the same

meanings, but most people prefer using "amid" because it's
easier to pronounce.
 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")

behind in
 1. He fell behind in his rent,
so his landlord told him to
leave.

(fall behind in: to be late in

making payments or the
completion of work)

2. He's behind in some of

his classes, so his parents
found a tutor to help him.

(When a person is "behind in"

a class, he or she is having
trouble completing or
understanding the work that is
assigned.)

3. He's behind in his

yardwork.

4. The jockey doesn't want

to fall behind in the race.
 5. Woodrow Wilson
probably would have fallen
behind in the election
results in 1916 if he hadn't
been against U.S.
involvment in World War I.
He changed his mind in
1917 after Germany attacked
U.S. ships.

below

1. This man is standing

below the transmission
tower.

2. This building is very tall.

There are many buildings
below it that are shorter.
3. Below the ground, the
subway carries people
around the city.

4. Her head is above the

water. The rest of her body
is below the water.

5. The airplane is flying

above the clouds. Below
the clouds, it's raining.

6. These fish are far below

the surface of the water.
 7. When the temperature is
below 32 degrees
Fahrenheit and there's
snow on the ground, you
can make a snowman.

8. In boxing, it's against the

rules to hit your opponent
below the belt.

(below the belt = below the

waist)

9. She works below the

assistant manager. He's not
her supervisor, but he tells
her what to do.

between

This young mother

wanted to have her picture
taken while sitting
between her daughters.
 Which flag is flying
between the American and
the Canadian flags?

The man sitting between

the other two men feels
uncomfortable because
there's not much room on
the bench for all three of
them.

The bridge beween these

two bluffs provides a safe
crossing.

The relationship between

a doctor and a patient is
confidential.
 There's a very narrow
walkway between these
two buildings.

The fight between these

two men resulted in the
death of one of them.

This dog is sticking his

nose between the bars on
the window.
 There are many
differences between these
two men, but they're still
good friends.

A handshake is often
used to indicate an
agreement between two
people.

A plate sits between a

knife and a fork. (Although
the fork usually goes on
the left and the knife
usually goes on the right.

more prepositions here

beside
1. They're standing beside
each other.

They're standing next to

each other.

(beside = next to)

* Beside" is not the same as

"besides." Be careful not to
confuse these two words.

2. The opera house in

Sydney is beside the
ocean.

3. The cathedral is beside

the river.

4. The bacon is beside the

eggs.

5. He sat beside the

window and waited for the
truck to come.
 6. In many cities, modern
buildings are right beside
older buildings.

7. He's standing beside

the computer.

8. Do you want to sit

beside the water and have
lunch?

beyond
1. The sun is going down
beyond the horizon.

(beyond: past; after)

2. Most small children don't

go on baby swings beyond
the age of two or three.

3. Golf is a great game for

people beyond the age of
65.
4. If you go beyond these
signs, you might crash into
another car.

5. Beyond this pasture,

there's a river and some
small mountains.

6. If they can't get beyond

their differences, they might
split up.
7. He can't play very much
on the guitar beyond a few
simple chords.

8. Do you think life exists

beyond our planet?

9. Human beings can go

beyond the planet Earth to
explore new places.
 but

1. He teaches nothing but music

all day long.

2. All but one person left the

movie theater.

3. He left the house this morning

wearing nothing but a hat and
shoes. (The police soon arrested
him.)

4. He takes nothing but cash for

the work that he does.

(He only takes cash.)

5. You should stay away from that
guy. He's nothing but trouble.

6. She does everyone's job but

her own. She needs to do her own
work before she helps others.

7. All but one country on the

planet share a continent with
other countries. Only Australia is
by itself.

8. Before someone testifies in a

court of law or a hearing, the
person is asked, "Do you promise
to tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth?"
 by

1. She's sitting by her

computer and talking on
the phone.

(by = next to)

2. These beautiful
buildings are by the water.

Would you like to live or

work by a river or a lake?

3. These office buildings

are by a park.
4. They're sitting by each
other and watching a
movie.

5. You can learn English

by going online.

(by = method. When "by"

means method or way, it's
usually followed by a
gerund.)

What's a gerund?

6. You can split wood by

using an axe.
 7. He's a loan shark. By
making loans at high
interest rates, he has
become very rich.
However, he's not a good
person to do business
with.

8. He's a surfer. He rides

on ocean waves by using
a surfboad.

9. You can get around this

city very easily by bus.

(by = method of
transportation: ...by bus,
....by train, .....by car, .....by
taxi, .....by plane, etc.)
10. The fastest way to get
around this city is by
subway.

11. He needs to get to his

meeting by 5:30.

(by = before)

12. These buildings used

to stand side-by-side until
they fell down.

(side-by-side = together)
 despite

1. Many people never try

making their own bread
despite the simplicity of the
bread-making process.

2. Despite the low-cost of

commuting by train versus
commuting by car, many
Americans still choose to drive
a car to work.

3. Tony is going to use an axe

to cut down a tree in his
backyard despite a lack of
experience with axes.

4. Despite a weather forecast

of heavy rain, Dave and
Belinda decided to go
camping.
5. Beekeeping is an interesting
and important occupation
despite the dangers of getting
stung by bees.

6. Despite the feelings of his

coworkers, Robert turns the
radio up a little too loud when
he's at his desk.

7. I woke up late this morning

despite setting my alarm clock
for 5:30 a.m.
 down

1. She's walking down the

steps.

(note: the word "steps" is

preferred over "stairs" in
this case because the
location is outside.)

2. They're canoeing down

the river.

3. The train is coming

down the track.
 4. Water is flowing down
the side of a cliff.

(This is a waterfall.)

5. She's sliding down the

railing on her skateboard.

6. Don't let your money go

down the drain.

(down the drain: water goes

down the drain, but when
it's money, that means you
are wasting your money or
you are not spending it
wisely.)
 7. The buffalo is lying down
in the dirt.

8. These children are lying

down in the snow.

9. He's upside down.

10. So is he. This monkey

is hanging upside down.

during

1. She's at work during the

day.
2. There were a couple of
people talking during the
movie.

3. He was a soldier during

World War II.

4. He plays a lot of golf

during the summer.

5. They get together

during the day for tea.
6. He tries to take a nap
during the afternoon.

7. During the day, she

goes to school.

8. She likes to spend time

outside during the
summer.

9. He worked on his
computer during the flight.

except
1. He likes to play all sports
except soccer.

(except = but not. He doesn't like

to play soccer.)

2. Except for when it snows, they

spend a lot of time outdoors.

Note: This example uses "except" as

a conjunction.

3. Normally, I eat healthy food

except for donuts.

4. Except for his keyboarding

skills, he's pretty good at using a
computer.
5. I remembered to bring
everything today except my keys. I
forgot them at home.

6. The mail is picked up from this

mailbox every day except Sunday.

7. He gets along with everyone

except his wife.

(He doesn't get along with his

wife.)
8. She gets along with everyone
except her husband.

(She doesn't get along with her

husband.)

9. This soup tastes good except it

needs salt.

(The soup doesn't have any salt in

it.)

*This example uses "except" as a

conjunction. A clause, "it needs
salt" follows "except."

for

1. She's posing for a

picture.

2. Window boxes are great

for growing flowers.
3. Brocolli is good for you.

4. He's making some food

for his friends.

5. He works for a bank.

He needs to wear a suit for

his job.

6. This anteater is looking

for some food.
7. He's looking for a
bathroom.

8. You need to get some oil

for your car.

9. He's buying some cotton

candy for his son.

from
Aza and her friends
moved to the United
States from Russia.

This flag is from Turkey.

A: Do you know where

pineapples come from?

B: No, I don't. Where?

A: They come from

tropical areas, like Hawaii.

Sweat is dripping from his

forehead.

They're looking down on

the city from an
observation deck.
 My friend, Vanessa, got
this fresh bread from the
bakery. We had it for
lunch.

He's a mean dude. He

comes from a bad family.

This picture is from a trip I

took to Chicago. It's a
large metal sculpture by
Picasso.

The cars are leaving from

the ferry.

They came to this island

from the mainland.
 more prepositions here

in

They're both sitting in a

hot tub.

This candy comes in many

different flavors.

He's interested in staying

healthy, so he exercises
regularly.

Is the doctor in this

afternoon?

(in = available to see

patients.)
She has a cigar in her
hand.

This picture is not in color.

It's in black and white.

His company has been in

business for more than 20
years.

This zebra lives in a zoo.

The zoo is located in San
Diego.

They're in love with each

other.

She works in an office.

She's in a very good

position with the
company.
 in front of

1. They're standing in
front of their house.

2. This dragon statue is in

front of a temple.
3. The fountain is in front
of the building.

4. They sat in front of the

TV and watched a movie
last night.

5. He's sitting in front of

his computer.
 6. A dolphin leapt out of
the water right in front of
us.

7. Sometimes It's not

polite to laugh in front of
other people, especially
when they're trying to do
something serious.

8. He tries not to smoke in

front of his kids because
he doesn't want them to
pick up the habit.

9. This dog is walking in

front of its owner.
10. The teacher is standing
in front of the class.

inside

1. There are six horses

living inside the barn.

2. Something is living
inside this cave, but he's
not sure what it is.
 3. There's a lot of junk
inside my desk.

4. The inside of their house

is really beautiful.

("Inside" in this example is

used as a noun.)

5. The medicine is inside

the syringe.

6. She doesn't want to work

inside the office today
because it's so nice
outside.

7. Most of the meetings at

her company are held
inside this conference
room.
 8. The fire inside this stove
is really hot.

9. When the red flag goes

up on the mailbox, that
means there's mail inside
the mailbox.

instead of
 1. Instead of sports, he
likes academics.

or ...

He likes academics instead

of sports.

(instead of = something
replaces another thing;
something is preferred over
another thing.)

2. He chose a military
career instead of going to
college.

or

Instead of going to college,

he chose a military career.

(note: "Instead of" is often

followed by a gerund.)

What's a gerund?

3. It's better for your health

to eat a lot of vegetables
instead of a lot of meat.
 4. I prefer antique radios
instead of new ones.

5. He wants to work for

himself instead of working
for someone else.

6. They've decided to go to
work by bike today instead
of by car.

7. We had rain showers

today instead of the sunny
day predicted by the
weatherman.
 8. Instead of going out for
lunch, he usually eats at his
desk, or he skips lunch
completely.

9. He likes skateboarding
instead of other sports.

into

1. Throw the can into the

recycling bin.
2. These animals are
headed into the water for
some relief from the heat.

3. She's diving into the

water.

4. This road leads into the

mountains.

5. Some heavy fog moved

into the city from the ocean.
6. They came into the music
store to look for albums and
CDs.

7. They're very into new

music.

They're also very into each

other.

(When used as an idiom,

"into" means "to like." I'm into
rock'n'roll. She's into yoga.
We're into Indian food.)

8. He looked into the

bubbling pot to see what
was cooking inside.
 9. Around Halloween, many
people carve pumpkins into
jack-o-lanterns.

10. As she was walking, she

broke through the ice and
fell into the freezing water.

"into" is similar to "in" but not exactly the same.

near

1. She's sitting near the

pool.

2. The golf ball is very near

the cup.

3. They're standing near

the fountain.
4. This lake is near the
mountains.

5. They're fishing near the

lake.

6. They're standing near

the bike path.

7. She's near the age of 70.

8. He's not sitting near
anyone.

9. She's near her

computer.

next to

They're sitting next to

each other in the movie
theater.

The dog is next to the

river
The baby giraffe is next to
his mother.

The boy is sitting next to

his father.

There's a church next to

this house.
There's a new building
standing next to a very old
building.

She's going to sleep next

to her baby.

He's sitting next to the

window.

of

1. Hundreds of people on
bikes appeared at the
event.
2. There's a box of cereal
on the kitchen table.

note: It's very hard to hear

this preposition, but it's
important to know how to
use. Many people who speak
English as a second
language make mistakes with
"of."

3. Here's a gallon of milk.

4. I'm going to have a can

of soup for lunch.

5. He's tired of doing

paperwork.
6. He's sick of his
computer.

7. This is an interesting
work of art.

8. They're very fond of

each other.

9. This block has been

treated and safey baited
where needed as of 4-25-08

(The city put down rat

poison on 4-25-08)

The word "of" is often used

with packages of food and
drinks. Click on the video, or
click here to see it on
YouTube.
 off

1. This tire is not on the

truck. It's off. It's off the
truck.

(The preposition "off" is often

used with verbs and other
prepositions such as "of.")

2. His jacket is off.

He's taking off his hat.

(The "verb" take is often used

with "off" when clothes are
removed from the body.)

3. The lights are off.

("Off" is used as an adjective

in this sentence.)
4. She's talking right now,
but soon she'll be off the
phone.

5. This airplane is off the

ground.

6. His shoes are off his

feet.

His shoes are off of his

feet.

His shoes are off.

7. The dog jumped up on

the table, but he must get
off.

(The verb "get" is often used

with "off": get off the bus; get
off the plane; get off the train;
get off the elevator. )
8. He's taking some
cheeseburgers off the grill.

(take off = remove)

9. I got this recipe for

Vietnamese-style spring
rolls off the internet.

(You get information "off the

internet" or "from the
internet.")

10. He's working right

now, but in a few hours
this police officer will be
off duty.

(off = not working)

on
He has a laptop
computer on his desk.

His feet are also on his

desk.

My friend Pedro lives in

an apartment on this
street.

She has a ring on her

finger.

He has a hat on his head.

He also has some

sunglasses on his face.
He's not going to be on
time.

She's riding on a
skateboard.

He's riding on his

father's shoulders.

The news is on TV.

She's reporting about a

house that is on fire .
 These children are
running on the beach.

He spilled ketchup on his tie.

There will be stain on his shirt and on his tie if he doesn't

clean them.
 on board

1. The passengers on board

this train are heading
towards Chicago.

Note: There's very little

difference between "on
board" and "aboard."

2. The control panel on

board the fire engine has a
lot of gauges and switches.

3. Pets are allowed on

board the flight, but they
must stay inside a pet
carrier.

4. Get on board the plane

before it leaves.
5. There isn't anyone on
board.

6. Everyone on board the

plane died when it went into
the ocean.

7. The people on board this

boat are sleeping.

8. They keep life vests on

board for every passenger
in case of an emergency.

9. They need to bring

another employee on board
because the company is
very busy right now.
 on top of

1. There's a steeple on top

of the church.

A cross is on top of the

steeple.

2. A surfer rides his

surfboard on top of the
water.

3. A clock and a statue are

on top of the building.
4. The nuts and chocolate
on top of the ice cream
taste really good.

5. A polar bear is standing

on top of the ice and
reaching underneath to
grab a fish.

6. He has a helmet on top

of his head.

("On" might be a better

choice here. "He has a
helment on his head," but
some people will use "on top
of" instead of "on."
7. It's a good idea to stay
on top of the news.

stay on top of = monitor;

watch; follow.

more prepositions here

 onto

1. This cougar jumped onto

a tree limb to get a better
view of the area.

2. Kids in Minnesota get

onto the ice as soon as the
lakes freeze in the winter.

3. This professor decided to

put his lectures onto the
internet so that more people
could hear his ideas.

4. He's onto his next

meeting.

(onto = going to)

5. The waves are crashing
onto the beach.

6. She has some very

interesting ideas about
making cars safer and
cleaner. I think she's onto
something.

7. He jumped onto the

handlebars of his bike and
rode it backwards.

8. This group of people

from The Corner Bar got
onto a conference bike and
went for a ride.
9. He's trying to fool her,
but she's onto him.

(onto a person/people = know

someone is going to try to do
something sneaky, funny, or
mean.)

10. He's a very quick

worker. He finished his last
project early, and now he's
already onto his next
assignment.

"onto" is similar to "on" but not exactly the same.

 out

1. I usually walk out

the door every
morning at 7:00 a.m.
to go to work.

2. Tina's cat fell out

the window, but it's
okay.

3. There's a big yard

out back.

out back = the

backyard

out front = the front

yard

note: There are not very many uses for the preposition
"out." It's more often used with "of" -- "out of" -- or the
word "out" is used as an adjective or as an adverb, or it's
used with gerunds as seen in the example below.

out + (gerund)

She's out shopping.

She's out grocery

shopping.

out = outside the house

The word "out" is often

used as an adjective:

We don't have any

more milk. We're all
out.

out = no more

The lightbulb is out.

out = 1. not working;

broken; 2. no electrical
power.
 She likes to go out on
the weekends.

She went out last

night.

go out = leave the

house

The word "out" is used with many different idioms and

expressions and can have many different meanings as an
adjective or as an adverb.

For example, the sentence, "He's out" could mean...

1. He's a baseball player playing offense, and he has to leave

the field.

2. He's openly gay (homosexual). Instead of keeping it a

secret, he tells people the truth about himself.

3. He's no longer a part of the organization. Someone fired

him, told him to leave, or decided not to include him in
something.

4. He's not in the office. He's out at lunch, or he's doing some
other activity outside the office.
more prepositions here
 out of

1. He's ready to come out

of the swing.

or ...

He wants to get out of the

swing.

(out of = leave)

2. It's looks like the honor

box is out of newspapers.

(out of = empty; no more)

3. He's out of practice. He
needs to practice more.

4. When I went to Jamaica,

I ran out of money and had
to get some more from the
bank.

5. She likes to get out of

the city and go camping on
the weekends.
 6. He's been out of work
for the last six months. He
really needs a job.

7. These potatoes came

out of the grounds just a
few days ago.

8. No one dresses like this

any more. Their clothes are
very out of style.

or ....

Their clothes are out of

fashion.
 outside

1. This is a beautiful place

to spend a vacation
outside the city.

2. The tourists are walking

around outside the temple.

3. He tries to get outside

the office whenever
possible.
4. Some kids left their
bikes outside the store.

5. They're outside their

house.

6. This light is left on

outside at night.
7. He's outside in the hot
sun.

8. They like to cook

outside in the summer.

(In this sentence, "outside"

is used as an adverb to
describe where "they like
to cook." )

9. She likes to be outside

in the winter.

10. The outside of a peach

is fuzzy and a little thick;
the inside is sweet and
juicy.

(In this sentence, "outside" is

used a noun: "The
outside...")
 over

1. The cow jumped over the

moon.

("over" is similar to "above"

but it's used with words that
express movement like
"go," "run," "fly," "throw,"
etc.)

2. A rainbow appeared over

the horizon when the sun
came out.

3. The firefighter ran over to

the burning house to save
the people inside.

("run over" = go to. In this

example, the word "over" is
part of the verb and not a
preposition, but I included
here because you find
"over" used with many
idioms.

idioms
 4. I love the sound of water
running over rocks in a
stream.

5. She put sunblock all over

her boyfriend's back.

6. The smoke over the house

indicates that someone is
inside.

7. Their dream is to sail all

over the world.
8. Have you ever cooked
over a campfire?

more prepositions here

 past

1. They took a walk past

the park, but they didn't go
there.

2. He drove his car past

the mountains on his way
to the ocean.

3. If you go past the store,

could you please stop and
get some tomatoes?

4. It's five minutes past

11:00.
5. It's way past his
bedtime, but he wants to
stay up and watch TV.

6. She has to work past

midnight tonight.

7. Your mind will stay

fresh past the age of 70 if
you keep learning new
things.
8. It's not a good idea to
drink or use milk that is
past the expiration date.

9. The main objective in

soccer is to get the ball
past your opponents and
into the net.

note: The words "past" and "passed" sound exactly the same,
and they are sometimes used in similar ways. For example:

 She is past the age of retirement. ("Past" is used as

a preposition to indicate the passage of time.)
 She has passed the age of retirement. (The verb
"pass" is in the form of the present participle in the
present perfect tense.)
 He got the ball past the goalkeeper. (The word "past"
is used as a preposition along with the verb "get.")
 The ball passed by the goalkeeper. (The verb "pass"
is in the past tense in this sentence.)

Wow! English is confusing sometimes!

per
 1. Gas costs about $2.80 per
gallon right now, but it will
probably increase by about
fifty cents per gallon by the
beginning of summer.

2. The speed limit on this

highway is 55 miles per
hour. (55 mph)

3. The traffic on this

crowded highway is moving
at about five miles per hour.

4. Corn prices moved up

this week to about $3.22
cents per bushel.
5. He makes $14 per hour as
a pizza chef. ($14/hour)

6. It's unhealthy for elderly

people to be outside when
pollution gets to 65 parts per
billion over a 24-hour period.

7. The average American

eats about 23 pounds of ice
cream per year.
8. The train is moving
through the subway at about
35 miles per hour.

per = a / an / every

more prepositions here

 regarding

1. I have some questions for my

doctor regarding some pain in my
lower back.

(The preposition "regarding" is very

similar to "about.")

2. The president of the company

held a meeting regarding the
progress of the company over the
last year.
 3. Vince is talking to someone on
the phone regarding a new
business opportunity.

4. There is some very interesting

and new information regarding
baby formula.

5. Alyson got an email and some

twitter updates regarding a party
this Friday.
6. There was a story in the
newspaper today regarding tax
cuts.

7. The news story regarding the

death of Osama bin Laden was
very unexpected.

more prepositions here

 through

1. He's walking through a

revolving door.

(Click here to see how I

make this word. You must
put your tongue to your teeth
to make the "th" sound.)

2. He's going through the

drive-thru to pick up some
food.

3. Buses and cars drive

through the city.

4. She rode through the

forest on her horse.
 5. The sun is peeking
through the clouds.

6. I ride my bike through

this tunnel almost every
day.

7. Whales swim through

the ocean.

8. He's swimming through

the water.
9. They're looking through
some albums at a used
record shop.
 throughout

1. The internet connects

people throughout the
United States and
throughout the world.

(throughout = in many places)

2. The American flag is

recognized throughout the
world as a symbol of
freedom and democracy.

3. He's on his cell phone

throughout the day.

(throughout = during)
 4. He drinks water
throughout the day when he
has to work outside on a
hot summer day.

5. There are mice

throughout the house, so
they set up mousetraps and
found a cat to help get rid
of them.

6. There are many talented

people throughout this
company who have helped
to make it successful.

7. She's had many

interesting experiences
throughout her life.
 8. He will face many
challenges throughout his
life.

9. She's had many different

positions throughout her
career.
 to

He brought his radio to

the beach.

They have been married

to each other for five
years.

He walks to school every

day. After school he walks
home.
He's listening to the
ocean in this shell.

George rode to the town

on his horse.

This is the entrance to

Rudolph's house.
 He needs to write a letter
to his aunt, but he doesn't
know what to write.

(note: the other uses of

"to" are in the form of
infinitives--not
prepositions.)

What are infinitives?

Click here and then
come back.

Last year we took a trip to

New York.
 Next year we hope to go
to Venice.

If you walk all the way to

the top of this hill, you are
in very good shape.

He needs to bring his cat

to the vet.
This student didn't pay
attention to the teacher
and now he doesn't know
what to do.

more prepositions here

 toward / towards
(Both words have about the same meaning, so you can choose which one to use.)

1. The boy and the girl are

walking towards the water.

2. The balloon is flying

toward the mountains.

3. They're coming towards

a boat.

4. He swam towards the

other side of the pool.
5. They've been driving
towards the mountains all
morning.

6. When a bat flew towards

his head, he ran away.

7. Look towards the

camera.

8. She's pointing towards

an interesting building.

9. The world is moving

toward more and more
online communication.
10. She's working toward
getting a college degree
online.

11. He's flying towards a

new planet.

more prepositions here

 under

1. The cat is under the chair.

2. This boat is going to go

under the bridge.

3. A subway is a train that

travels under the ground.
 4. They're selling fruit and
vegetables under the
protection of these colorful
umbrellas.

5. These greens hills look

stunning under a clear blue
sky.

6. This bridge is under

construction.
7. I'm under the care of a
very good doctor.

8. He doesn't like to work

under the man who's his
boss.

9. We're under a tornado

warning. Someone saw a
funnel cloud and reported it
to the government weather
service.
 10. He's a scuba diver. He
goes under the sea to look
for interesting things.

(You can say "under the

ocean," "under the sea," or
"under the water." They all
mean pretty much the same
thing.)

more prepositions here

 underneath

1. The cat is hiding

underneath a chair.

2. They're sitting
underneath an umbrella.

3. She's protected from the

sun underneath an
umbrella.

4. These gazelles are

staying cool underneath a
shady tree.
 5. The sand underneath his
feet feels soft.

6. The fire underneath the

beef is perfect for a
barbeque.

7. He remains anonymous
underneath his sunglasses.

(anonymous = unknown; a
person whose identity is
not revealed.)

8. It's hard to tell if that's a

man or a woman
underneath all that make-
up.

How many sentences can you write using the word "underneath"?
 until

1. The sun doesn't rise

until after dawn.

(dawn = the time just before

the sun comes up; the light
that appears before the sun
rises)

2. It's still light outside until

dusk.

(dusk = the time after the sun

goes down; the light in the sky
before the darkness, before
the moon and the stars come
out.)

3. He can't wait until winter.

(can't wait: to look foward to

something; to be happy about
a future event)
4. They can't wait until
summer.

5. She won't leave work

today until 6:30 p.m.

6. He probably wont start

walking until the age of one.

7. Fire escapes weren't put

on buildings until the end of
the 19th century.

8. Most Americans felt safe

living in the United States
until September 11, 2001.
9. He usually waits until he
gets to work to have a cup
of coffee.

(In this sentence, "until" is

used as a conjunction joining
two clauses.)
 up

1. They're traveling up the

escalator.

2. You need to walk up the

stairs to get to the temple.
3. The arrow on this sign
points up.

4. Helen likes to hang up

pictures that her children
have drawn.

She puts the pictures up on

the wall in her office.

(The word "up" is often used

with verb phrases.)

5. After ten minutes of

work, their tent is up.

("Up" is used as an adjective

in this sentence.)

6. This hot-air balloon is up

in the air.
7. It's dangerous to get up
close to a lion.

(get up close: get very

close; to move near
something)
 up to

1. An elephant can eat up

to 400 pounds of food in
one day!

up to: as much as; almost

2. There are some

Americans who spend up
to eight hours a day
watching television.

3. He spends up to two or
three hours on the phone
every day at work.

4. A sudden thunderstorm
flooded the srteets. The
water was up to the top of
his tires.

up to: as high as
5.

A: Which lesson are you up

to on this website?

B: I'm up to Lesson Eight

in the Yellow Level.

6. She worked her way up

to a management position
very quickly.

7. Most of the big

decisions in the company
are left up to him.

8.

A: What's Roger up to
these days?

B: Not much. He lost his

job, so he spends a lot of
time rollerblading now.

up to: this idiom is used for

activity:

What are you up to?

What are you doing?

 9. He walked up to a police
officer and asked for help
in finding his mother.

walk up to / go up to: to
address a person; say
something

more prepositions here

 via

1. Most people get around this

metropolitan area via the
expressway.

2. You can get to Canada via

Highway 61.

3. A lot of cargo comes into the

United States via large ocean
vessels such as this one.

(The preposition "via" is similar to the

way we use the word "through" when
expressing the means by which
something is done.)
4. Television programs are
broadcast all over the world via
satellite.

5. You can communicate with

anyone anywhere via the internet.

6. Communicating via Twitter has

become very popular in recent
years.

7. Many people talk to each other

via Skype.
more prepositions here
 with

Harold and Janice went to

a movie with each other
last night.

He wants to spend the rest

of his life with her.

Ali went to a swimming

pool yesterday with his
son.

Pierre has lived with his

wife for over 40 years.
She went on a long bike
ride with her father.

Even though they're very

busy, they try to eat dinner
with each other every night.

He eats his food with

chopsticks.

He likes to eat with his

hands.
She gets around town with
the help of a seeing-eye
dog.

I painted a table with these

paint brushes.

She went on vacation with

her laptop so that she
could keep in touch with
the people she works with.

I met a woman today with

purple hair and a pierced
chin.

more prepositions here

 within

1. If it rains tonight, they'll

stay dry within the tent.

(within = inside)

2. Within this cake, there's

a creamy filling.

3. The last time I bought a

dozen eggs, there were a
couple of broken eggs
within the carton.

(dozen = 12)

4. A pitcher keeps the ball

within his mitt until he's
ready to throw it.

5. After they first met, they

got married within six
months.

(within = inside an amount of

time)
6. He usually gets tired of
running within ten to fifteen
minutes.

7. If you get food from a

fast-food restaurant, your
order will be ready to go
within just a few minutes.

more prepositions here

 without

1. This baby giraffe

doesn't want to go
anywhere without its
mother.

(without = with no)

2. I like seedless
watermelon. It's grown
without any seeds. This
piece has seeds, but it still
tastes good.

3. If you have a baby, don't

send him or her out into
the cold without first
wrapping the child in warm
clothes.
4. This man is waiting for
his girlfriend to arrive. He
went to this hotdog stand
without her.

Now she's with him.

5. Marion like her tea with

sugar, but Helen likes it
without sugar.

6. He eats his food without

using a fork.

Instead, he eats his food

with chopsticks.
7. It's impossible to ski
downhill without snow.

8. Without her seeing-eye

dog, she wouldn't be able
to go anywhere safely.

9. This picture was drawn

a long time ago. The artist
drew it without adding any
color.
10. He's riding his bike
without a helmet.

more prepositions here