Prepositions

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Preposition Help (Eng 1)

Although the root -position in the word preposition has nothing to do with so many prepositions' reference to positions, still try thinking about prepositions this way: you may find them easier to recognize.

Relative Position Relative Direction Philosophical Position

in space

aboard
about
above
across
against
along with
amid
among
around
at
behind
below
beneath
beside
between beyond
by
in
in front of
inside
near
next to
off
on
over
throughout
under
underneath
upon
with
within

across
along
down
from
into
of
out of
past
through
to
toward
unto
up according to
aside from
because of
besides
but (meaning except)
except
for
in addition to
in spite of
instead of
like
on account of
without

in time after
as of
before
since during
until Of course many of these words can occupy more than one category; I've listed multicategory words as "Relative Positions in space."

Remember that the same words used as prepositions may also be used as adverbs. How does one recognize prepositions? Prepositions must always have an object that answers the question "<preposition> what?" (of what? toward what? since what?) Adverbs (apart from adverb clauses or phrases) do not have an object.

Remember, too, that the word a prepositional phrase modifies is not the same as the object of the preposition.

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