Skip to Main Content
Skip to main content

English as an Additional Language: Preposition Use

Prepositions

Preposition Use

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore, a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an adverb. 

The usual pattern for a prepositional phrase is a preposition + a determiner + a pronoun or noun (the object of the preposition) + any modifiers of the object. This whole phrase acts as a modifier, locating something in time and space, modifying a noun, or telling when or where or under what conditions something happened.

E.g. She placed the books (where?) on the table (when?) after she arrived. They remained there (under what condition?) until someone put them (where?) on the shelves.

 Review the table below for a list of commonly used prepositions.

about
above
across
after
against
around
at
before
behind

below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond

by
down
 

during

except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near

of

off
on

out

outside
over
since
through

throughout
till
to
toward
under
until
up
upon

with

without

according to
because of
by way of
in addition to
in front of

in place of
in regard to
in spite of
instead of
on account of
out of 

Prepositions Rules

  Read the following handout for more details on prepositions. 

The following resource from the University of Victoria is useful to help you in using prepositions appropriately. 

The University of Saskatchewan's main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.

© University of Saskatchewan
Disclaimer|Privacy