Prepositions
Prepositions are short words (at, in, on) which are used to show position, location, direction, and time in English. This in-depth AgAury.ru's tutorial will take you from basic usage to advanced verb + preposition combinations. It includes dozens of preposition exercises as well as the answers to common preposition questions.
Learn Prepositions
The following pages explain different types of prepositions and how they are used. After reading these pages, test what you have learned with the exercises below.
- Position Prepositions - on the table, under the bed, in the room...
- Direction Prepositions - into the house, up the stairs, across the street...
- Location Prepositions - at work, in class, on the bus...
- Time Prepositions - on Monday, in October, at noon...
- Complete Prepositions List - all prepositions with example sentences.
Verbs + Prepositions
There are many verb + preposition combinations in English. Some English verbs take prepositions to show direction or position (go up, go down, go in, etc.) These combinations are easy to learn.
But some verbs require prepositions to take objects (depend on her, joke about him, laugh at them, etc.) These combinations are harder. The best way to learn them is by reading English books and speaking with native speakers. To help English learners, we have put together a great list of the most common verb + preposition combinations with example sentences.
Phrasal verbs
Some verbs can be followed by different prepositions. This can change the meaning of the verb. For example, turn, turn off, turn back and turn down all have very different meanings. These special verb + preposition combinations are called phrasal verbs, and they take time to learn.
Read through our phrasal verb page, which talks about different types of phrasal verbs and how they are used. There is also a phrasal verb dictionary with definitions and examples. Afterwards, test your knowledge with the exercises below. Practice makes perfect.
Common Questions about Prepositions
What is a prepositional phrase?
What is the object of a preposition?
Can you end a sentence with a preposition?
Where can I learn adjective + preposition combinations?
Where can I learn noun + preposition combinations?
Gerunds often come after prepositions. Where can I learn about gerunds?
Prepositional Phrase
What is a prepositional phrase?
A prepositional phrase is a collection of words made up of a preposition followed by a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause which serves as the object of that preposition.
Examples:
- She talked about the story.
- She talked about Tom's funny story.
- She talked about what Tom said.
If you want to use a verb in a prepositional phrase, you need to use a gerund (-ing noun made from a verb) or a gerund phrase.
Examples:
- John is interested in painting.
- John is interested in painting portraits.
Remember that the noun in a prepositional phrase is serving as the object of the preposition, so an object form is necessary. With pronouns, this means you must use the object form of the pronoun (me, him, her, us, them).
Examples:
- Nate spoke to John and me.
- The book about him is very funny.
- John had dinner with them.
How do you use prepositional phrases?
Prepositional phrases are often used after verbs which require prepositions.
Examples:
- She stared at the man and his wife.
- Frank searched for his car keys.
Prepositional phrases are also used to modify nouns, verbs, and adjectives. When they modify nouns, they are behaving like adjectives, so we call them adjective phrases. When they modify verbs or adjectives, they are behaving like adverbs, so we call them adverbial phrases.
Examples:
- The book on the table is mine. "
- I put the book down with force.
- Jane seemed fascinated by Garrett's story.
Prepositional phrases can even modify the nouns in other prepositional phrases.
Examples:
- John learned Japanese by practicing with native speakers.
- I put the book on the table in the kitchen.
More Prepositional Phrase Examples
- Robin was angry about the comment.
- After work, I always go to the gym.
- There's a snake under the tree.
- I was exhausted from skiing all day.
- Tina wanted to know about where I grew up.
- The photo of them was pretty good.
- John laughed at Rob and me.
- The woman next to him on the plane had a huge bag on her lap.
- The house on the hill was built by a man from Kentucky.
- I looked under the bed, in the closet, and behind the couch, but I couldn't find the cat.
Object of a Preposition
Nouns or noun phrases which follow prepositions are known as objects of those prepositions.
Examples:
- on the table
- in water
- to him
- with the little girl
- beside her husband
- outside the house
- in one hour
All of the nouns or noun phrases in italics above serve as objects of the prepositions. Together, the preposition and the noun or noun phrase is called a prepositional phrase.
Don't Forget the Object Form after a Preposition
Even native English speakers sometimes forget that after prepositions the object form of a pronoun is necessary. This mistake is most common when multiple objects are used.
Examples:
- Diane spoke with Robert and I. Not Correct
- Diane spoke with Robert and me. Correct
FUN FACT: Marilyn Monroe often intentionally made the mistake above for comic effect to convey the idea of an uneducated woman who was trying to be educated.
Can you end a sentence with a preposition in English?
SHORT ANSWER: Yes, you can end a sentence with a preposition in English. In fact, in some situations, you have to end a sentence with a preposition because there is no other choice.
LONG ANSWER: Many native English speakers are taught that they should not end sentences with prepositions. This is a matter of style rather than grammar. Unfortunately, some native English speakers will insist this style preference is a grammatical rule. This is not true. And this piece of bad advice can cause major confusion for English learners.
This myth is the result of Latin grammarians insisting that Latin grammar applied to English. However, English is a Germanic language with much more flexible preposition usage than Latin. English sentences regularly end with prepositions. In the following examples, the sentences ending with prepositions are far more natural sounding.
Examples:
- From where are you? Unnatural
- Where are you from? Natural
- In what are you interested? Unnatural
- What are you interested in? Natural
- For what did he pay? Unnatural
- What did he pay for? Natural
With direction prepositions, you often have to end sentences with prepositions.
Examples:
- Please go in. Correct
- We walked out. Correct
- Step down. Correct
Similarly, when using phrasal verbs, we frequently have to end sentences with prepositions.
Examples:
- I woke up when my alarm went off. Correct
- Will you please shut up? Correct
- Tom asked Lily to marry him, but she turned him down. Correct
Adjective + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds
The following is ONLY A SAMPLE LIST of the most commonly used adjective + preposition combinations that can be followed by gerunds.
| accustomed to |
He is accustomed to having his own office. |
| addicted to |
She is addicted to watching TV. |
| afraid of |
She is afraid of speaking in public. |
| anxious about |
Norma is anxious about making the presentation. |
| bored of |
I am bored of doing the same old job. |
| capable of |
He is capable of winning a gold medal. |
| committed to |
She is committed to improving her English. |
| concerned about |
Nancy was concerned about being late. |
| content with |
Tim is content with winning second place. |
| dedicated to |
The organization is dedicated to ending poverty. |
| devoted to |
The money will be devoted to protecting the environment. |
| disappointed with |
Fiona was disappointed with coming in third place. |
| discouraged by |
He was discouraged by not getting the job. |
| excited about |
The researcher was excited about going to Africa. |
| famous for |
That actor is famous for being extremely weird. |
| fond of |
She is fond of having picnics. |
| frightened of |
She is frightened of being alone at night. |
| guilty of |
The banker was guilty of stealing money. |
| happy about |
He was happy about winning the lottery. |
| interested in |
She is interested in becoming a doctor. |
| involved in |
He was involved in making the movie. |
| known for |
She was known for causing problems. |
| opposed to |
They are opposed to building a new road in the park. |
| proud of |
He was proud of having completed the marathon. |
| remembered for |
She is remembered for protecting mountain gorillas. |
| responsible for |
He is responsible for causing the damage. |
| scared of |
Tina is scared of being alone at night. |
| terrified of |
The surfer is terrified of being attacked by a shark. |
| tired from |
She is tired from working all day. |
| tired of |
Margaret is tired of making dinner every night. |
| worried about |
The hikers were worried about not having enough water. |
Noun + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds
The following is ONLY A SAMPLE LIST of the most commonly used noun + preposition combinations that can be followed by gerunds.
| addiction to |
His addiction to surfing the Internet is a problem. |
| advantage of |
He has the advantage of speaking English fluently. |
| anxiety about |
Her anxiety about speaking in public caused her to lose the job. |
| belief in |
His belief in not harming animals was something he learned from his mother. |
| credit for |
She took credit for improving the filing system. |
| dedication to |
His dedication to teaching was impressive. |
| delay in |
The delay in processing the visa caused problems. |
| devotion to |
His devotion to biking allowed him to win the competition. |
| disadvantage of |
The disadvantage of flying is that you can't see the scenery along the way. |
| experience in |
She has a great deal of experience in introducing new products to international markets.
|
| fear of |
His fear of flying made travel difficult. |
| fondness for |
Her fondness for traveling led to her career in the travel industry. |
| habit of |
His habit of smoking in restaurants caused many problems in California. |
| interest in |
Her career as a pilot evolved out of her interest in flying. |
| knowledge of |
Her knowledge of climbing helped her during the competition. |
| love of |
His love of singing developed when he was a child. |
| memory of |
Their memories of traveling in Africa will stay with them forever. |
| preference for |
I think his preference for speaking his native language is natural. |
| process of |
The process of painting such a large mural is more complicated than you might think. |
| reaction to |
His reaction to winning the prize was quite funny. |
| reason for |
The main reason for taking the course is to improve your language skills. |
| regret for |
The criminal's regret for committing the crime did not convince the judge. |
| report on |
The magazine's report on choosing the right car was not well researched. |
| reputation for |
Her reputation for lying is well known. |
| responsibility for |
His responsibility for completing the project on time was acknowledged by the company. |
| story about |
I don't know if I believe his story about seeing a UFO. |
| talent for |
His talent for learning languages was impressive. |
