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COMPOUND PREPOSITION

Prepositions containing two or more prepositional words are called compound prepositions. Tap to read more.

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

Simple prepositions are single-word prepositions. 

Compound prepositions are prepositions made up of two or three words. 

Example- form,of,on

Example- in front of, in addition to, with respect to. 

 

COMPOUND EXPRESSION            SIMPLE EXPRESSION 

At that point in time

then

At this point in time

now

By reason of

because

From the point of

from

In manner to

like

In the event

if

In close proximity to

near

In nature of

like

On the basis of

By, from

In terms of

in

Prior to

before

Pursuant to

under

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.

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What is a compound preposition?

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