100 Common English Prepositions with Example Sentences
Prepositions are small words that show the relationship between two parts of a sentence.
They are essential in English grammar and help us understand the position, time, direction, and manner of things.
Here, I’ll share 100 lists of prepositions with simple explanations to make them easy to learn.
1. Prepositions of Place (Position)
- At: She is at the door.
- On: The book is on the table.
- In: He is in the room.
- By: The chair is by the window.
- Under: The shoes are under the bed.
- Over: The fan is over the dining table.
- Behind: The car is behind the house.
- Next to: She is sitting next to me.
- Between: The park is between the school and the library.
- Opposite: The bank is opposite the mall.
2. Prepositions of Time
- At: The train arrives at 5 PM.
- On: I was born on Monday.
- In: She will come in January.
- By: We’ll finish by evening.
- Before: He left before dinner.
- After: Let’s meet after lunch.
- Since: I’ve been here since morning.
- For: She stayed for two hours.
- During: No talking during the movie.
- From…to: We’ll work from 9 AM to 5 PM.
3. Prepositions of Direction or Movement
- To: She is going to school.
- Into: He jumped into the pool.
- Onto: The cat climbed onto the roof.
- Out of: She ran out of the room.
- Onto: Place the book onto the shelf.
- Up: He went up the stairs.
- Down: She came down the hill.
- Toward: Walk toward the park.
- Away from: Stay away from the fire.
- Past: We walked past the store.
4. Prepositions for Means or Instrument
- By: She came by car.
- With: He wrote with a pen.
- On: They traveled on a bus.
- In: She arrived in a taxi.
- Through: The message came through email.
5. Prepositions for Cause, Reason, Purpose
- Because of: The match was canceled because of rain.
- Due to: She missed school due to illness.
- For: This gift is for you.
- Over: They argued over the plan.
- From: He suffers from a cold.
6. Prepositions of Comparison or Concession
- As: He works as a teacher.
- Like: She sings like a professional.
- Unlike: Unlike him, she is punctual.
- Than: She is taller than her brother.
- Although: Although tired, he kept working.
7. Prepositions of Manner, Agent, or Method
- By: The book was written by her.
- With: He solved the problem with patience.
- About: We are talking about the new project.
- In: She spoke in a soft voice.
- On: They decided on the next step.
8. Prepositions of Possession
- Of: This is the house of my uncle.
- To: This bike belongs to him.
- With: The lady with a red dress is my aunt.
9. Prepositions of Condition
- In case of: In case of fire, leave the building immediately.
- Under: This plan works under certain conditions.
- Without: Without water, plants cannot survive.
10. Prepositions of Preference
- For: I have a preference for tea over coffee.
- Over: He prefers cricket over football.
- To: I prefer milk to juice.
11. Compound Prepositions
- According to: According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow.
- Apart from: Apart from sweets, she also bought snacks.
- Because of: Because of the noise, I couldn’t concentrate.
- Out of: She’s out of ideas.
- Instead of: Drink water instead of soda.
12. Phrasal Prepositions
- Ahead of: She is ahead of her time.
- Along with: He came along with his sister.
- As for: As for the results, we’ll know tomorrow.
- Because of: The delay happened because of traffic.
- In front of: The kids are playing in front of the house.
13. Prepositions in Idioms
- Under the weather: He’s feeling under the weather.
- Over the moon: She’s over the moon about her success.
- Out of the blue: The news came out of the blue.
- In the dark: We’re still in the dark about the plans.
- By heart: She knows the poem by heart.
14. Prepositions of Measurement
- By: Sold by the dozen.
- Of: A bottle of water.
- With: A room with a view.
15. Prepositions of Distance
- From: It is 10 kilometers from here.
- To: The office is 5 miles to the east.
- Within: It is within walking distance.
16. Prepositions in Questions
- About: What is this story about?
- For: Who is this gift for?
- To: Where are you going to?
17. Prepositions in Negative Sentences
- Without: I can’t live without my family.
- Against: He is against the idea.
- Under: They are under no obligation to stay.
18. Prepositions with Adjectives
- Good at: She is good at math.
- Afraid of: He is afraid of dogs.
- Interested in: They are interested in music.
- Angry with: I am angry with you.
- Happy about: She is happy about her grades.
19. Prepositions with Verbs
- Look at: Look at the board.
- Listen to: Listen to the teacher.
- Depend on: It depends on the weather.
- Think about: Think about your future.
- Wait for: Wait for the bus.
20. Prepositions with Nouns
- Reason for: What’s the reason for the delay?
- Cause of: The cause of the problem is unknown.
- Love for: She has a love for animals.
- Effect on: The weather has an effect on my mood.
- Interest in: He has a great interest in sports.
I discussed 100 different lists of prepositions.
By learning these, you can use prepositions confidently in your writing and speaking.
Practice each group step by step, and you will see improvement in your English.
Prepositions might seem tricky at first, but with patience and practice, you’ll master them!
Read more:
- Learn ALL Tenses in English: The Complete Course
- When to Use Who vs. That: A Comprehensive Guide
- Relative Pronouns: Where, In Which, and Wherein
