Prepositions - Beginner Level

What are Prepositions?

Prepositions are words that tell us where, when, or how something happens. They connect nouns or verbs with other words in a sentence. Prepositions help us show the time, place, or direction of something.

Types of Prepositions

There are different kinds of prepositions. Let’s look at some of them:

Prepositions of Place: These tell us where something is. Examples: in, on, at, under, above, next to, near, behind, between, by.
Prepositions of Time: These tell us when something happens. Examples: at, on, in.
Prepositions of Direction/Movement: These show movement to a place. Examples: to, into, onto, over.
Prepositions of Manner: These show how something is done. Examples: by, with.

What do they do?

Prepositions help to explain where, when, or how something happens. For example:

In: We use "in" for large places, like countries, cities, or rooms. And to say that something is in something else.
On: We use "on" for surfaces, like tables or walls. And to say that something is on something else.
At: We use "at" for specific places or times, like "at the bus stop" or "at 5 o'clock."
Under: We use "under" to show that something is being covered by something else.
Above: We use "above" to show that something is higher than something else but not touching it.
Next to: We use "next to" to show that something is very close to the side of something else.
Near: We use "near" to show that something is close to something else.
Behind: We use "behind" to show that something is at the back of something else.
Between: We use "between" to show that something is in the middle of two things.
On: We use "on" as a preposition of time to indicate specific days or dates.
In: We use "in" as a preposition of time to say something happens in a period of time, such as seasons, months, or years.
To: We use "to" to say something is going from one place to another place.
Into: We use "into" to say something is going from outside to inside a place.
Onto: We use "onto" to say something is going to the top of something else.
Over: We use "over" as a preposition of movement to say that something is going above or higher than something else.
By: We use "by" to show the position of something close to something else or that something is being done by someone.
With: We use "with" to show that someone is doing something with someone else.

Types of Prepositions with Examples

There are different types of prepositions. Let’s look at some examples of them:

Preposition	Type	Example
in	Place	The cat is in the box.
on	Place	The book is on the table.
at	Place	We are at the park.
under	Place	The dog is under the chair.
in	Time	The meeting is in the morning.
on	Time	We will meet on Monday.
to	Direction	She is going to the store.
with	Place	I am going to the park with my friend.
behind	Place	The car is behind the house.
above	Place	The picture is above the sofa.
near	Place	The school is near the park.
by	Position	The chair is by the window.
by	Means/Agent	The song was written by the musician.
between	Place	The ball is between the two chairs.
next to	Place	The bakery is next to the supermarket.