Prepositions

We know that the pillars of a sentence is the subject, noun, and verb but a preposition is the bridge which connects the pillars. A preposition expresses the position, movement, possession, time, and how an action is completed. Read the article to know more about what are prepositions!

Prepositions

In simple terms, preposition is a word that connects a noun or a pronoun to a verb or adjective. It is basically a short word that is found in front of a noun and occasionally in front of gerund verbs. Some simple prepositions which are commonly used are: of, with, at, from, into, during, including, until, against.

Types of Preposition

There are five types of prepositions:

• Simple Preposition – Little words that is used in a simple sentence to show the connection between nouns, pronouns, or to join parts of a clause or a sentence. For example: by, for, at, from, in, of, off, into, on, out, till, over, upon, under, with, down, etc.

Use of simple prepositions in sentences:

• You are not coming with us.
• Mom is in the kitchen.
• He dived into the lake.
• Compound Preposition – The prepositions that is established in a sentence when used before the noun, pronoun, adjective, and adverb. For example: about, among, accross, before, beside, inside, outside, without, etc.

Use of compound prepositions in sentences:

• Tina is sitting beside Roshni in the movie theatre.
• Everybody has to be present 15 minutes early before the exam starts.
• The book was about crime and theft.
• Double Preposition – This kind of prepositional words connect two prepositions together to connect nouns, pronoun, and the phrase. For example: outside of, out of, from behind, up to, next to, because of, according to, etc.

Use of double prepositions in sentences:

• Rohan spoke the answer immediately from behind the group of students.
• The picnic was cancelled due to heavy rainfall in the city.
• Nobody inside of this room should go home before the rain stops.
• He was saved from being cheated just beacuse of his luck.
• The boy next to Ram is a brilliant student.
• Disguised Preposition – These are implied and not used in the sentences. Its example started from ‘a’ and ‘o’ stands for the preposition’s precise form.

Use of disguised prepositions in sentences:

• Ritu gets a holiday once a week a day.
• Rohit earns $50 a day.
• The Director  decided to start a shooting from the next month.
• It’s ten o’ (of) clock in the morning and we should finish our breakfast.
• The poor man went on begging the entire day. 
• Phrasal Prepositions – Phrasal preposition also known as prepositional phrases contains a preposition that connects a noun, pronoun, or phrase. For example: on behalf of, on account of, with regard to, in spite of, to the fact that, on time, at home, before class, on the floor, etc.

Use of phrasal prepositions in sentences:

• They passed the examination becuase of the notes.
• The match was cancelled on account of the weather disturbances.
• Ankush received the prize on behalf of his brother.
• Forsenics found his fingerprints on the clean mirror.
• According to the notice, students were given an extra 10 days holiday.

Other Types of Preposition

Some other types of preposition are as follows:

• Preposition for Time – Those prepositions used for time of different natures, like: in, on, at, etc. For example: He was born in 1945.
• Preposiion for Place – Those prepositions used to donate different places, like: in, or, at. For example: Students study in library.
• Preposition for Directions – Those prepositions used to describe the direction, like: to, towards, through, into. For example: She went to the library.
• Preposition for Agent – Those prepositions are a agent that is used for a thing which is the cause of another thing in the sentence, like: by, with, etc. For example: This book is written by Shakespeare. 
• Preposition for Instrument – Those prepositions that is used by different devices, instruments, or machines, like: by, with, on, etc. For example: She comes by bus daily.

What are the Rules of Preposition?

It is very necessary to make correct usage of the prepositions in your sentence. Some rules for the following are:

• Preposition must have an object.
• Must be placed before.
• The pronoun that is after the preposition should be an object form.
• Try to avoid using the word ‘like’ when a verb is used.
• Do not fix the preposition ‘to’ with the infinitive ‘to’.
• A verb cannot be an abject of preposition.Do not confuse preposition ‘in’ and ‘into’.

What are the Uses of Prepositions?

Prepositions are used for certain purposes. Here are some of the use of prepositions with examples as follows:

• To show where something where someone is. For example: A CD is lying on the slab.
• With time words. For example: At noon, on Sunday, in the year 2015.
• After some nouns. For example: We had fun with the new toy.
• After some adjectives. For example: We are excited about the new project.
• After some verbs. For example: They are listening to the recording.
• In some phrases. For example: Our plane landed in the end.

Preposition Exercise

Lastly, to become a master you need to practice. So, to test your understanding solve the following preposition exercises. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions:

1. He ran _______ the edge of the road.
2. It is another three weeks _______ the holidays.
3. I don’t know how she manages to support such a large family. She has nothing _______ her pension.
4. Are you wearing anything  _______ your sweater?
5. Do you mind? I was _______ you!
6. We should arrive _______ their place _______ time _______ lunch.
7. They live _______ a small one bedroom flat          _______ the third floor.
8. Granny is arriving  _______ the 3:30 train.
9. Last year, there were a large number of mangoes    _______ the tree.
10. His house is  _______ the way from Mumbai to Thane.

Conclusion

preposition is a word that connects a noun or a pronoun to a verb or adjective. It is basically a short word that is found in front of a noun and occasionally in front of gerund verbs.One should follow the rules and remember the uses of prepositions to avoid any mistake.