Prepositions

Preposition is one of the parts of speech. It shows the relation between a noun and another noun, a noun and a pronoun, a pronoun and a pronoun in a sentence. Prepositions are placed before nouns and pronouns. They occur after verbs in phrasal verbs.

There is a dog in the garden. ('in' shows the relation between two nouns, dog and garden)
She is ‘fond of’ driving. ('fond of’ shows the relation between pronoun and noun, i.e., she and driving)

Some of the commonly used prepositions are in, on, of, to, after, near, towards, into, unto, through, down, up, by, for, since, from, out, etc.

1. Prepositions time

(i) 'In'-It is used when denoting (month/year/season/time).

She was born in May.
She passed the SEE in 2004.
He will go to Kathmandu in winter. Prashant comes to school in time.

(ii) ‘At’- It is used to express a specific time.

The bell will ring at 12 O'clock.
The thief entered the house at midnight.

(iii) ‘On’- It is used with the days of the week and time, date that have numbers.

She was born on 9 July 1937.
She was on time.(exact time)

(iv) ‘By’- It is used to indicate before the specific time /period/date, generally in future perfect.

by tomorrow
by five o'clock
by 7th April 2008.
by May
by the next summer

(v) ‘For’- It is used for a period of time. (for +time period)

for fifty days
for an hour
for a while

(vi) ‘Since’ - It is usually used with present perfect or past perfect verb. It is always followed with a reference specific point in time.

Jack has lived in Nepal since 2000.
Since last 10 years.
Since 5 o'clock
Since last Monday

2. Place preposition: in, on, at, by, etc

(a) 'In'- indicates position.

(i) in a country/ town/ village/ a room or any place which is enclosed.

(ii) 'in' means inside-‘in a room’ /’in a box’

(iii) in the sea, a river, lake, in water

(iv) In a big place (area) in France in Kathmandu in Asia

(b) ‘On’ indicates position (attached to) on the floor on the table on the wall on the ceiling

at work at office at home,

(d) ‘At’ (near, beside): at the door at the table

(e) ‘By’ (near the position)

My School is by Hotel Everest.

3. Direction and motion.

(a) ‘Into’- Throw it into the river

(b) ‘Onto’- They stepped onto the stage.

(d) ‘By’ - (Passing through, along, across) Prashant came by the field.

(e) ‘For’ (towards a place). He set out for Biratnagar.

(f) Some of the prepositional phrases are- ‘on account of’, ‘in course of’, ‘on the permit of’, ‘on the brink of’, ‘with reference to’ and so on.

(g) Double prepositions. ‘out of’, ‘from within’, ‘from among’, ‘from under’, etc. e.g. Why were you driven out of school? A voice came from within my heart.

(h) Some of prepositions are always placed before a relative pronoun. ‘besides’, ‘beyond’, ‘as to’, ‘except’, ‘during’, ‘opposite’, ‘round’, ‘outside’, ‘considering, concerning. e.g. It is the place beyond which we cannot go. He lives in a house opposite which stands an old temple.

(i) ‘Between’ and ‘among’. 'Between' is used in speaking of two people or things; 'among' is used in speaking of more than two people or things. Divide these apples between these two boys. Divide these apples among these four boys

(j) Beside and besides. 'Beside' means by the side of 'or' 'near'. 'Besides' means 'in addition to.' i.e. He stood beside the bus. She gave me a pen besides a watch.

(k) ‘Since’ and ‘for’. 'Since' refers to a point of time and 'for' a period of time. They are generally preceded by a verb in the perfect tense. He has been working since 5 a.m. She has not met him for three months

(l) ‘From’ and ‘by’. 'From' refers to time. It may be used with any tense - past, present, or future. 'By' refers to future time and denotes sometime before the specific time.

I began teaching from the age of twenty.
She will reach Birgunj by 6 o'clock in the evening.

(m) ‘Of’.

Indicating cause. He died of grief. She is sick of /afraid of /ashamed of /proud of/ tired of something or somebody.
Indicating separation in space or time. That town is 200 miles south of Nepalgunj. They were within a hundred yards of the airport.
Indicating partition, inclusion, measure. a sheet of paper a roll of sheets a pint of milk a ton of coal a great deal of that stuff no more of that.
Indicating connection, reference or relation. the cause of the accident the result of debate dream of something
Indicating materials or substance. a table of wood humble of origin made of steel built of brick

Exercise

He was born……..March.(in/ on/ at)
She passed the SEE………2008. ( in/ on/ at)
Our school starts ………7:30. .( in/ on/ at)
We will have finished the work………..2010( in/ on/ by)
I have lived in this village……….2002. .(in/ by/ since)
Ramesh accused of………………thief. (at, in, of)
He is jumping………the floor. ( in/ on/ at)
He divided one these apples …………………. these two boys. (into, between, among)
Please, divide these apples…………………these four boys. (into, between, among)
She always goes to school……………..bus. (in, by, on)
“What is wrong…………you?” He asked me yesterday. (by, in, for, with)
My school is ………..an office. ( in, on/ by)
He dived ………… the river. (in/ into/ at)
My sister divided the apples…….two boys.( among/ between/ to)
My father died……….cancer.(by/ of/ with)
My room is ………the third floor. ( in/ on/ at)
The cat jumped……..the wall. (across/ over/ on)
Small activities may lead the big activities…………..the destination of success.(in/ at/ to)
Insects live………………the grass.(in/ at / to)
………..my opinion, Nepal will be developed. ( in/ On/ At)
The students are interested ………singing and dancing. ( in/ on/ with)
I will invite you………..my birthday party. ( in/ on/ at)
The hero died …………..the end of the film. ( in/ on/ at)
I go to restaurants……..the weekends. ( in/ on/ at)
Open and see your book……..page 45. ( in/ on/ at)