Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Understanding prepositions and prepositional phrases can greatly enhance your writing and communication, allowing you to convey precise and vivid descriptions. Learn more about prepositions and prepositional phrases in this free lesson.

Prepositions-2Download

Understanding Prepositions

Today, we’re going to explore an important part of speech: prepositions. We’ll learn what prepositions are, how they function in sentences, and look at some examples. By the end of this article, you’ll be a preposition pro, ready to tackle any sentence!

What are Prepositions?

Definition:

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and other words in a sentence. Prepositions often indicate direction, location, time, or method.

Common Prepositions:

  • Direction: to, from, up, down, into, out of, through
  • Location: in, on, at, by, next to, between, under, over, above, below
  • Time: before, after, during, until, since
  • Method: by, with, via

Here’s a list of prepositions broken into categories: TIME, LOCATION, and MOVEMENT

Time Prepositions

After

Ahead of

At

Before

By

During

Following

For

From

In

Past

Prior to

Since

Till

To

Until

Location Prepositions

Above

Across

Against

Along

Among

Around

At

Behind

Below

Beneath

Beside

Between

Beyond

By

Close to

Down

In

Inside

Near

Next to

On

Opposite

Outside

Over

Past

Round

Under

Underneath

Up

Movement Prepositions

Across

Along

Around

Away from

Down

From

Into

Off

Onto

Out of

Over

Through

To

Toward

Towards

Up

Additional Resource:

PRACTICE: Identify the Preposition

Read each sentence carefully and underline the preposition.

  1. The cat slept under the table.
  2. She walked through the park on her way to school.
  3. He sat beside her during the movie.
  4. The book is on the shelf.
  5. We traveled across the country by car.
  6. They arrived at the party before us.
  7. The dog ran around the yard.
  8. The letter is inside the envelope.
  9. She stood between the two trees.
  10. The cookies are in the jar.
  11. He put the keys on the counter.
  12. They will meet us at the restaurant.
  13. The children played near the lake.
  14. We went to the beach for vacation.
  15. She hung the picture above the fireplace.
  16. He looked under the bed for his shoes.
  17. The car is parked in front of the house.
  18. She ran into the store to buy milk.
  19. The plane flew over the mountains.
  20. He leaned against the wall.

Answer Key

  1. The cat slept under the table.
  2. She walked through the park on her way to school.
  3. He sat beside her during the movie.
  4. The book is on the shelf.
  5. We traveled across the country by car.
  6. They arrived at the party before us.
  7. The dog ran around the yard.
  8. The letter is inside the envelope.
  9. She stood between the two trees.
  10. The cookies are in the jar.
  11. He put the keys on the counter.
  12. They will meet us at the restaurant.
  13. The children played near the lake.
  14. We went to the beach for vacation.
  15. She hung the picture above the fireplace.
  16. He looked under the bed for his shoes.
  17. The car is parked in front of the house.
  18. She ran into the store to buy milk.
  19. The plane flew over the mountains.
  20. He leaned against the wall.

Prepositional Phrases: How Prepositions Work

Prepositions are usually part of a prepositional phrase, which starts with the preposition and ends with the object of the preposition (a noun or pronoun).

Example:

  • In the morning: “in” is the preposition, and “the morning” is the object of the preposition.

Usage in Sentences:

  • Direction: She walked to the store.
  • Location: The book is on the table.
  • Time: We will meet after school.
  • Method: He wrote the letter with a pen.

Examples of Prepositions in Sentences

  1. The cat jumped onto the couch.
  2. We drove through the tunnel.
  3. She sat between her friends.
  4. They arrived before noon.
  5. The keys are under the mat.

In each of these examples, the preposition connects the noun or pronoun to another word, showing their relationship.

Additional Resource:

PRACTICE: Identify the Preposition

Read each sentence carefully and underline the preposition.

  1. The cat slept under the table.
  2. She walked through the park on her way to school.
  3. He sat beside her during the movie.
  4. The book is on the shelf.
  5. We traveled across the country by car.
  6. They arrived at the party before us.
  7. The dog ran around the yard.
  8. The letter is inside the envelope.
  9. She stood between the two trees.
  10. The cookies are in the jar.
  11. He put the keys on the counter.
  12. They will meet us at the restaurant.
  13. The children played near the lake.
  14. We went to the beach for vacation.
  15. She hung the picture above the fireplace.
  16. He looked under the bed for his shoes.
  17. The car is parked in front of the house.
  18. She ran into the store to buy milk.
  19. The plane flew over the mountains.
  20. He leaned against the wall.

Answer Key

  1. The cat slept under the table.
  2. She walked through the park on her way to school.
  3. He sat beside her during the movie.
  4. The book is on the shelf.
  5. We traveled across the country by car.
  6. They arrived at the party before us.
  7. The dog ran around the yard.
  8. The letter is inside the envelope.
  9. She stood between the two trees.
  10. The cookies are in the jar.
  11. He put the keys on the counter.
  12. They will meet us at the restaurant.
  13. The children played near the lake.
  14. We went to the beach for vacation.
  15. She hung the picture above the fireplace.
  16. He looked under the bed for his shoes.
  17. The car is parked in front of the house.
  18. She ran into the store to buy milk.
  19. The plane flew over the mountains.
  20. He leaned against the wall.

Identify the Prepositional Phrase

Read each sentence carefully and underline the prepositional phrase.

  1. The cat slept under the table.
  2. She walked through the park on her way to school.
  3. He sat beside her during the movie.
  4. The book is on the shelf.
  5. We traveled across the country by car.
  6. They arrived at the party before us.
  7. The dog ran around the yard.
  8. The letter is inside the envelope.
  9. She stood between the two trees.
  10. The cookies are in the jar.
  11. He put the keys on the counter.
  12. They will meet us at the restaurant.
  13. The children played near the lake.
  14. We went to the beach for vacation.
  15. She hung the picture above the fireplace.
  16. He looked under the bed for his shoes.
  17. The car is parked in front of the house.
  18. She ran into the store to buy milk.
  19. The plane flew over the mountains.
  20. He leaned against the wall.

Answer Key

  1. The cat slept under the table.
  2. She walked through the park on her way to school.
  3. He sat beside her during the movie.
  4. The book is on the shelf.
  5. We traveled across the country by car.
  6. They arrived at the party before us.
  7. The dog ran around the yard.
  8. The letter is inside the envelope.
  9. She stood between the two trees.
  10. The cookies are in the jar.
  11. He put the keys on the counter.
  12. They will meet us at the restaurant.
  13. The children played near the lake.
  14. We went to the beach for vacation.
  15. She hung the picture above the fireplace.
  16. He looked under the bed for his shoes.
  17. The car is parked in front of the house.
  18. She ran into the store to buy milk.
  19. The plane flew over the mountains.
  20. He leaned against the wall.

Worksheet: Practice with Prepositions

Part 1: Identify the Prepositions

Underline the prepositions in the following sentences:

  1. The dog ran across the yard.
  2. She placed the flowers in the vase.
  3. We traveled by train.
  4. He hid behind the curtain.
  5. The meeting starts at 3 PM.

Part 2: Complete the Sentences

Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:

  1. The cat is hiding ___ the bed.
  2. She arrived ___ the airport early.
  3. He is going ___ his friend’s house.
  4. The picture is hanging ___ the wall.
  5. We will stay here ___ it stops raining.

Part 3: Create Your Own Sentences

Write your own sentences using the following prepositions:

  1. Before
  2. Between
  3. During
  4. Under
  5. With

Worksheet Answers

Part 1: Identify the Prepositions

  1. The dog ran across the yard.
  2. She placed the flowers in the vase.
  3. We traveled by train.
  4. He hid behind the curtain.
  5. The meeting starts at 3 PM.

Part 2: Complete the Sentences

  1. The cat is hiding under the bed.
  2. She arrived at the airport early.
  3. He is going to his friend’s house.
  4. The picture is hanging on the wall.
  5. We will stay here until it stops raining.

Part 3: Create Your Own Sentences

  1. Before: Before the movie started, we bought some popcorn.
  2. Between: She sat between her parents during the show.
  3. During: During the storm, the lights went out.
  4. Under: He found his shoes under the bed.
  5. With: She painted the picture with her new brushes.

Additional Practice

PREPOSITIONS PREP 1 Fill in the correct prepositions with the following prepositions. Some words may be used more than once.

                          about     at        by          for       from         in        of       on       to     with

 1. She learned Russian ____________ the age of 45.

 2. The book was written ____________ Mark Twain. 

3. I’ll show you the picture ____________ the palace. 

4. We can only get to the camp ____________ foot. 

5. He reminds me ____________ his old history teacher. 

6. What are you talking ____________ ?

 7. ____________ the end of next year we will have made over £ 100,000.

 8. She always gets up early ____________ the morning and goes to bed late ____________ night. 

9. I went to work ____________ Tuesday but I didn’t go ____________ Friday. 

10. You’ll have to wait. He’ll be with you ____________ a minute. 

11. Philip waited ____________ her at the movie theater. 

12. He started learning English ____________ 2005. 

13. You have to pay ____________ the tickets on the day you order them. 

14. We are very proud ____________ this company. 

15. It’s very kind ____________ you to help us. 

16. The old man suffered ____________ a heart attack.

 17. Please write ____________ pencil. 

18. It’s ____________ time you told him the truth.

 19. The manager didn’t take part ____________ the discussion. 

20. He‘s very good ____________ telling jokes. 

Comments are closed.

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑