Prepositions are (usually) short words and they act to connect the people, objects, time, and locations of a sentence. Generally, prepositions are placed in front of a noun (= substantiv) or a pronoun (= pronomen).
Examples of prepositions: in, to, on, over, of, after.
The apple was in the basket.
I gave it to him.
The computer was on the desk.
He threw the ball over the house.
I was born after World War II.
There are three main types of prepositions:
1) Prepositions of Time
Time prepositions are used to indicate when something happened, happens, or will happen. Examples: at, on, in, before, after.
Example sentences
He reads in the evening.
I go to work at 8:00 a.m.
The weather is warm in May.
Mary works on Saturdays.
They go to bed at midnight.
John exercises on Wednesdays.
2) Prepositions of Place
Place prepositions are used to indicate the placement of something. Examples: on, in, at, under, inside.
Example sentences
The cat is on the table.
They met at the airport.
The girls are at the entrance.
Jim is in France.
The dog is under the table.
The key is inside the house.
3) Prepositions of Direction
Direction prepositions are used to indicate how someone or something moves from one place to another. Examples: to, through, across, into.
Example sentences
She drove to the store.
Mike travelled across America.
The train passes through the tunnel.
Jane went into the room.
The bullet went through the window.
We stared into the darkness.
42 COMMON PREPOSITIONS | ||||||
aboard | about | above | across | after | against | along |
among | around | at | before | behind | below | beneath |
beside | between | beyond | by | despite | down | during |
for | from | in | inside | into | near | of |
off | on | onto | outside | over | since | through |
to | toward | under | until | up | upon | with |