Prepositions

2008 Nov 02

Prepositions are words which relate a noun or pronoun (called the object of the preposition) to another word in the sentence. The preposition and the object of the preposition together with any modifiers of the object is known as a prepositional phrase.

Common of the prepositions used in English today. Note that many of the words may also function as other parts of speech. Also note that some prepositions are compound, made up of more than one word.

aboard
about
above
according to
across
across from
after
against
ahead of
along
alongside
along with
amid
amidst (?)
among
apart from
 around
aside from
as of
at
atop
barring
because of
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
 but
by
by means of
concerning
considering
despite
down
during
except1
from
for
in
in addition to
in back of
in front of
 in lieu of
in place of
in regard(s) to
inside
in spite of
instead of
into
in view of
like
near
nearby
next to
of
off
on
 on account of
onto
on top of
opposite
out
out of
outside
owing to
over
past
per
prior to
regarding
round
since
 through
throughout
till
to
together with
toward(s)
under
underneath
until
unto
up
upon
with
within
without
1: Except may be paired with other prepositions.
A Note on Into vs. In to and Similar Problems

Many words that are prepositions may be adverbs. This can be confusing when the prepostion to follows on or in or when the preposition on follows up.

The words into, onto, and upon followed by an object are prepositions.

The pairs in to, on to, and up on followed by an object are each made up of an adverb followed by a preposition. The meanings and the grammatical relationships are different from when they are single word prepositions.

Examples:
He ran in to the building.
(The adverb in modifies ran; to the building tells where he ran in.)

He ran into the building.
(He collided with the building; or, into the building tells us where he ran.)

Up on the housetop, reindeer pause...
(High on top of the house...)

The toy fell upon the ground.
(Here upon just refers to the relative relationship between the toy and the ground, it has nothing to with height. Things seldom fall up...)

The car turned onto Main Street.
(The car turned; onto Main Street tells us where the car turned.)

He turned on to Tchaikovsky.
(The adverb on modifies turn; to Tchaikovsky tells us to whom he turned on.)

2005-2008