Prepositions

 

Preposition

🧩 What is a Preposition?

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.

👉 It usually tells us where, when, how, or in what way something happens.

It always has an object (a noun or pronoun that comes after it).

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🌟 Basic Formula:

Preposition + Noun/Pronoun = Prepositional Phrase

Example:

• on the table

• under the bed

• at school

• for her

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🧭 Types of Prepositions (with examples)

Let’s group them by function 👇

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🏠 1. Prepositions of Place (Where?)

They tell where something is.

Preposition	Example
in	The cat is in the box.
on	The book is on the table.
under	The shoes are under the bed.
behind	The boy is behind the door.
between	The ball is between two shoes.
near	The shop is near my house.
at	I’m at the bus stop.

🧠 Tip:

• in = inside (in a room, country, city)

• on = touching the surface (on the table, on the wall)

• at = point or location (at school, at home)

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⏰ 2. Prepositions of Time (When?)

They tell when something happens.

Preposition	Example
at	The class starts at 9 a.m.
on	We meet on Monday.
in	I was born in 1997.
before	Finish this before lunch.
after	Let’s talk after class.
during	I slept during the movie.
until	Wait until 6 o’clock.

🧠 Tip:

• at → for clock time (at 5 p.m.)

• on → for days and dates (on Friday, on 12th October)

• in → for months, years, seasons (in June, in 2025, in winter)

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🚗 3. Prepositions of Movement or Direction (Where to?)

They tell movement from one place to another.

Preposition	Example
to	She’s going to school.
from	He came from Chennai.
into	The dog jumped into the pool.
out of	She ran out of the room.
across	He walked across the street.
through	The train went through the tunnel.
toward(s)	He ran toward the finish line.

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⚙️ 4. Prepositions of Manner (How?)

They show how something happens.

Preposition	Example
by	She travelled by train.
with	He cut it with a knife.
like	He swims like a fish.
without	Don’t go without your ID card.

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👥 5. Prepositions of Agency or Instrument

They show who or what does something or what tool is used.

Preposition	Example
by	The poem was written by Keats.
with	The letter was written with a pen.

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📍 6. Prepositions of Possession

Preposition	Example
of	The cover of the book is torn.
with	A man with a hat came in.
without	A girl without shoes entered.

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💡 Common Preposition Confusions

Confusion	Correct Use	Example
in / at	in = inside a larger place; at = specific point	I live in Hyderabad. / I’m at the railway station.
between / among	between = 2 items; among = 3 or more	Share this between you two. / Discuss among yourselves.
since / for	since = point of time; for = duration	I’ve worked here since 2018. / I’ve worked here for 5 years.
on / over	on = touching surface; over = above without touching	The pen is on the table. / The lamp is over the table.

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🚦 Remember

1. A preposition always has an object (noun or pronoun).
   ❌ He sat on.
   ✅ He sat on the chair.

2. It usually comes before its object.
   ✅ The book is on the table.

3. Sometimes, it can come at the end (especially in questions).

   • What are you looking at?

   • This is the house I live in.

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🎯 Quick Summary

Type	Example Question	Example
Place	Where?	The keys are on the table.
Time	When?	We’ll meet at 6 p.m.
Movement	Where to?	He walked into the room.
Manner	How?	She spoke with confidence.
Agency	Who/what did it?	The song was sung by Lata Mangeshkar.