Prepositions - Intermediate Level

What are Prepositions?

Prepositions are words that connect verbs or nouns or pronouns with other words in a sentence to form prepositional phrases. These phrases provide extra details about time, place, or direction. Understanding how prepositions work with verbs and nouns helps clarify the meaning of a sentence, making your speaking and writing more accurate.

Types of Prepositions

Below is an extended list of preposition categories often encountered at the intermediate level:

Prepositions of Place: in, on, at, under, above, near, between, among, beside, behind, beyond, opposite, across, adjacent to, in front of, on top of, next to, below, beneath, and underneath.
Prepositions of Time: at, on, in, during, before, after, since, until, by.
Prepositions of Direction/Movement: to, from, out of, into, out, onto, through, toward, up, down, across, around, past, over.
Prepositions of Manner: by, with, like, as.
Prepositions of Cause/Reason: because of, due to, owing to, on account of.
Prepositions of Agent/Instrument: by, via, like, with, and on.
Compound Prepositions: in front of, on top of, out of, next to, in spite of, adjacent to.
Prepositions of Comparison: like, as, than.
Prepositions of Measure: per, by (as in "miles per hour").
Prepositions of Source: from, out of.
Prepositions of Possession: of, with.

What do they do?

Now that we have learned more prepositions, let's learn more about what they do.

Among: We use "among" to indicate being surrounded by something or included within a group.
Beside: We use "beside" to show that something is next to or at the side of something else.
Beyond: We use "beyond" to show that something is further away than something else.
Opposite: We use "opposite" to show that something is facing or across from something else.
Across: We use "across" to show that something is on the other side of something else.
Adjacent to: We use "adjacent to" to show that something is next to or near something else at an angle.
In front of: We use "in front of" to show that something is ahead of something else.
On top of: We use "on top of" to show that something is directly above something else.
In front of: We use "in front of" to show that something is ahead of something else. This is opppsite to behind.
Below: We use "below" to show that something is lower than something else.
Beneath: We use "beneath" to show that something is under something else. It is often used in place of "under" to be more polite.
Underneath: We use "underneath" to show that something is directly or closely below something else.
During: We use "during" to show that something happens within a specific time period.
Before: We use "before" to show that something happens earlier than something else.
After: We use "after" to show that something happens later than something else.
Since: We use "since" to show that something has been happening from a specific time until now.
Until: We use "until" to show that something continues up to a specific time.
By: We use "by" to show that something happens before a specific time.
To: We use "to" to show movement towards a place or direction.
From: We use "from" to show movement away from a place or direction.
From: We use "from" as a source preposition to indicate the origin of something or who something something is coming from.
Out of: We use "out of" to show movement from inside to outside a place.
Into: We use "into" to show movement from outside to inside a place.
Out: We use "out" to show movement from inside to outside a place.
Through: We use "through" to show movement from one side to the other side through the inside of something.
Toward: We use "toward" to show movement in the direction of something.
Up: We use "up" to show movement to a higher place or position.
Down: We use "down" to show movement to a lower place or position.
Across: We use "across" to show movement from one side to the other side.
Around: We use "around" to show movement in a circular motion to the other side of something.
Past: We use "past" to show movement beyond something.
Over: We use "over" to show that something is moving above or higher than something else.
By: We use "by" as a preposition of manner to indicate the method or means by which an action is performed.
With: We use "with" as a preposition of manner to indicate the tool or instrument used to perform an action.
Like: We use "like" as a preposition of manner to indicate similarity or resemblance.
As: We use "as" as a preposition of manner to indicate the role or function of someone or something.
Because of: We use "because of" to show the reason or cause of something.
Due to: We use "due to" to show the reason or cause of something.
Owing to: We use "owing to" to show the reason or cause of something.
On account of: We use "on account of" to show the reason or cause of something.
By: We use "by" as a preposition of Agent/Instrument to indicate who or what is performing the action.
Via: We use "via" as a preposition of Agent/Instrument to indicate the means or route by which an action is performed.

Types of Prepositions with Examples

Now we look at types of prepositions and how they function in a sentence:

Preposition	Type	Example
below	Place	Dolphins live below the water surface.
out of	Movement	Dolphins can come out of the water for short periods of time.
in front of	Place	The bus stopped in front of the cinema.
on top of	Place	The vase sits on top of the antique dresser, adding a touch of elegance to the room.
opposite	Place	The café is located opposite the local theater.
across	Place	We ran across the park to the other side.
adjacent to	Place	The library is located adjacent to the city hall.
through	Place	The car drove through the tunnel.
toward	Place	The cyclists pedaled toward the finish line.
up	Place	The balloon soared up into the clear blue sky.
down	Place	The skateboarder raced down the steep hill while the crowd cheered.
around	Place	The children had so much energy, they ran around the playground.
past	Place	We ran past the old bridge during our morning jog.
over	Place	The bridge spans over the broadest river in the country.
by	Manner	The portrait was painted by a renowned artist.
with	Manner	The chef garnished the dish with fresh basil and parsley.
like	Manner	She sings like an angel.
as	Manner	She works as a teacher.
because of	Cause/Reason	We are late because of the traffic.
due to	Cause/Reason	The game was canceled due to the rain.
owing to	Cause/Reason	The event was postponed owing to the storm.
on account of	Cause/Reason	The meeting was rescheduled on account of the speaker's absence.
by	Agent/Instrument	The novel was written by an acclaimed author.
underneath	Place	The treasure was concealed underneath the cover of the thick bushes.
among	Place	The secret garden is hidden among the tall trees.
beside	Place	The lamp is placed beside the sofa, adding a balanced look to the room.
beneath	Place	The treasure was hidden beneath the old oak tree, buried deep in the ground.
before	Time	The sun sets before the moon rises.
after	Time	The stars twinkle after the sun sets.
since	Time	She has been waiting since dawn.
until	Time	The store is open until 9 p.m.
by	Time	The project must be completed by the end of the week.
during	Time	She likes to listen to music during her workout.
from	Movement	The train departed from the central station.
from	Source	The letter was sent from her grandmother in Berlin .
via	Agent/Instrument	The file was transferred via a secure connection.

Prepositions Practice

Choose the correct preposition to complete the sentence.

Question 1

When I walk my dog, she always walks me.

Question 2

A valuable employee always tries to go and what is expected from them.

Question 3

The bird was spotted flying the forest and landed the tall pine trees.

Question 4

I sat the table to enjoy dinner.

Question 5

The car went the tunnel and stopped the stop sign.

Question 6

The café is located the bank.

Question 7

My best friend sits me in class.

Question 8

The students stayed in the library the exams began, and left finishing their exam.

Question 9

I have been living in this city I was born.

Question 10

The audience was laughing the show, but were crying the end of it.

Question 11

The dog ran the park and dashed the open field.

Question 12

Mary was scared of the dark, so she hid the covers.

Question 13

In a right triangle, the height the base is always a 90° angle.

Question 14

winter I wear a thick sweater with a shirt and vest .

Question 15

Excited to play the snow, the children ran the door.

Question 16

There is a beautiful forest that mountain.

Question 17

The car was speeding 200 miles hour.

Question 18

She is the kind person to volunteer at the shelter.

Question 19

The flight was delayed heavy snow.

Question 20

The price of petrol has gone up again, it now costs $5 liter.

Prepositions - Intermediate Level (B1-B2)