What is a Preposition? A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in the sentence. It often tells where , when , or why .
The book is on the table. (Shows location) 1. Common Types of Prepositions | Type | Common Prepositions | Example Sentence | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Place/Position | in, on, at, under, over, between, behind, beside, near, above, below | She sat beside me. | | Time | at, on, in, before, after, during, until, since, for, by | The meeting starts at 9 AM. | | Direction/Movement | to, into, through, across, up, down, around, past, towards | He walked into the room. | | Manner/Means | by, with, without, like | She goes to work by bus. | | Purpose/Cause | for, because of, due to | He was sad because of the news. | 2. The Most Important Prepositions: AT, ON, IN These three cause the most confusion. Use this rule table:
| Use | (specific point) | ON (surface/line) | IN (enclosed space) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Time | at 5 PM / at noon / at night | on Monday / on July 4th / on the weekend (US) | in 2024 / in summer / in the morning | | Place | at the door / at the bus stop / at home | on the table / on the wall / on a page | in the room / in a car / in the city | | Addresses | at 123 Main St. | on Maple Street | in Chicago / in Texas |