Preposition TEST

Total English Prepositions Test 001
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Prepositions: 06

Why prepo­si­tions are important?
Unfor­tu­nately, most of our early encoun­ters with writ­ten form of com­mu­ni­ca­tion is via Instant Mes­sag­ing or SMS ser­vices. These modes of com­mu­ni­ca­tion are essen­tially one to one form of online com­mu­ni­ca­tion. These forms of online com­mu­ni­ca­tions are pri­mar­ily per­sonal in nature. Offi­cial com­mu­ni­ca­tion calls for proper chan­nels of com­mu­ni­ca­tion fol­low­ing the rules of gram­mar. To achieve proper gram­mar, one has to iden­tify the basic parts of speech. Prepo­si­tions are one of the eight parts of speech.
What is a preposition?
Prepo­si­tions are link­ers. They link a groups of words. Nouns, pro­nouns and phrases to other parts in a sen­tence. Prepo­si­tions indi­cate the rela­tion between things in a sen­tence. A prepo­si­tion locates a noun and links it to the other part of the sen­tence. Sim­ply put, prepo­si­tion is a part of speech which intro­duces a prepo­si­tional phrase.
Let’s exam­ine some exam­ples:-
1) The cat sleeps on the sofa.
Here on is the prepo­si­tion and it intro­duces the prepo­si­tional phrase “the sofa”.
2) We drove to the store.
Here to is the prepo­si­tion and it intro­duces the prepo­si­tional phrase “the store”
Golden Rule:
Prepo­si­tion can only be fol­lowed by a noun or a sen­tence depend­ing upon the preposition.
Par­ti­cle and Prepositions
Prepo­si­tions do not alter the mean­ing of the verbs pre­ced­ing them. Par­ti­cles are phrasal verbs i.e. they are a part of the phrase.
Jack ran up the bill.
In this exam­ple, ran up is a phrase. Hence here up is a par­ti­cle.
Jack ran up the hill.
Here, up is used as a preposition.

Prepo­si­tion

Con­fus­ing Prepositions Let’s exam­ine some of the con­fus­ing prepo­si­tions.
1) At/On/In
At prepo­si­tion is used to men­tion a par­tic­u­lar time. E.g. At mid­night.
On prepo­si­tion is used for cer­tain dates and days .E.g. On his anniver­sary.
In prepo­si­tion is used for period of time. E.g. In an year.
2) For/While/During/Since
For prepo­si­tion is used to express a period of time. E.g. I have been on this case for two years now.
While prepo­si­tion is used when more than one action is involved. E.g. The thief sneaked into their houses while they were holidaying.
Dur­ing prepo­si­tion is used to indi­cate the dura­tion of the action. E.g. He learnt gui­tar dur­ing his sum­mer vacation.
Since prepo­si­tion is used with a spe­cific date or time. E.g. They have been liv­ing here since 1990.
Some Com­mon Prepo­si­tions
• aboard
• about
• above
• across
• after
• against
• along
• amid
• among
• anti
• around
• as
• at
• before
• behind
• below
• beneath
• beside
• besides
• between
• beyond
• but
• by
• con­cern­ing
• con­sid­er­ing
• despite
• down
• dur­ing
• except
• except­ing
• exclud­ing
• fol­low­ing
• for
• from
• in
• inside
• into
• like
• minus
• near
• of
• off
• on
• onto
• oppo­site
• out­side
• over
• past
• per
• plus
• regard­ing
• round
• save
• since
• than
• through
• to
• toward
• towards
• under
• under­neath
• unlike
• until
• up
• upon
• ver­sus
• via
• with
• within
• without

Prepositio: 02

PREPOSITIONS
Insert the correct preposition in the spaces provided.

1  Examples: (time)
The meeting will be held in a few days. (= in a few days’ time)
The meeting will be held in May. (in + a month)
The meeting will be held on 15th May. (on + a day + a month)
The meeting will be held on Tuesday. (on + a day of the week)
The meeting will be held at the weekend¹.
   I came to live here in 1981. (in + a year)
I’m sorry, but I can’t come at² Christmas. (at + a public
   holiday)
   I’m sorry, but I can’t come on Christmas Eve. (a specific day)
What are you doing at the moment/at present. (set phrases)
a  Do you think she will come __________ Easter?
b  My late wife died __________ 1996.
c  He’s having a urine test __________ Thursday.
d  He suffered a nervous breakdown __________ November.
e  We are having a party __________ two weeks. Would you like to
come?

2  Examples:
We always go to the same holiday resort in (the) summer. (in +
a season)
She met him on a summer’s³ night. (more specific than in
   the summer)
   They saw the patrol car at half past ten. (at + the time)
I’ll have finished at the end of the month. (at the beginning
or end of a period of time)
We don’t like going out at night⁴. (at + night, midday, etc.)
   I get up early in the morning. (in the morning, afternoon,
evening)
I’m going to the concert on Friday evening. (a particular
evening)
Mark Twain (pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens) was born in
   the nineteenth century. (in + a century)
She learnt to swim at (the age of) six.
a  We left home __________ sunset.
b  I’ve invited some friends to dinner __________ Christmas Day.
c  Everything happened __________ a winter’s morning.
d  Will you be ready __________ dinner time?
e  She went to university __________ 25.

3  Examples:
I haven’t seen a koala bear for⁵ years (and years)/three
   months/a week/ages/a long time.
   It has rained a lot for the last week/hour.
I haven’t seen a koala bear since (conjunction) I last went
   to Australia/I was a child/we arrived.
It has been pouring down with rain since (preposition) two
   o’clock.
I haven’t seen her since Monday/last week/1980/October.
   A large number of people lost their lives during/in the
   Second World War.
   We didn’t meet each other during/at the concert.
   I felt sick during⁶ the meal.
For expresses how long something last. Therefore, it is followed
by plural nouns or expressions containing a(n). Since indicates
that something started in the past and has just stopped or is
still going on. During tells us when something occurs. At times,
other prepositions are possible in place of during, as in the
sixth and seven instances above. However, the meaning may
change. At the concert means ‘in that place’; but during the
concert, ‘in that period of time’. There is not much difference
between ‘during the Second War World’ and ‘in the Second War
World’.
a  She didn’t get nervous __________ the interview.
b  It had been sleeting __________ over two hours.
c  Those hills have been veiled in mist __________ early this
morning.
d  He worked as a sales manager representative __________ three
years before he retired.
e  She didn’t say anything __________ the meeting.

4  Examples:
The goods that you requested from us will be delivered within⁷
   a week. (in the period of a week, but not later, ie before a
week)
The school will be inaugurated towards⁸ the end of this month.
(a little bit ealier than the end of the month)
They will be delivered by Friday. (on Friday at the latest)
By the time (that) you’ve finished your breakfast, they will
   have left. (= When you have finished your breakfast, they will
have left.)
Make sure you arrive on time⁹. (= Make sure that you
arrive punctual.)
You should arrive in (good) time to take your plane. (= You
should arrive early enough to take your plane.)
We arrived just in time to catch the plane. (If we had arrived
a couple of minutes later, we would have missed it.)
a  ‘Don’t be late, please.’
‘Don’t worry! I’ll be right __________ time.’
b  You’ll have to leave now if you want to arrive __________ time
for school.
c  Her novel will come out __________ the end of the year. (ie,
before the end of the year.)
d  These documents should be signed __________ Tuesday. (But not
later than Tuesday.
e  If we haven’t come back __________ two days, continue the
journey.

5  Examples:
It’s twenty past¹⁰ ten. (ie, 10.20)
   It’s twenty to ten. (ie, 9.40)
I’ll be there around¹¹/round/(at) about nine o’clock. (at
approximately nine o’clock)
I’ll be very sad after your departure for the States. (= Once
you have left.)
He gave her a kiss before her departure for the States.
(The opposite of after, ie He gave her a kiss, and later
she departed for the States.)
They stayed at Peter’s home past¹²/beyond midnight. (ie,
after midnight)
They waited for her from six until/till (informal)/up to¹³
   (less usual) eight. (That is, they waited for two hours.)
We’ll wait for you until/till/up to¹⁴ eleven o’clock. (That is
to say, we will leave at eleven o’clock.)
As from/of¹⁵ next week, plane fares will be more expensive. (=
From next week onwards, plane fares will be more expensive.)
What did you do between last Monday and last Friday? (ie, from
last Monday to last Friday)
What did you do throughout/all through your summer holiday(s)?
(= during your summer holiday/holidays)
a  ‘Night is falling. Don’t be late!’
‘Don’t worry. It’ll be here __________ dark. It’ll only take
me about twenty minutes.’
b  Unfortunately, his bike had a puncture and got home __________
dark. This made his parents angry.
c  She’s got to be home at ten o’clock sharp, and it’s
already __________ ten, so her parents will get angry by the
time she gets home.
d  We’ll be here __________ eleven __________ twelve.
e  He stayed there __________ midday. Then, he went to have a walk
in the country.

6  Revision exercise.
a  He left home __________ the morning of the thirteenth of
December, and hasn’t come back yet.
b  ‘What do you do __________ the evenings?’
‘I read or watch TV.’
c  ‘Where’s the baby’s bottle?’
‘I don’t know. I haven’t seen it __________ you last fed her.’
d  You have a bus to catch, so hurry up if you want to be
__________ good time.
e  They have been complaining __________ the beginning of the week.
I wish they would stop complaining.
f  I sent them a letter __________ the beginning of the week. I
think they will have got it __________ now.
g  He’s been out of a job __________ a long time.
h  You’ve been nosing about in my bedroom __________ half an hour!
i  __________ my last visit to Singapore, I had a great time.
j  ‘I need this report __________ Wednesday evening.’
‘Don’t worry. You’ll have it __________ Wednesday.’ (Maybe a
bit earlier.)
k  They’re very keen on punctuality, so be there __________ time.
l  It’s half __________ twelve. (ie, 12.30)
m  It’s twenty __________ five. (ie, 4.40)
n  I want you there __________ eight. Please don’t be late, or
you’ll regret it.
o  I studied hard __________ the winter, and now I wish to have
some piece and quiet.
p  What do you like doing __________ weekends?
q  __________ going to Canada, he was in France __________ nine
weeks. (First, he spent nine weeks in France. Then, he went
to Canada.)
r  I’d like to have been born __________ the 1960s.
s  Everything happened __________ a wintry morning __________ May.
t  I rarely have a shower __________ night. I usually have
it __________ the morning.
u  Please pick me up __________ seven o’clock __________ the
evening.
v  The baby cried several times __________ the night, which is why
I couldn’t get a wink of sleep.
w  Could you collect a pair of shoes from the shoemaker
__________ noon?
x  School ends __________ 20th June.
y  Don’t call me __________ eight __________ the morning
__________ two __________ the afternoon, as I’ll be at
the office.
z  She got pregnant __________ 24.

7  Examples¹⁶:
There are no cigarettes in the packet. (in = inside)
There is a spider on the table. (surface)
There is a young man at the door. (It does not indicate ‘inside’
or ‘surface’, but an exact position in space; that is, he is
next to the door, at that point.)
a  They are sitting __________ the table, since they are going to
have lunch.
b  There’s somebody __________ the house. The lights are on.
c  He saw her crying __________ the window as he went away.
d  There’s a notice __________ the front door.
e  There was a man running __________ the field.

8  Examples:
He is sitting on a chair. (surface)
He is sitting in an armchair. (In here has the idea of ‘inside’,
as it is a chair with arms.)
They are at/on¹⁷ the corner. (of a street, ie in the outside
part where two walls meet.)
They are in¹⁸ the corner. (of a room, ie in the inside part
where two walls meet.)
I think she’s the most intelligent person in the world. (It
carries the idea of ‘inside’.)
I think she’s the most intelligent person on earth. (It conveys
the idea of ‘surface’.)
They are in the river. (inside, ie swimming)
She saw a small boat on the river. (surface, since the boat
floated on it.)
a  They’re __________ the corner of Cromwell Road and Earl Court
Road.
b  They were __________ a corner of the room playing cards.
c  He was sitting ___________ his favourite rocking chair.
d  Nobody __________ the world knows as much about computers as
he does.
e  When he entered the room, she was curled up __________ the
corner with a novel.

9  Examples:
Eivissa is an island on¹⁹ the Mediterranean Sea. (on + a line)
This village is not on the map. (on + a line)
The Pyrenees are on the border between the Iberian peninsula
   and France. (on + a line)
They are on a desert island/in Great Britain. (Great Britain is
a very large island.)
I own a shop on the ground floor. (on + a vertical line)
There was something written on²⁰ the front/back of the sheet
   of newspaper. (surface)
He saw them at the front/back of the church. (a point in space)
Put the goods in²¹ the front/back of the lorry. (inside)
We live in²² Oxford Street. (in + a name of a street)
We live at 20 Oxford Street. (at + the number of the house +
the name of the street)
We live at number twenty. (at + the number of the house)
We live in France/Paris. (in + the name of a country, city,
etc.)
Have you ever been to London? (= Have you ever visited London→
have been to + a place)
He has been in London for a year now. (= He has been living
in London for a year now.)
a  She lives __________ the second floor.
b  Don’t forget to put your name and address __________ the
envelope.
c  We were fishing __________ the river when two men with machine
guns appeared. We tried to run out of the water and reach the
other bank of the river, but it was useless, since they caught
us immediately.
d  It’s __________ Regent Street.
e  It’s __________ 15 Regent Street.

10 Examples:
There’s a good film on (the) television (set phrase)/at the
   Odeon (ie, a cinema, public perfomance) tonight.
They saw him at the concert. (public perfomance)
She met him for the first time at Heathrow (Airport). (The
three dimensions of the place does not interest us at all.
‘At Heathrow’ simply means ‘at that point’.)
Let’s have a drink at the pub round the corner. (The dimensions
of the pub are not important: Let’s have a drink at that point.)
There was a lot of smoke in the pub yesterday, which made my
   eyes sting. (inside the pub; the dimensions of the pub are being
considered: perhaps the pub was too small for so many people
smoking at the same time.)
The train stops at every town. (The dimensions of the place
are unimportant. We take the place as a point on a journey²³.)
a  I saw them __________ the theatre last night.
b  He talked to us __________ the party.
c  We’ll be waiting for you __________ Gatwick Airport.
d  He felt uncomfortable __________ the snack bar, as the
atmosphere was suffocating.
e  What’s __________ (the) telly this evening?

11 Examples:
She works in a bank. (We do not know what bank she works for.)
She works at the bank around the corner. (a specific bank;
the dimensions of the bank are not being regarded.)
He’s working on/at/upon a novel, project, a cure for this
   disease, etc.
He works and lives on a farm.
She’s at work/school/university/college²⁴. (set phrases)
She was/stayed at home. (The noun ‘home’ takes the preposition
‘at’ with static verbs.)
She arrived/got/reached/went²⁵ home. (The word ‘home’ does not
take the preposition ‘at’ with verbs of motion.)
He is in bed²⁶. (sleeping)
He is on the bed. (sitting)
He is in hospital. (as a patient)
He is at (= at that point)/in (inside the building) the
   hospital.
He is in prison/gaol/jail. (behind bars)
He is at (at that point)/in (inside the building) the prison/
   gaol/jail. (as a visitor)
He is in/at church. (praying)
He is in (inside)/at (at that point) the church.
a  My sister is working __________ a book for children.
b  My sister works __________ MacDonald’s.
c  My sister works __________ a restaurant.
d  My sister works __________ home.
e  My sister is going __________ home.

12 Examples:
Open your books on page 125.
   You’re not in the photo.
   The bank is on the left/right. (= on the left/right-hand
side: position)
(In a car) To the left/right. (direction)
You turned (to the) left/right. (direction)
Take the second turning to (direction)/on (the one which
is situated on the left/right-hand side: position) the left/
   right.
She’s in the sea²⁷. (swimming)
They’re at sea. (travelling by sea)
She’s at the sea. (next to the sea)
The castle is on top of the hill. (= on the hill, up on the
hill)
The castle is at the top of the hill.
a  The typewriter is __________ top of the wardrobe.
b  My father is a fisherman and is now __________ sea.
c  Let’s go for a swim __________ the sea.
d  You must read the passage __________ page 49 for tomorrow.
e  The language school is left __________ that.
____________________
¹  In American English on is used: on the weekend.
²  Notice the following:
We are now on holiday.
     Where are you going for your Christmas holiday(s)?
³  Note the following:
He met her on a summer’s/summer night.
     He met her on a winter’s/winter night.
     He met her on a spring night.
     He met her on a autumn night.
⁴  Other prepositions are also possible, but with a change of
meaning:
I never watch television at night. (We are speaking in
a general sense.)
I had to get up twice in/during the night. (ie, last night)
We’ll go by night. (ie, so as not to be seen)
In order to avoid being caught, we’ll have to travel
     by night and sleep by day.
     We had better travel during the night and sleep during
     the day, as there is less traffic at night.
     What did you do on the night of the accident? (We
are referring to a concrete night.)
⁵  Observe the following:
She bought her a sweater for her birthday. (She bought her
a sweater because it was her birthday.)
She bought her a sweater on her birthday. (She bought her
a sweater on that special day.)
I want it for tomorrow.
⁶  Over is sometimes used to mean ‘during’ or ‘while’:
I felt sick over the meal. (ie, during the meal.)
Let’s speak about it over breakfast. (ie, while we
are having breakfast.)
She stayed here over the weekend. (ie, during the weekend.)
We had a cosy chat over a snack. (ie, while we were having
a snack.)
I got to know them over the years. (ie, thoughout/during
the years.)
She didn’t say anything over/throughout/all through dinner.
(ie, while we were having dinner.)
⁷  Inside is an informal alternative to within: The goods that
   you requested from us will be delivered inside a week.
Inside of is also possible, especially in American English:
The goods that you requested from us will be delivered
   inside of a week.
⁸  Toward is also possible, chiefly in American English.
⁹  Note the following: Our train arrived bang/dead/exactly/right
   on time.
¹⁰  The word ‘minutes’ is necessary when the minutes are not
multiple of five: It’s thirteen minutes to ten. The British
and American usage sometimes differ:

British English	American English
It’s a quarter past two.	It’s a quarter after two.
It’s ten to seven. (6.50)	It’s ten of/to seven.

¹¹  Note the following:
There were (a)round/about 10,000 thousand people at
     the demostration.
     The accident happen (a)round about midnight.
     There were (a)round about nine hundred people at
     the funeral.
¹²  Past is colloquial.
¹³  It is also possible to say up until or up till.
¹⁴  See the previous footnote.
¹⁵  As of is used mainly in American English.
¹⁶  In the next sections, we are going to deal with prepositions
of place, position, movement, means, and so forth.
¹⁷  Notice the following: She hit her thigh on/against the corner
   of the dining table and got a bruise on it.
¹⁸  Note that we say in the top/bottom right/left-hand corner of
   a page: Put your name and personal code in the top left-hand
   corner of the exam paper. If we say that we are in a (tight)
corner, we are in a difficult situation that we find it hard
to avoid: I was in a tight corner when someone stole my
   luggage and money in a far-off country.
¹⁹  In some cases, upon is a formal alternative to on (position,
place and time):
Eivissa is an island on/upon the Mediterranean Sea.
     Put it on/upon the table.
     On/Upon reaching our destination, we realised that
     everyone had left. (= As soon as reached our destination,…)
Do not confuse on/upon (= as soon as) with in (= while):
In reaching our destination, we met several interesting
     people. (= On our way to our destination or while/when
we were reaching our destination.)
Upon cannot be replaced with on in the following instances:
Once upon a time, there were two princesses who wanted
     to marry the same prince. (set phrase)
They were very happy as their summer holidays were
     upon them. (= very near)
There is news upon the hour. (= every hour)
She awaited his arrival day upon day. (= day after day)
²⁰  Notice that we say at (last pages)/on (cover) the back of a
   book, but in (first pages)/on (cover) the front of a book.
²¹  Observe the following:
I sat in the back/front of the car.
     I sat in/at the back/front of the bus.
     She sat in the middle.
     I woke up in the middle of the night.
²²  On is used in American English: We live on Madison Avenue.
²³  We say This flight makes a stopover in London rather than
at London. This may be due to the fact that we usually
spend a night or two there.


²⁵  Observe the following:
They got to France, the concert, etc., an hour ago.
     They reached France, the concert, etc., an hour ago.
     They went to France, the concert, etc., an hour ago.
     They arrived in France, Paris, etc., last week.
     They arrived at the airport, restaurant, etc., on time.
     They arrived at an agreement, conclusion, etc., last week.

For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below.

1. Villagers spent two days prepapring their homes   the heavy rains and the likelihood of more flooding.
2. I’m afraid I’m going to find it very hard to choose   the two candidates. They are both of a very high calibre.
3. Frequent use of computer games could be as high as eighty per cent   sixteen to twenty-five-year-olds.
4. The school’s computer system is highly vulnerable   attack from people outside trying to gain access to sensitive data.
5. I was very impressed with our telecom provider. They sent a long and detailed letter   response to our recent complaints.
6. There have been improvements in exam results   the board in all secondary schools throughout the country.
7. He studied at Harvard University for three years, gaining a qualification   management and finance.
8. There should be major changes to the way passports are issued and checked   the next three to four years.
9. It is now possible to obtain liquified gas and varoius bio-fuels   an alternative to conventional petrol and diesel at many UK petrol stations.
10. The demand   people with manual trade skills such as carpentry and plumbing has recently risen greatly in the UK.
11. Even though reports of robberies have risen by thirty percent, police arrests of robbers are   an all-time low.
12. Senior politicians in all parties are calling   an end to the way many rich people can avoid paying taxes by spending part of the year out of the country.

Preposition: 03

Advanced Grammar: Dependent Prepositions (2)
For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below.

1. I have no sympathy   people who are sent to prison for stealing. No matter how poor they are, they should find an honest way to make a living.
2. If you are really serious   taking the IELTS exam, you’re going to need to do at least two pieces of written homework each week.
3. Over the years, he gradually became impervious   his wife’s comments about his chosen profession and in the end she stopped complaining.
4. One notable absence   the list of candidates for Seven Wonders of the World was the New York skyline because judges didn’t consider it to be a single structure.
5. Her rude comments at the meeting are indicative   her whole attitude to the job and her co-workers.
6. Professor Dominic Harris is a world-renowned authority   the use of the indefinite article in Shakespeare’s plays.
7. Europe and the United States are still in dispute   how much each country should pay towards the upkeep of the International Space Station.
8. The drug quinine is derived   the ground up bark of the cinchona tree, originally found in Peru.
9. Scientists are worried that a new breed of super-rat is emerging that is immune   every kind of rat poison currently available.
10. This week a senior government finance minister was forced to resign when he became implicated   a ‘cash for influence’ scandal.
11. In the UK there is currently no restriction   the number of passengers you can carry on a bicycle whereas cars and motorbikes are restricted in this way.
12. Students studying in a UK language school now need to show evidence of progress in order to be eligible   an extension to their student visas.

Advanced Grammar: Phrases with Prepositions

For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below.

1. I can’t concentrate. I’ve got a lot   my mind at the moment.
2. Can you help me? I’m   a bit of a fix.
3. If you like sport, this is a great place. There’s a lot to choose   .
4. Please be quiet, I’m trying to concentrate   my book.
5. I’ve got to be careful what I eat. Lots of things don’t agree   me.
6.   my mind, what we need in this company is a better marketing plan.
7. Don’t worry. The doctor is   his way. He’ll be here in a minute.
8. I think Pat’s really sweet. I could easily become very fond   her.
9. I haven’t met Simon, but I’ve heard a lot   him.
10. We’re not allowed to drink while we’re   duty.
11. You should try to be there   six o’clock at the latest.
12. What he said reminded me   the kind of thing my father used to say,

Most Common Prepositions

Most Common Prepositions

A through D   aboard about above absent across after against along alongside amid amidst among anti around as at atop before behind below beneath beside besides between beyond but by concerning considering despite down during

E through M  except excepting excluding following for from in in front of inside instead of into like mid minus

N through R near next of off on on top of onto opposite out of outside over past per plus regarding round

S through W save since than through till times to toward towards under underneath unlike until up upon versus via with within without

Edit

9

Jun

Basic Preposition

List of Basic Prepositions

 as
at
but
by
down
for
from
in
into
like
near
next
of
off
on
onto
out
over
past
plus
minus
since
than
to
up
with

As children develop their reading skills, they will learn the spelling and definitions of more complex words. They are introduced to prepositions and other parts of speech between the second and fourth grade. The following list shows some more advanced prepositions:

List of Advanced Prepositions

aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
around
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
during
except
following
inside
minus
onto
opposite
outside
round
since
through
toward
under
underneath
unlike
until
upon
without

Older elementary and middle school students are exposed to a variety of prepositions. This includes compound words and single words used in complex sentences.

according to
along with
alongside
among
apart from
as for
atop
because of
by means of
concerning
despite
except for
in addition to
in back of
in case of
in front of
in place of
in spite of
instead of
on top of
out of
regarding
throughout
till
up to
via
within
worth

Of course, the English language is full of exceptions. Some prepositions seem to break the rules, yet make sense in everyday language. These are called idioms. A few common examples include the following:

List of Idioms

according to
capable of
familiar with
impatient with
rewarded for
superior to
Prepositions are not always easy to identify in spoken and written language. However, they play a big part in making the English language colorful and interesting. Use this list of prepositions as a quick guide to help your student learn about prepositions.

Single words

• abaft
• aboard
• about
• above
• absent
• across
• afore
• after
• against
• along
• alongside
• amid
• amidst
• among
• amongst
• an (see “a” for usage in front of consonants.)
• apropos (“apropos of” is a common derived term.)
• around
• as (also an adverb and a conjunction)
• aside
• astride
• at
• athwart
• atop
• barring
• before
• behind
• below
• beneath
• beside
• besides
• between
• betwixt
• beyond
• but
• by
• circa, abbreviated as “c.” or “ca.”
• concerning
• despite
• down
• during
• except
• excluding
• failing
• following
• for
• from
• given
• in
• including
• inside
• into
• like
• mid (from “amid”. Usually used poetically.)
• midst (from “amidst”. Usually used poetically.)
• minus
• near
• next
• notwithstanding (also used post positionally)
• of
• off
• on
• onto
• opposite
• out
• outside
• over
• pace
• past
• per
• plus
• pro
• qua
• regarding
• round
• sans
• save
• since
• than
• through, thru (informal)
• throughout, thruout (informal)
• till
• times
• to
• toward
• towards
• under
• underneath
• unlike
• until
• up
• upon
• versus, commonly abbreviated as “vs.”, or (principally in law or sports) as “v.”
• via
• vice, meaning “in place of”^[1]
• with, sometimes written as “w/”
• within
• without, sometimes written as “w/o”
• worth

Multiple words

Two words

• according to
• ahead of
• apart from
• as for
• as of
• as per
• as regards
• aside from
• because of
• close to
• due to
• except for
• far from
• in to (contracted as into)
• inside of (note that inside out is an adverb, not a preposition)
• instead of
• left of
• near to
• next to
• on to (contracted as onto)
• out from
• out of
• outside of
• owing to
• prior to
• pursuant to
• regardless of
• right of
• subsequent to
• thanks to
• that of
• where as

Three words

• as far as
• as well as
• by means of
• in accordance with
• in addition to
• in case of
• in front of
• in lieu of
• in place of
• in point of
• in spite of
• on account of
• on behalf of
• on top of
• with regard to
• with respect to

Archaic or infrequently used

• anent
• anti (loan word)
• behither
• betwixt
• chez
• cum (Latin loan word)
• ere
• fornenst^[2]
• fornent^[2]
• gainst or ‘gainst (from against)
• neath or ‘neath (from beneath)
• outwith
• pro (loan word)
• qua (loan word)
• re (loan word)
• sans (loan word)
• ‘twixt (from betwixt)
• unto (largely supplanted by to; used in some formal, religious, or archaic contexts)
• vis-à-vis (loan word)

Not fully grammaticized

• concerning
• considering
• regarding
• worth

Preposition-like modifiers of quantified noun phrases

• apart from
• but
• except
• plus
• save

Postpositions

• ago as in “five years ago”, sometimes considered an adverb rather than a postposition
• apart as in “this apart”, also used prepositionally (“apart from this”)
• aside as in “such examples aside”, also used prepositionally (“aside from such examples”)
• away as in “five light years away”, sometimes considered an adverb or an adjective rather than a postposition
• hence as in “five years hence”, sometimes considered an adverb rather than a postposition
• notwithstanding also used prepositionally
• on as in “five years on”, also used prepositionally
• through as in “the whole night through”, also used prepositionally
• withal archaic as a postposition meaning with

Jun Preposition: 04

Rule 1.	You may end a sentence with a preposition. Just do not use extra prepositions when the meaning is clear without them. Examples:
	Correct:	That is something I cannot agree with. That is something with which I cannot agree.
	Correct:	Where did he go?
	Incorrect:	Where did he go to?
	Correct:	Where did you get this?
	Incorrect:	Where did you get this at?
	Correct:	I will go later.
	Incorrect:	I will go later on.
	Correct:	Take your shoes off the bed.
	Incorrect:	Take your shoes off of the bed.
	Correct:	You may look out the window.
	Incorrect:	You may look out of the window.
	Correct:	Cut it into small pieces.
	Incorrect:	Cut it up into small pieces.

Rule 2. Use on with expressions that indicate the time of an occurrence. Examples: He was born on December 23. We will arrive on the fourth.

Rule 3. Of should never be used in place of have. Correct: I should have done it. Incorrect: I should of done it.

Rule 4. Between refers to two. Among is used for three or more. Examples: Divide the candy between the two of you. Divide the candy among the three of you.

Rule 5.	The word like may be used as a preposition and in informal writing, as a conjunction. In formal writing, use as, as if, or as though rather than like as the conjunction.
	Examples:	Prepositional usage You look so much like your mother.
		Conjunction usage You look like you are angry. OR You look as if you are angry.