COMPOUND PREPOSITION

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word in the sentence. It shows direction, time, place and location. There are five types of prepositions:

1. Simple Preposition
2. Double Preposition
3. Compound Preposition
4. Participle Preposition
5. Phrase Preposition

 A Compound Preposition is a preposition that has two or more prepositional words. It can be said as a combination of words. 

Eg. amidst, above, across, below, between, beneath, within, without etc.

WHAT IS COMPOUND PREPOSITION?

A compound preposition is a preposition that has two or more prepositional words. It can be said as a combination of words. They are written by joining the preposition words in a sentence before the pronoun, noun, adjective, and adverb. A compound preposition is a preposition that has two or more prepositional words. It can be said as a combination of words. It is prepared through the joining of a prepositional or a non-prepositional word to a simple preposition used with a noun, adverb, adjective, and pronoun. 

HOW ARE COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS FORMED?

Compound prepositions are formed by joining two or three words. The first word is generally an adverb adjective or conjunction. The second word is a simple preposition. 

Three-word compound prepositions have a structure different from the two words compound prepositions. The first and last words of such prepositions are simple prepositions while the second word is either a noun or an article. 

COMPOUND PREPOSITION EXAMPLES- 

• According to her principal she is a good student. 
• The garden was not clean aside from the cafeteria. 
• They worked because of the recognition they ger.
• You should have gone south instead of going right. 

In the sentences written above, the phrases according to, aside from, because of, and instead of are instances of a compound preposition. 

In the first sentence, ‘to’ is considered as a simple preposition. When combined with ‘according’ it becomes a compound preposition. 

In the second sentence, ‘from’ is said to be a preposition. When combined with ‘aside’ it becomes a combined preposition. 

In the third sentence, ‘of’ is a simple preposition. On joining it with ‘because’ it becomes a compound preposition. 

In the fourth sentence, ‘of’ is a simple preposition. When written in conjunction with ‘instead’ it becomes a compound preposition. 

TWO-WORD COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS-

1. According to
2. As for
3. As to
4. Due to
5. Instead of
6. Before
7. Ahead of
8. As of
9. Apart from.
10. As regards
11. Outside of
12. Regardless of
13. Aside from
14. Beauce of
15. Regardless of
16. Except for
17. Owing to
18. After 
19. In between
20. Owing to 

‘outside of’ should be avoided, instead ‘outside’ should be used. It is more widely used in the US but not in Britain. Outside of should be avoided while writing formally. 

THREE WORD COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS-

1. He ran away from the cat as far as she could.
2. Her uncle attended the ceremony on behalf of her father. 
3. There is a pizza store in front of the park. 
4. They carried their boxes on top of their heads. 
5. I have a Zumba session in addition to my therapy. 

In the first sentence, ‘as far as’ is a three-word compound preposition. 

In the second sentence, ‘on behalf of’ is a three-word compound preposition. 

In the fourth sentence, ‘in front of’ is a three-word compound preposition. 

In the fourth sentence, ‘in addition to’ is a three-word compound preposition. 

THREE WORD COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS-

1. As well as
2. Using
3. Because of
4. By virtue of
5. During the course of
6. In accordance with
7. In conjunction with
8. In excess of
9. In favor of
10. In order to
11. In receipt of
12. With respect to
13. With regard to
14. With reference to
15. In terms of
16. In the immediate
17. On behalf of
18. In aid of
19. In front of
20. In relation to
21. By means of
22. With relation to
23. In line with 
24. On top of
25. As far as. 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIMPLE PREPOSITION AND COMPOUND PREPOSITION-

 SIMPLE                                                  COMPOUND

COMPOUND EXPRESSION            SIMPLE EXPRESSION 

CONCLUSION-

Compound prepositions are made up of two or three words joined together. This combination of words acts as prepositions. Compound prepositions are formed by using an adjective, a noun or an adverb before a noun. There are two-word prepositions for example- ahead of, prior to, etc. 

There are three-word prepositions too, for example- in front of, in accordance to, etc.