In English, Types of Prepositions are words that help us understand how things are related in a sentence. They can tell us about time, place, or direction. For time, words like ‘before’ and ‘after’ are used. For place, words like ‘under’ and ‘next to’ are common. And for direction, words like ‘to’ and ‘from’ are used. These Types of Prepositions are very important in English. They help make our sentences clear and easy to understand. When you learn them, you can make better sentences in English.
Types of Prepositions
Time Prepositions
Time prepositions tell us when something happens. They are like little timekeepers in a sentence.
- Before: We use ‘before’ to talk about something that happens earlier than something else.
- Example: “I eat breakfast before I go to school.”
- After: This is used for something that happens later.
- Example: “She reads a book after dinner.”
- During: ‘During’ tells us something happens at the same time as another event.
- Example: “They play games during the break.”
Place Prepositions
Place prepositions show where something is or happens. They give us a picture of location.
- Under: This tells us something is below something else.
- Example: “The cat is sleeping under the table.”
- Next to: It means something is beside or at the side of something else.
- Example: “The bank is next to the supermarket.”
- Above: This is used when something is higher than something else.
- Example: “A bird is flying above the trees.”
Direction Prepositions
Direction prepositions show where something or someone is going. They point to a direction or path.
- To: We use ‘to’ to show movement towards a place.
- Example: “She is going to the park.”
- From: This is used to show the starting point of a movement.
- Example: “He comes from Canada.”
- Into: It shows movement towards the inside of a place.
- Example: “The dog jumped into the lake.”
- Towards: Indicates movement in a specific direction.
- Example: “The child ran towards the playground.”
- Away from: Shows moving in the opposite direction from something.
- Example: “The bird flew away from the tree.”
Prepositions of Manner
These prepositions describe how something is done.
- By: This preposition indicates a method or means.
- Example: “He travels by train.”
- With: Shows that something is used to do something else.
- Example: “She cut the paper with scissors.”
Prepositions of Agent
Agent prepositions tell us about the person or thing that performs an action.
- By: Yes, ‘by’ is also used as an agent preposition!
- Example: “The book was written by a famous author.”
Compound Prepositions
Compound prepositions are made up of two or more words. They are often used to describe a location or time.
- According to: Indicates something based on a source.
- Example: “According to the weather report, it will rain today.”
- Because of: Shows the reason for something.
- Example: “The match was canceled because of the rain.”
Phrasal Prepositions
Phrasal prepositions are phrases that act as a single preposition.
- In front of: Indicates a position ahead or before something else.
- Example: “The car is parked in front of the house.”
- On behalf of: Means representing someone or something.
- Example: “I will speak on behalf of my team.”