Prepositions

Pre + Position Preposition Pre means (before), whereas position means (place) A preposition is a word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relation with the other words of the sentence.

Examples: 1. The book is on the table.

1. The cat is under the chair.
2. The pen is between the inkpot and the chair.

In these sentences on, under, between are used before, the table, the chair, the inkpot, that tell the relation with other words - the book, the cat, the pen. So on, under, between are prepositions. For convenience we can divide prepositions into three classes.

1.0Prepositions of Time

1. At (a) At is used for fixed time. Examples: at 7 o' clock, at midnight (b) At is used before time showing words. Examples: at night, at dawn, at dusk, at midnight, at afternoon.
2. (a) On is used with a specific day and date Examples: On Saturday, On 17th June, On the Sports Day. (b) A special part of day Examples: On the morning of September 11th.
3. In (a) In is used before words which denote a period of time. Examples: In April, in summer, in a moment, in half an hour. (b) with months / seasons Examples: in August, in winter (c) After a certain period of time (duration of time). Example: in an hour
4. By By denotes not later than a special time / upto a certain time. Examples: By Thursday, by next Sunday By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages. I will be back by 6 o'clock.
5. After After is used for later than something. Examples: He went there after five days. I shall be very busy after next week.
6. Before Before is used for earlier than. Example: You must reach the office before 9 o'clock.
7. During During is used to show 'in course of'. Example: The Sun gives us light during the day.
8. Till / Until Till / Until is used to show 'not later than' / before ending time. Example: They waited till 5 o'clock.
9. Within It is used to denote 'before the end of'. Example: She will return within a week. (i.e. before the end of a week)
10. Since / for Since is used for a point of time; for is used for a period of time. 'Since' and 'for' both should be used with Perfect Tense / Perfect Continuous Tense of the verb. Examples: Since 2 o'clock, since morning, since yesterday, for two hours, for three days, for a week.
11. From It denotes the starting point of an action. Examples: We were at Manali from 18 to 24 June. I began English from the age of ten.
12. Upto Used to denote 'not more than the specified time'. Example: upto 6 hours a day.

2.0Prepositions of Place

1. In (a) For the names of big cities, states, countries, continents. Examples: The Prime Minister lives in Delhi. We live in India. (b) In is used with the following phrases Examples: In the night, In the evening In the morning, In the afternoon
   
   (c) For the kind of house or residence, when no specific one is mentioned. Examples: She lives in a cottage. My friend lives in a flat.
2. At (a) For villages and smaller towns Example: My brother lives at Darbhanga. (b) For a particular house or place of residence. Example: She lives at 33, Nehru Street.
3. On (a) In sense of 'In contact with' / attached / a position on a line. Examples: There is a flower - vase on the table. The picture is on the wall. There aren't many roses left on the bush.
   
   (b) A position on a line. Example: Delhi is on the river Yamuna. (c) for a certain side (left, right). Example: On the left
4. Between, Among 'Between' is normally used with two persons or things or groups of things. Example: There is a beautiful painting between the two windows. When somebody or something is in a group, in a mass of people or things or when we do not see things separately we use 'among'. Example: I felt relieved to find myself among my own people.
5. Above, over 'Above' is used to indicate that something is higher than something else, but not directly over it. Example: The flags waved above our heads. 'Over' means covering, or vertically over / covered by something else. Examples: Put a jacket over your shirt. The fan was over my head.
6. Below, Under Below is used to show 'lower than something else'. Examples: The fish is below the surface. My father is below seventy.
   
   Under is used to show lower than (or covered by) something else. Examples: The bag is under the table. The cat lay crouched under the table.
7. Behind, infront of These two prepositions suggest positions opposite to each other. Examples: A long queue had formed behind me. There were only two passengers in front of me.
   

• 'In' denotes a state of rest or being inside something. Whereas 'into' indicates movement to the inside of something.
• We can also use beside instead of by. Examples: Granny is sitting beside the fire. We stayed in a hotel beside the sea.
• 'On' is generally used about things at rest, 'upon' is used about things in motion. Examples: He sat on a chair. He jumped upon his horse.

3.0Prepositions of Direction and Movement

1. Prepositions of direction towards: to, towards, into, at, for, against (a) To has the sense of destination, towards of direction. (b) Into denotes movement towards the interior of something. Examples: The dog jumped into the pond. She quietly walked into the room. (c) At has the idea of hitting. Example: She threw the stone at the dog. (d) For suggests the beginning of a movement.
   
   Examples: The workers left for the factory. The child leaves for the school early in the morning. (e) Against shows pressure or contact. Examples: He threw the bag against the wall. He was leaning against the wall.
2. Prepositions of direction from : from, off, out of (a) From is used with the point of departure.
   
   Example: She has already gone from the office. (b) Off shows separation. It is used in the sense of, from the surface of, down from. Examples: He fell off the cycle. The ball rolled off the table. (c) Out of is the opposite of into. Examples: It means from the interior of something to outside. The birds flew out of the cage.
   
3. Through The preposition through points to someone or something moving from one end to the other of a hole or an opening. Examples: Please go through that door and then turn left. (Move from one side of the door to the other side.)
   

• A Proper Noun may consist of one or more words. You should always begin a proper noun with a capital letter.
• 'Past' is a preposition and 'passed' is the past tense of the verb pass. Examples: We went past an old mill on our way to uncle Sam's farm.
  
  We passed an old mill on our way to uncle Sam's farm. verb

4.0Some More Prepositions

1. By, with By is used to express the agent or doer of an action; with relates to the instrument with which the action is done. Examples: The old man was beaten by some strangers with a stick. The lawn was mown by the gardener with a mower.
   
2. After, in After is used to denote some period of time in the past; in is used to show some period of time in the future. Examples: She came back home after an hour. We will come back home in an hour.
3. Beside, besides Beside means by the side of; besides means in addition to. Examples: Please put this bag beside the box. Besides giving me books, she gave me her notes.
4. On time, in time On time = at the arranged time; not before, not after. In time = not late, with a comfortable margin. Examples: We reached the station in time for the train. The train started on time.
5. Before, after, on the left / right, to the left / right We use before and after to show which person or thing is closer to us and which is further from us. We use to the left and to the right to show on which side of a person or thing another person or thing is. Examples: The railway station is before the public library. The public library is after the railway station.
   
   The railway station is to the left of the public library. The post office is to the right of the public library. Note: If we are standing in front of the public library and facing the road, we would describe the position of the railway station and the post office in this way: Examples: The railway station is on my right. The post office is on my left.
6. Across, Along, Opposite We use the prepositions across, along and opposite in these ways: (a) across - to point to the other side of a line or space. Example: Helen lives across the road from me. (c) opposite - to point to someone or something directly facing a person or a space. Examples: Kim sat opposite John during dinner. (the table is between them) Karen's favourite bakery is opposite a toy shop.
   
   (the road is between the two shops)
7. Inside, Outside We use in or inside to show that a person or thing is in an enclosed area or in something which has volume. We use outside to show the person or thing is not inside something. When we use inside and outside, we do not use the preposition of after them. Examples: The children are inside the car. The workmen are standing outside the construction site.

5.0Recall

1. A preposition is a word or set of words that indicates location or some other relationship between a noun or pronoun and other parts of the sentence (about, after, besides, instead of, in accordance with, etc.)
2. Prepositions of time: The actual time something takes place: At, On, In From....to, Until / Till, Since, For, Before, After, By, During, Within, Upto.
3. Prepositions of place are used to refer to a place where something or someone is located.
4. Preposition of movement/ direction: To, Towards, Into, At, For, Against, From, Off, Out of, Past, Through, Round
5. Difference between different prepositions: By / With, Beside / Besides, Across / Along, Opposite / To the left / right, Inside / Outside