What does the word preposition mean

Preposition definition: A preposition is a part of speech that shows the relation of a noun or pronoun to another word.

What are prepositions? Prepositions show the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word. These relationships include where, when, who, or what.

Examples of Prepositions:

• above (where?)
• before (when?)
• for (whom?)
• with (what?)

Let’s look closer at a preposition example.

A preposition can be understood as anywhere a dog can be in relation to its doghouse.

A dog can be:

• in the doghouse
• around the doghouse
• near the doghouse
• on the doghouse

Each of these prepositions describe the relation between the dog and its doghouse. The dog can be inside the doghouse, it can be around the doghouse, it can be near the doghouse, it can be on the doghouse, etc.

All of these preposition examples show where the dog is in relation to its doghouse.

What is the Role of a Preposition?

Prepositions function to show relationship. This relationship may indicate where, when, who, or what.

Most often prepositions are used to introduce prepositional phrases.

Prepositions serve to modify and generally function in prepositional phrases as adjectives or adverbs.

Examples of prepositions indicating where:

• along (the path)
• amid (torment)
• throughout (the garden)
• within (men)

Examples of prepositions indicating when:

• since (the storm)
• after (the party)
• before (noon)
• until (tomorrow)

Examples of prepositions indicating who:

• besides (Petra)
• except (the children)
• with (everyone)
• for (the teacher)

Examples of prepositions indicating what:

• besides (the essay)
• of (the few)
• like (the dog)
• with (chocolate)

Preposition List

Here is a list of prepositions. It is by no means exhaustive, but it is a list of some of the most commonly used prepositions in English.

aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
amid
among
anti
around
as
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
but
by
concerning
considering
despite
down
during
except
excepting
excluding
following
for
from
in
inside
into
like
minus
near
of
off
on
onto
opposite
outside
over
past
per
plus
regarding
round
save
since
than
through
to
toward
towards
under
underneath
unlike
until
up
upon
versus
via
with
within
without

For a more full list of prepositions, see our full page on the subject. Prepositions list here.

Object of Prepositions

Prepositions do not stand alone but rather take on objects. The word or words that follow the preposition are the object of the preposition.

Examples:

• along (the path)
  • The path is the object of the preposition.
• amid (torment)
  • Torment is the object of the preposition.
• throughout (the colorful garden)
  • The colorful garden is the object of the preposition.

Some Prepositions Also Function as Subordinate Conjunctions

Some prepositions can also function as subordinate conjunctions. In this case, a preposition will begin the conjunction and it will be followed by a subject and a verb.

The prepositions that can function in subordinate conjunctions include: after, as, before, since, until.

Prepositions together within subordinate conjunctions function as adverbs.

Preposition Examples:      

• Since the movie premiered, the star has received much attention.
• We could not make an appointment until the office opened the following day.
• The student did not think before he asked a question.

What are Prepositional Phrases?

What does prepositional phrase mean? Almost always a preposition will function in a prepositional phrase.

A prepositional phrase is any preposition and its object (a noun). A prepositional phrase may also include any modifiers in the phrase.

Prepositional phrases clarify the relationship of the preposition to other words.

Prepositional Phrase Examples:

• along the path
  • along (prep.) + the (article) + path (noun) = prepositional phrase
• amid torment
  • amid (prep.) + torment (noun) = prepositional phrase
• throughout (the colorful garden)
  • throughout (prep.) + the (article) + colorful (adj.) + garden (noun) = prepositional phrase

Multiple prepositional phrases may exist within one larger prepositional phrase.

Prepositional Phrase Examples:

• within all of the men
  • within all + of the men = prepositional phrase
• by the lake in the forest
  • by the lake + in the forest = prepositional phrase
• on the table at the restaurant
  • on the table + at the restaurant = prepositional phrase

Summary: What are Prepositions?

Define preposition: To clarify, prepositions:

• show the relationship of a word to a noun or pronoun
• are almost always used in prepositional phrases
• sometimes begin subordinate conjunctions

Contents

• 1 What is a Preposition?
• 2 What is the Role of a Preposition?
• 3 Preposition List
• 4 Object of Prepositions
• 5 Some Prepositions Also Function as Subordinate Conjunctions
• 6 What are Prepositional Phrases?
• 7 Summary: What are Prepositions?

Prepositions are one of the eight parts of speech in the English language, and they’re pretty important. Prepositions allow us to create complex sentences and add in important details. They play a crucial role in helping sentences make sense, which is super important when you need to communicate clearly and effectively. 

But if you have to sit down and give an accurate preposition definition, things can get a little tricky. You may know that prepositions are usually short words like at, for, in, on, or under, but what is a preposition as a part of speech? What do prepositions do, and how the heck do you identify a preposition in a sentence? 

To help you become an expert on prepositions, we’re going to talk about the following in this article:

• Answer the questions “What is a preposition?” and “What does preposition mean?” 
• Explain each type of preposition definition with examples of each type used in a sentence
• Provide a list of four top tips for identifying prepositions in sentences

If there’s a specific type of preposition you want to know more about—like prepositions of space—you can find the information quickly by holding Command + F on your keyboard, then typing in the term you’re looking for. 

Now without further ado, let’s get started! 

Feature Image: (Jmayereup / Wikimedia) 

What’s a Preposition? Preposition Meaning and Usage in Sentences

Grammar rules for the English language state that prepositions are defined based on their function in a sentence. So, here’s how a preposition functions to create meaning in a sentence: A preposition combines with a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun to demonstrate a relationship between the noun and another component of the sentence, often another noun and verb. 

In other words, prepositions help readers understand the relationship between different nouns and verbs in a single sentence. 

Now that you’ve got an answer to the question, “What’s a preposition?” you’re probably wondering what kind of relationships prepositions show. Prepositions can show relationships of time, space, or possession between a subject and an object in a sentence. 

For example, in the following sentences, each preposition (in bold) helps us better understand the relationship between the cat and the table:

In the examples above, the prepositions on, under, beside, and at help clarify the nature of the relationship between the cat—the subject of the sentence—and the table—the object of the preposition. Notice that each sentence makes us visualize something different: a cat sitting on a table is not the same thing as a cat sitting under a table. And guess what? That’s what prepositions are designed to do! 

Here’s a helpful list of prepositional phrases! 

The Prepositional Phrase 

The next thing you need to know about prepositions in sentences is that they almost always appear in a prepositional phrase. Prepositional phrases are important for communicating what types of actions and interactions occur between the subjects and objects of sentences. 

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition (or prepositions), the object of the preposition (a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun), and any other words that modify the object (an adjective or adverb). In the examples above involving the cat and the table, on the table, under the table, beside the table, and at the table are all prepositional phrases because they begin with a preposition that is followed by a noun (cat).

Quick note: if you’re not sure what things like nouns, adjectives, or adverbs are, don’t worry. We have a complete, expert guide to each part of speech that will teach you everything you need to know!

Keep in mind that prepositional phrases aren’t limited to a single preposition and a single object. Prepositional phrases can also contain modifiers of the object, which are usually adjectives and adverbs. Here’s an example of a prepositional phrase that also contains modifiers: 

The cat sat under the dirty, decaying table. 

In this example, under the dirty, decaying table is the entire prepositional phrase. It consists of the preposition (under), the object (the table), and the adjectives that modify the object (dirty, decaying). So while a prepositional phrase must contain at least one preposition and an object, it can also contain other types of words. 

Now if someone asks you, “What is a preposition?” you have an answer! Next, we’ll break down the different types of prepositions for you so you’ll be a preposition expert. 

2 Forms of Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases You Need to Know

Part of answering the question, “What is a preposition?” includes explaining the two different forms, or structures, that prepositions and prepositional phrases can take. Think of form like a formula: it’s a prescribed way that you can put different prepositional words together to make them work in a sentence! 

Let’s look at the two forms of prepositions below.  

#1: Simple Prepositions

Simple prepositions are the first type of preposition, and it’s one of the two types that Defining simple prepositions is, well, simple: simple prepositions are one-word prepositions that appear at the beginning of a prepositional phrase in front of an object or in front of an article and an object. In other words, simple prepositions look something like this: 

We’ve been playing since noon. 

They walked through the field. 

In both of the examples above, the prepositional phrases begin with a simple preposition: since is the simple preposition in the first example, and through is the simple preposition in the second example. In both examples, the simple prepositions are followed by an object (noon in the first example) or an article plus an object (the field in the second example). 

These examples also explain how this is a form of preposition. While both of these are simple prepositions, the words we used totally changed the meaning of the sentence. In the first sentence, using since helps us understand the amount of time the person has been playing. That’s because since is a preposition of time! But the simple preposition structure also works in the second sentence, even though we’re using a preposition of movement (through) instead. 

So just like math, prepositional forms let you swap words in and out to create meaning. 

And that’s the definition of a simple preposition! Simple prepositions are used very frequently in the English language, so you’ll probably start to see them everywhere now that you know what you’re looking for. 

#2: Complex (or Compound, or Double) Prepositions

There’s a little disagreement out there about what to call this form of preposition: sometimes they’re called complex prepositions, compound prepositions, or double prepositions. Just know that all of these terms refer to the same thing. 

Complex prepositions are a group of prepositions that function like a simple preposition. That means complex prepositions always consist of more than one preposition (unlike simple prepositions, which only have one). Here are two examples of complex prepositions in a sentence: 

Get these chips away from me. 

She laughed at his joke in spite of herself.

As you can tell from these examples, complex prepositions can appear in two-word units or three-word units. When a complex preposition appears in a two-word unit, it involves two prepositions in a row which are followed by an object. In the first example, away from is our complex preposition, and the object that follows it is me. 

When a complex preposition appears in a three-word unit, it follows a different formula. In three-word units, the first preposition and second preposition are separated by a noun, then the object comes afterward. In the second example, in and of are prepositions, spite is the noun, and herself is the object! 

Remember how we talked about forms of prepositions working like a mathematical formula? That’s definitely the case for complex prepositions! Though there are many complex prepositions (which you’ll see in our list below), the most commonly used formulas for a complex preposition in English are the following: 

To help you pick out complex prepositions when they’re used in sentences, here’s a list of commonly used complex prepositions: 

According to	For lack of	Near to
Ahead of	In accordance with	Next to
Along with	In addition to	On account of
Apart from	In back of	On behalf of
As for	In between	On top of
As well as	In the case of	Out of
Aside from	In charge of	Outside of
Away from	In exchange for	Owing to
Because of	In front of	Prior to
But for	In light of	Subsequent to
By means of	In line with	Such as
By virtue of	In place of	Thanks to
By way of	In the process of	Together with
Close to	In regard to	Up against
Contrary to	Inside of	Up to
Due to	In spite of	Up until
Except for	Instead of	With respect to
Far from	In view of

4 Types of Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases That Convey Meaning 

These types of prepositions are used to convey meaning in a sentence. You can pop them into one of the forms we discussed above to help people better understand specific relationships between a subject and an object in a sentence. Specifically, these types of prepositions describe four different types of relationships: time, space, direction/movement, and agent/instrument. 

These prepositions can be mixed and matched with the preposition forms we just talked about, so most prepositions fit into two categories: one for their form, and another for their meaning. Put another way, a preposition in a sentence can be both a simple/complex preposition and a preposition of time, space, direction/movement, or agent/instrument!

Now, let’s learn a little more about the four types of prepositions that help writers convey meaning.  

#1: Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time demonstrate relationships between things in terms of when something occurred. Prepositions of time can show the specific, exact time when something happened or will happen. It can also express a more general, extended period of time. 

Take a look at the table below for a list of prepositions that are frequently used to demonstrate relationships in terms of time: 

After	During	On
Around	Following	Over
As	For	Since
At	From	Until
Before	In	Within
By	Next

So how do prepositions express time, exactly? Let’s look at two examples: 

Example #1: Sean will drop off the recycling after work. 

In this first example, after is the preposition of time, and after work is the prepositional phrase. But how is after establishing a time-based relationship here? After establishes time by showing that Sean will perform a specific action—dropping off the recycling—only after he has finished with work. In this case, we can see how these two elements of the sentence relate to one another: one has to end before the other can happen. 

It’s also worth noting that after is also part of a simple preposition…so it’s both a simple preposition and a preposition of time! 

Now that you have a better understanding of how this works, here’s a second example of a preposition of time in a sentence: 

Example #2: I’m going live at ten o’clock. 

In this example, at is the preposition, and at ten o’clock is the prepositional phrase. More importantly, at is establishing a precise time. In this case, the person speaking is going to go live on television at an exact time. Thus, the preposition at establishes that the time-based relationship between the subject and the verb and the object is a precise one. 

You use prepositions of time every day, even if you don’t realize it. Whether you’re giving directions, planning your day, or just telling a story, prepositions of time help us create chronological order. 

#2: Prepositions of Space 

Prepositions of space are used to show where a person, living creature, or other object or entity is located in space (as in, like, physical space in the everyday world, not outer space). 

The words in the following list are classified as this type of preposition, meaning they show where things are located in space, including location in relation to other things, direction, and movement. 

About	Beside	Opposite
Above	Between	Out
Across	Beyond	Outside
Across from	By	Over
Against	Down	Through
Along	For	To
Amid	From	Toward
Among	In	Under
Around	Inside	Underneath
At	Into	Up
Away from	Near	Upon
Before	Of	While
Behind	Off	Within
Below	On	Without
Beneath	Onto

Now that we have a full list of prepositions of space, let’s look at an example of a preposition of space: one example that simply shows where something is located in space. Here we go:

There’s an owl in the chimney!

This example is pretty straightforward. Where is the owl? It’s located in the chimney. There’s a spatial relationship established between the owl and the chimney through the use of the preposition in. 

Prepositions of direction and movement help readers understand movement. In this case, the dancer is lifting his partner off the ground! 

#3: Prepositions of Direction/Movement

Prepositions of space are sometimes broken down into even smaller categories, and two of the categories you need to know about are prepositions of direction and movement. These types of prepositions show movement from one place to another. Because of this, prepositions of direction and movement are often used with verbs of motion. 

Here’s a list of words that are classified as prepositions of direction and movement: 

about	between	over
across	down	through
against	from	to
along	into	toward(s)
among	off of	under
around	onto	up
away from	out of

Prepositions of direction and movement connote that something is moving through space in relation to another object. Check out this example: 

Sophia threw the dart at the bullseye. 

In this example, the dart’s location in space is described in relation to the bullseye’s location in space through the use of the preposition at. We know that the dart is directed toward the bullseye, and since the dart has to move through space in order to actually hit the bullseye, we consider prepositions of direction/movement as falling into the bigger category of prepositions of space!

Here are a few more examples of prepositions that connote direction/movement:

They walked among the wildflowers. 

The festival-goers twirled around the maypole. 

Like the earlier example, both of these examples show that living beings are moving through space in relation to other objects. In the first example, they are moving through space in relation to some wildflowers. In the second example, the festival-goers are moving through space in relation to the maypole. 

One way to recognize prepositions of space that connote direction/movement is to look for a verb right before the preposition, because prepositions of direction/movement often follow a verb in a sentence!

#4: Prepositions of Agent/Instrument

There are also prepositions that can be used to connote a different kind of relationship besides relationships of time or space. These prepositions are known as prepositions of agent/instrument, and they demonstrate a relationship in which one noun performs an action on or toward another noun in a sentence. 

Here are the common prepositions of agent/instrument that you need to know: 

Let’s have a look at an example of a preposition of agent/instrument in a sentence: 

I think the movie was produced by Disney. 

This example conveys a relationship of agency, or power, between a noun and a verb: the movie under discussion in this sentence was produced by Disney. This conveys a relationship in which a group of persons has caused something to occur. In this sentence, prepositions help us understand that Disney has control over the production of the movie. It’s also important to note that prepositions of agency are usually used in sentences that are constructed in the passive voice, like in the example above. 

Now, here’s an example that shows a preposition of instrument. A preposition of instrument is used to describe machines, technologies, and devices. Basically, when you need to explain how a mechanical noun acts toward another noun, you use this type of preposition! Here’s an example: 

She lit the candle with a match. 

This sentence example uses the preposition meaning with to show a relationship between one noun—a match, which is an instrument—and another noun—the candle, which is also an instrument. In other words, the preposition with connotes a relationship in which the match acts upon the candle. Prepositions of instrument almost always describe use of devices, technologies, or other objects. 

3 Top Tips for Identifying Prepositions in a Sentence

As you’ve probably guessed by now, prepositions can be a little bit sneaky in sentences. Sometimes words that are commonly used as prepositions are also used for other purposes, which can make identifying prepositions in a sentence a little bit confusing! We’ve come up with three top tips on preposition grammar to help you spot prepositions in a sentence correctly. 

#1: Break Down the Word Itself 

If you have trouble remembering where a preposition should appear in relation to the object that it modifies in a sentence, you can break down the actual word “preposition” as a memory hack. A preposition appears in front of its object, so you can think of it as being pre-positioned in front of the object. 

Read the examples above one more time. In each one, the preposition comes before the object. And there’s an added bonus: when you can find the preposition in a sentence, you can also find its object, too! 

#2: Remember That Prepositions Are “Anywhere a Cat Can Go”

We’ve already used cats in a couple of our example preposition sentences, but did you know that many people are taught in school that prepositions are anywhere a cat can go? Just think about it: how many videos have you watched of cats fitting themselves into bizarre places? They can go on, in, through, around, under, across, behind, between, through…pretty much any object (especially boxes). And as it turns out—all of those words are prepositions! 

So If you’re looking for a way to remember prepositions of space, location, direction, and movement, just picture a cat playing with a box. If the word you’re using is somewhere the cat can go, then you’re probably dealing with a preposition. 

#3: Watch Out for Verbs…and Look for the Prepositional Phrase  

Something super important to know about words that are classified as prepositions is that they don’t necessarily function as prepositions every time they appear in a sentence. 

This means that you can’t really just glance at a sentence and pick out a single word that is often used as a preposition and be sure that it’s working like a preposition in that particular sentence. You’ve got to look at the bigger picture of the sentence itself to determine whether the word is being used as a preposition! 

So what do you look for to determine whether a word is being used as a preposition? Look at the words around the preposition to see if there’s a prepositional phrase. Remember: a word that is often used as a preposition must show a relationship between the noun and another part of the sentence in order to function as a preposition. 

Additionally, preposition grammar rules indicate that when a word that looks like a preposition comes before a verb phrase instead of a noun phrase, that little word that looks like a preposition isn’t functioning as a preposition at all—it’s functioning as a particle instead. So, in addition to looking out for prepositional phrases, you can also look out for verbs. Here’s an example of what a particle looks like in a sentence: 

We’re going to walk at the market. 

In this example, the phrase to walk might look like a prepositional phrase at first glance, but walk is a verb, not a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun. So, in this case, to isn’t the beginning of a prepositional phrase and isn’t being used as a preposition. However, the phrase at the market at the end of the sentence is a prepositional phrase, since the market is a noun!

What’s Next? 

Prepositions help make your writing clearer, which is incredibly important if you want to ace the writing portions of your standardized tests. Luckily for you, we have expert guides to help you ace your SAT and ACT essays! Click here to learn how to get a perfect 12 on your ACT essay. If you’re aiming to get a perfect 8 | 8 | 8 on the SAT essay, you’ll want to check out this article instead.

You’ll also have to write stellar admissions essays if you want to get into your dream school. Start by getting expert advice on how to tackle the Common App essay prompts, then check out our blog for school-specific tips. We have thorough guides about how to write essays for the top schools in the nation, including Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame, Michigan State, USC, and more!

If you’re interested in grammar because you love to write, you might consider majoring in creative writing. If this sounds like you, you should definitely check out this list of the best 12 creative writing programs in the United States. 

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!

Asked by: Mario Padberg

Score: 4.4/5
(45 votes)

Prepositions and postpositions, together called adpositions, are a class of words used to express spatial or temporal relations or mark various semantic roles.
A preposition or postposition typically combines with a noun phrase, this being called its complement, or sometimes object.

What is preposition and examples?

What is prepositions give 5 examples?

Some examples of common prepositions used in sentences are:

What are the 5 prepositions?

The five types of prepositions are simple, double, compound, participle, and phrase prepositions.

What are 10 common prepositions?

A preposition usually precedes a noun or a pronoun. Here is a list of commonly used prepositions: above, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon, with and within.

37 related questions found

Types of Prepositions

There are several types of prepositions such as: Simple Prepositions, Double Prepositions, Compound Prepositions, Phrasal prepositions, Participle Prepositions, Disguised preposition, and Detached Prepositions.

1. Simple Prepositions: 

Simple prepositions are used to denote a relation between nouns or pronouns. These can even be used to join different parts of sentences and clauses. Simple prepositions are one word prepositions. These are also called Single Prepositions. Common words used that come under the category of Simple Prepositions are as follows:

In, out, on, up, at, for, from, by, of, off, through, till, etc.

Examples of Simple Prepositions in sentences:

Keep your phones in your pockets.

Staring at people is not considered a good gesture.

In the above two examples, both prepositions consist of one simple word and hence are Single or Simple Prepositions.

2. Double Prepositions: 

Double Prepositions are made by putting together two Single Prepositions. That is why they are called Double Prepositions. Common words used as Double Prepositions are as follows:

Onto, into, throughout, up till, up to, within, without, upon, etc.

Examples of Double Prepositions in sentences:

Complete this essay within two hours.

I am going to turn this scrap into a masterpiece.

In the first example, the Preposition within is made by combining two Single Prepositions with and in.

In the second example, the Preposition into is formed by putting together two Simple Prepositions in and two. These are hence Double Prepositions.

3. Compound Prepositions: 

Compound Prepositions are those types of preposition that are usually formed by prefixing a preposition to nouns, adjectives or adverbs.  They are different from double prepositions because they are not formed by two single prepositions. Common words, which come under the category of compound prepositions, are stated below:

Above, about, across, along, before, behind, beside, inside, outside, etc.

Examples of preposition in sentences:

He was going about his business.

The person beside Ali is my brother.

In the first example, the prefix ‘a’ is added to a root word ‘bout’ to make a preposition. In the second example, the prefix be is added to the root word side to make a preposition. Thus, these words are Compound Prepositions.

4. Phrasal Prepositions: 

Phrasal Prepositions are groups of words or phrases that join the noun or pronoun in a sentence, to the remainder of the sentence. These groups of words express a single idea by coming together as a unit. Words that come under the category of Phrasal Prepositions are as follows:

In addition to, by means of, in spite of, according to, owing to, in favour of, etc.

Examples of Phrasal Prepositions in sentences:

He couldn’t pass the test, owing to his lack of knowledge of English Grammar.

She made it to the other side of the world, in spite of all the difficulties.

In the first example, the group of words ‘owing to’ is joining the two sentences with each other and is a phrase. Likewise, the group of words ‘in spite of’ is also a phrase and is working as a preposition. Hence, these are Phrasal Prepositions.

5. Participle Prepositions: 

Participle Prepositions, indicating from their name, are the Present Participle forms of Verbs. These are used without any noun or pronoun attached with them. The words that are distinguished as Participle Prepositions are as follows:

Concerning, considering, barring, notwithstanding, touching, pending, during, etc.

Examples of Participle Prepositions in sentences:

Notwithstanding his efforts, he was still fired from the job.

Touching this matter, I do not have much information.

In above examples, both the verbs notwithstanding and touching are in Present Participle which is apparent from the ‘ing’ at the end of both words. These words are therefore Participle Prepositions.

6. Disguised Prepositions: 

Disguised prepositions are those prepositions which are not used in the sentences directly, but we use them in a disguised way. Their shorter forms are used. The examples of Disguised Prepositions are ‘a’ and ‘o’.

Disguised preposition ‘a’ is shortened form of the preposition ‘on’ and similarly ‘o’ is the shortened form of the preposition ‘of’.

Examples of disguised prepositions in sentences:

The ceremony will be held at 5 o’ clock.

We all went to a party.

In the first example, instead of saying ‘5 of the clock’, we have used disguised form of the preposition of.

In the second example, instead of saying ‘went on partying’, we have used abbreviation of the preposition on and disguised the preposition as ‘a’. Hence these are Disguised Prepositions.

7. Detached Prepositions: 

A preposition is called a detached preposition when it does not come before its object. It is detached from its object. When the object of a preposition is an interrogative pronoun or a relative pronoun, the preposition comes at the end of the sentence.

Look at the following examples of detached prepositions for further understanding.

She is the woman whom I was talking about.

Here are the books that you asked for.

Which of the houses were you working in?

In the first two of the above examples, we can see that because of relative pronouns whom and that, the prepositions about and for are being detached from their objects.

In the third example, the interrogative pronoun ‘which’ is detaching the preposition ‘in’ from its object.

Hence these are all detached prepositions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is preposition

A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and the other words of a sentence. They explain relationships of sequence, space, and logic between the object of the sentence and the rest of the sentence. They help us understand order, time connections, and positions.

Example:

• I am going to Canada.
• Alex threw a stone into the pond.
• The present is inside the box.
• They have gone out of the town.

There are a few interesting linguistic facts about prepositions.

First, they are a closed class of words which means no new preposition gets added to the language. We use a fixed set of prepositions.

Second, prepositions do not have any other form. They cannot be plural, possessive, inflection, or anything else.

Third, most of the prepositions have many different contextual and natural uses. So, it is easy to be confused about it.

Fourth, sometimes a preposition works as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

Prepositions can be of one, two, three, or even more words. Prepositions with two or more words are called phrasal prepositions.

There are some commonly used phrasal prepositions:

because of, in case of, instead of, by way of, on behalf of, on account of, in care of, in spite of, on the side of, etc.

Types of Preposition

Most of the prepositions have many uses. There are some prepositions which are common in every type of preposition as they function in a versatile way.

• Simple Preposition
• Double Preposition
• Compound Preposition
• Participle Preposition
• Disguised Preposition
• Detached Preposition
• Prepositions of Time
• Prepositions of Place and Direction
• Prepositions of Agents or Things
• Phrasal Prepositions

Simple Preposition

These are among the most common type of prepositions. The prepositions used to express the relationship the Nouns and Pronouns of a sentence have with the rest of the words in it are called Simple Prepositions. They are often used to join two clauses in terms of Complex Sentence and Compound Sentence.

Examples:

Most Popular Prepositions
and	but	at	to	on	in
for	of	up	off	from	out
with	during	down	below	beside	over
by	near	behind	inside	among	along

Double Preposition

Two Simple Prepositions joining together to form one which connects the Noun(s) or Pronoun(s) to the rest the words in a sentence.

Examples:

• Are you out of your mind?
• I was allowed the inside of the temple.
• She’s sandwiched in between two of her cousins. 

Compound Preposition

Compound Prepositions are composed of prepositions as well as other words. Compound Prepositions are easily confused with Double Prepositions since they both require other prepositions or words to help with acting like a preposition.

Examples:

• According to my calculations, this color should work just fine.
• I started for home, with a view to celebrating Eid with my family.
• On behalf of our family, my father attended the family reunion.

Participle Preposition

Present Participles (-ing) and Past Participles (-ed and -en) that are used as Prepositions instead of Verbs, are called Participle Prepositions. These are participles as well as prepositions.

Examples:

Present Participle Prepositions	Past Participles Prepositions
Assuming	Respected
Barring	Given
Considering	Gone
During	Barred
Notwithstanding	Provided
Regarding	Taken

Participle Prepositions Used in Sentences:

• Barred from the entrance, he threw a fit.
• I was happy given the fact that I got great marks.
• Assuming the possibility of rain, she carried an umbrella.

Disguised Preposition

These prepositions are usually disguised as some other element in the English language. Often these prepositions are disguised as «a» and «o» in sentences.

Examples:

• I wake up at 5 o‘clock. (Of the clock)
• Keep striding ahead. (on the head)
• Pope went ashore. (onshore)
• Rimi visits the riverbank once a day. (in a day) 

Detached Preposition

A preposition that has been detached and sent to the very end of the sentence is called Detached Preposition. These prepositions are detached from the interrogative or relative pronouns and adverbs but get detached for the sake of the integrity of sentences.

Examples:

• Where are you coming from?
• Is that the neighborhood you are headed to?
• I won’t tolerate being screamed at.

Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time show the relationship of time between the nouns to the other parts of a sentence.

On, at, in, from, to, for, since, ago, before, till/until, by, etc. are the most common preposition of time.

Example:

• He started working at 10 AM.
• The company called meeting on 25 October.
• There is a holiday in December.
• He has been ill since Monday.

Read More: Prepositions of Time Usage

Prepositions of Place and Direction

Prepositions of place show the relationship of place between the nouns to the other parts of a sentence.

On, at, in, by, from, to, towards, up, down, across, between, among, through, in front of, behind, above, over, under, below, etc. are the most common prepositions of place/direction.

Example:

• He is at home.
• He came from England.
• The police broke into the house.
• I live across the river.

Read More: Prepositions of Places & Direction Usage

Prepositions of Agents or Things

Prepositions of agents or things indicate a causal relationship between nouns and other parts of the sentence.

Of, for, by, with, about, etc. are the most used and common prepositions of agents or things.

Example:

• This article is about smartphones.
• Most of the guests have already left.
• I will always be here for you.
• He is playing with his brothers.

Phrasal Prepositions

A phrasal preposition is not a prepositional phrase, but they are a combination of two or more words that function as a preposition.

Along with, apart from, because of, by means of, according to, in front of, contrary to, in spite of, on account of, in reference to, in addition to, in regard to, instead of, on top of, out of, with regard to, etc. are the most common phrasal prepositions.

Example:

• They along with their children went to Atlanta.
• According to the new rules, you are not right.
• In spite of being a good player, he was not selected.
• I’m going out of the city.