The Ultimate Guide to English Prepositions

Prepositions are used everywhere in English. Unless it is a very short

sentence, most sentences have some kind of preposition in them. This is
because prepositions are used to add extra information to a sentence.

Many prepositions have more than one meaning and can be used in
different situations. Below are definitions and examples that are very
common in English. Knowing how to use them is essential for English
learners.

35 Prepositions That Every English Learner Must Know How to

Use
To
Meaning 1: Expressing motion in the direction of a particular location

Example 1: “We walked to the store together.”

Meaning 2: Used before verbs in certain grammar situations, such as
present tense

Example 2: “She began to dance.”

 

At
Meaning 1: Expresses location

Example 1: “The wedding is being held at the banquet hall.”

Meaning 2: Expresses time

Example 2: “I have class at 8 AM tomorrow.”

 

From
Meaning: Used to specify a starting point

Example: “He walked home from school.”

 

With
Meaning 1: To be accompanied by

Example 1: “I went to the store with my dad.”

Meaning 2: To possess something as feature or accompaniment

Example 2: “I wore a scarf with my winter coat.”

 
Into
Meaning: To go inside of something

Example: “They stepped into the station.”

 

During
Meaning: Throughout the course or of a period of time

Example: “The dog misbehaved during the training class.”

 

Until
Meaning: up to a certain the point in time

Example: “I was a very shy person until I began high school.”

 

Of
Meaning: expressing the relationship between a part and a whole

Example: “A part of the chair was broken.”

 

In
Meaning 1: To be enclosed or surrounded by something else

Example 1: “The cat was sleeping in a cage.”

Meaning 2: Showing a period of time during which an event takes place

Example 2: “The accident happened in 1975.”

 

On
Meaning: Physically in contact with and supported by a surface

Example: “The glasses are on the shelf.”

 

By
Meaning I: Identifying the means of achieving something

Example I: “He won the game by hitting a homerun.”

Meaning 2: Identifying the agent performing an action

Example 2: “That play was written by William Shakespeare.”

 

About
Meaning: On the subject of
Example: “The movie was about pirates.”

Through
Meaning: Moving from one side to the other side of an opening

Example: “The woman walked through the grocery store aisle.”

 

Over
Meaning: To be above something; extending directly upward from

Example: “The horse jumped over the fence.”

 

Before
Meaning: Preceding a particular event, date, or time

Example: “I brushed my teeth before I ate breakfast.”

 

Between
Meaning: At, into, or across the space separating two objects

Example: “The bank is between the hospital and the corner store.”