English Grammar for ESL learners
PREPOSITIONS
List of English prepositions with their meaning and an example of use.
There are over 100 prepositions in English and using them correctly can be difficult, especially for
learners.
Although most prepositions are single words such as 'at', 'on', 'to', 'from', some pairs and groups of words operate like single prepositions,
for example 'up to', 'out of' 'in front of' etc.
Below is a list of commonly-used propositions with their meaning and a sentence showing how they are used.
Preposition | Meaning | Example |
above | higher than, or over | The sun is above the clouds. |
across | from one side to the other | It's dangerous to run across the road. |
after | - following something - later than |
- The boy ran after the ball. - I'll phone you after lunch. |
against | - in opposition to - in contact with |
- Stealing is against the law. - The sofa is against the wall. |
along | from one end to the other | They are walking along the street. |
among | surrounded by | Peter was among the spectators. |
around | - in a circle - near, approximately |
- He walked around the table. - It costs around 50 euros. |
before | - earlier than - in front of |
- The day before yesterday. - He bowed before the king. |
behind | at the back of | Passengers sit behind the driver. |
below | lower than | His shorts are below his knees. |
beneath | under | The pen was beneath the books. |
beside | next to | The bank is beside the cinema. |
between | in the space separating two things | Mary sat between Tom and Jane. |
by | - near, at the side of - not later than |
- The restaurant is by the river. - The boss wants the report by Friday. |
close to | near | The school is close to the church. |
down | from higher to lower | She pulled down the blind. |
for | what is intended | I bought this book for you. |
from | where something starts or originates | The wind is blowing from the north. |
in | at a point within an area | The pen is in the drawer. |
in front of | directly before | The child ran out in front of the bus. |
inside | on the inner part of | The bird is inside the cage. |
into | enter a closed space | He went into the shop. |
near | close to | The school is near the church. |
next to | beside | The bank is next to the cinema. |
off | down or away from | He fell off the horse. |
on | in a position touching a surface | The plate is on the table. |
onto | move to a position on a surface | The cat jumped onto the roof of the car. |
opposite | facing, on the other side | Eva sat opposite Tom at the table. |
out of | - move from a closed space - without |
- He got out of the taxi. - She's out of work. |
outside | - opposite of inside - on the outer side |
The garden is outside the house. |
over | - above/across - on the surface of |
- The plane flew over the Atlantic. - She put a sheet over the furniture. |
past | beyond | She drove past the supermarket. |
round | in a circular movement | The earth moves round the sun. |
through | from one side to the other | The Seine flows through Paris. |
throughout | in every part of | The virus spread throughout the country. |
to | in the direct of; towards | On the way to the station. |
towards | in the direction of | The child ran towards her father. |
under | beneath, below | Water flows under the bridge. |
underneath | beneath | There was dust underneath the rug. |
up | towards or in a higher position | She walked up the stairs. |
within | inside | They live within the old city. |
without | not have or lack something | I don't like coffee without milk. |
See also: Prepositional Phrases
Try these online exercises
at-on-in | at-for-from-in- into-of-with |
into-onto-off-over-up | preposition quiz |
missing prepositions 1 |
missing prepositions 2 |
missing prepositions 3 |
Please note that British English spelling is used on this website.