Basic English Grammar Rules of Preposition

Table of Contents

English grammar is one of the important paper in almost all the competitive examinations. Aspirants preparing for bank exams needs to have a depth knowledge of English grammar in order to score good marks. English language includes grammar, vocabulary and reading. Practicing English language on a regular basis will definitely make it easy to score well in the examinations. Prepositions are words which link nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. Prepositions usually describe the position of something, the time when something happens and the way in which something is done, although the prepositions “of”, “to” and “for” have some separate functions. In this article let us check the Basic English Grammar Rules of Preposition

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Basic English Grammar Rules of Preposition

In this article let us have a glimpse on

Basic rules of preposition
List of common prepositions
Types of preposition
English vocabulary quiz
How Entri will help with preparation for competitive examinations.

The following are few basic guidelines to be kept in mind as we use prepositions in the sentence

1. A preposition must have an object

All prepositions have objects. If a “preposition” does not have an object it is not a preposition. it’s probably an adverb. A preposition always has an object. An adverb never has an object.

Here are some examples:

They are in the kitchen. (preposition in has object the kitchen)
Please come in. (adverb in has no object; it qualifies come)
There was a doorway before me. (preposition before has object me)
I had never seen it before. (adverb before has no object; it qualifies seen)
I will call after work. (preposition after has object work)
He called soon after. (adverb after has no object; it qualifies called)

2. A preposition cannot be followed by a verb

Verb placed immediately after preposition must be in gerund form.
Here are some examples:

He prevented me from drinking cold water.
He insist on trying again.

3. Usage of “in” and “into”

When you want to express motion toward something, use “into” rather than “in.” Reserve “in” for moments when you want to indicate a location.

Here are some examples:

I swam in the lake. (Indicating location)
I walked into the pub. (Expressing motion)
Look in the cupboard. (Indicating location)
She drove into the city. (Expressing motion)

4. Be careful on where you place the preposition

A preposition generally, but not always, goes before its noun or pronoun. One of the undying myths of English grammar is that you may not end a sentence with a preposition. Do not use extra prepositions when the meaning is clear without them. In other words, use the preposition if

needs to be there, and if it wasn’t, the meaning of the sentence would change.

Correct: That is something I cannot agree with.

Correct: Where did you get this?

Incorrect: Where did you get this at?

Correct: How many of you can I depend on?

Correct: Where did he go?

Incorrect: Where did he go to?

List of Common Prepositions

Here is a list of common prepositions:

About
Above
Across
After
Along
Amid
Among
Around
As
At
Before
Behind
Below
Beneath
Between
Because of
Down
During
Except
For
From
In
Into
Inside
Instead of
Near
Next to
Of
Off
On
Outside
Out of
Past
Round
Since
Than
Through
Till
To
Towards
Under
Underneath
Until
Unto
Upon
Without
With

Types of Preposition with Examples

The following are few types of prepositions with their usage given for clear understanding.

Type of preposition

Prepositions

Examples of preposition usage

Preposition of Time

Prepositions of time show the relationship of time between the nouns to the other parts of a sentence.

on, in, at, since, for, ago, before, to, till, until, by

I work on Saturdays.
He does laundry on Wednesdays.
He reads in the evening.
The weather is cold in December.
She was born in 1996.
I go to work at 8:00.
He eats lunch at noon.
He has been ill since Monday.
for 2 years
Her father passed away 2 years ago
before 2004
ten to six (5:50)
He is on leave until Saturday
From Monday to/till Friday.

Preposition of place and direction

Prepositions of place show the relationship of place between the nouns to the other parts of a sentence.

On, in, at, by, next to, inside, beside, under, below, over, above, across, to, into, towards, onto, from

They will meet in the lunchroom.
She was waiting at the corner.
He left his phone on the bed.
Place the pen inside the drawer.
The bird flew over the house.
The plates were on the shelf above the cups.
Basements are dug below ground.
There is hard wood beneath the carpet.
The squirrel hid the nuts under a pile of leaves.
The cat is hiding underneath the box.
The gas station is by the grocery store.
The park is near her house.
Park your bike next to the garage.
There is a deer between the two trees.
There is a purple flower among the weeds.
The garage is opposite the house.
The police broke into the house.
I live across the river.

Preposition of Agents or instruments

These prepositions act as an agent between a noun and usually a verb.

By, with

Harry Potter was written by J.K Rowling.
Some schools are accredited by CBSE board.
She was hit by a car while she was going to school.
Hanah graduated with a Bachelor’s degree.

Preposition of instruments

These prepositions connect instruments, machines or devices in the sentence.

by, with

She came to the wedding party by train.
I made a hole in the wall with the help of a drill for the waste-pipe.
My brother opened the lock with a hairpin.

Preposition with noun

There are lots of different nouns that carry specific prepositions to consolidate their meaning. These are called dependent prepositions.

He displayed cruelty towards his dog.
She had knowledge of physics.
The trouble with Jack.
The police held an inquiry into the murder.

Preposition with verb

Prepositional verbs – the phrasal combinations of verbs and prepositions – are important parts of speech. The prepositions again act as links between the verb and noun or gerund, giving extra meaning to the sentence. The prepositions most commonly used with verbs are: to, for, about, of, in, at and from.

Verb+ in, Verb+ to, verb+ of, Verb +with.

He go to Vancouver on vacation twice a year.
She must apologize for her actions.
They began with a quick warm-up session.
Has she heard of Shakespeare
The car accident resulted in my being late to work.
She excels at singing.

Preposition with adjective

Prepositions can form phrases with adjectives to give further context to the action, emotion or thing the adjective is describing. Like verbs and nouns, adjectives can be followed by: to, about, In, for, with, at and by.

I am happily married to David.
Ellie is crazy about this movie.
Michelle is interested in politics.
We are sorry for your loss.
Jane will be delighted with her results.
Is he still angry at the world?
The entire room was astonished by the election results.

English Grammar quiz

Following are the quiz that can be attempted in order to help you understand the language better and score well in the examinations.

Practice Questions on prepositions

Choose a correct preposition in the sentence.

1)I want to lose 5 kilogram                      (on, at, in) one month.
2)Could you get me this pants                      (on, at, in) a larger size?
3)She seems to be interested                      (on, at, in) Psychology.
4)I will come to pick you up                      (on, at, in) 2 pm tomorrow.
5)This class will be held                      (on, at, in) Mondays.

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