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English prepositions are among the trickiest elements of the language. Small words like "in," "on," "at," "to," "for," and "by" cause enormous difficulty for English learners and even trip up native speakers. The challenge is that prepositions often do not translate directly between languages, and many preposition choices in English must simply be learned through exposure.
This guide systematically covers the three major categories of prepositions — time, place, and movement — with clear rules and examples for each. You will also learn about dependent prepositions, the infamous question of ending sentences with prepositions, and the most common preposition mistakes.
What Are Prepositions?
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another element in the sentence. Prepositions typically indicate location, time, direction, or the relationship between ideas. They are one of the essential parts of speech.
A preposition always forms part of a prepositional phrase, which consists of the preposition + its object (a noun or pronoun): "in the morning," "on the table," "at the station," "before dinner," "between you and me."
Prepositions of Time: In, On, At
The three most important prepositions of time are in, on, and at. Think of them as moving from general to specific:
| Preposition | Used For | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| in | Months, years, seasons, centuries, long periods | in January, in 2024, in summer, in the 21st century, in the morning, in the past |
| on | Days, dates, specific days | on Monday, on March 15, on Christmas Day, on my birthday, on the weekend (Am. Eng.) |
| at | Specific times, holidays (periods), night | at 3 o'clock, at noon, at midnight, at Christmas, at night, at the moment |
Other Important Time Prepositions
- before / after: "before noon," "after dinner"
- during: "during the meeting," "during summer"
- for: duration — "for three hours," "for two years"
- since: starting point — "since Monday," "since 2010"
- by: deadline — "by Friday," "by 5 PM"
- until / till: up to a time — "until tomorrow," "till midnight"
- from...to: range — "from 9 AM to 5 PM"
No Preposition Needed
Do not use a preposition before "this," "last," "next," "every," or "yesterday/today/tomorrow":
- "See you next Monday." (not "on next Monday")
- "I went last week." (not "in last week")
- "I'll call tomorrow." (not "on tomorrow")
Prepositions of Place: In, On, At
| Preposition | Used For | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| in | Enclosed spaces, cities, countries, areas | in the box, in London, in France, in the garden, in a car, in bed, in the newspaper |
| on | Surfaces, streets, floors, transport | on the table, on the wall, on Main Street, on the second floor, on the bus, on the internet |
| at | Specific points, addresses, events | at the door, at 123 Main St., at the concert, at school, at work, at the airport |
Other Place Prepositions
- above / over: "The painting is above the fireplace." "The bridge goes over the river."
- below / under / beneath: "The cat is under the table." "The temperature dropped below zero."
- between / among: "Between" for two items: "between you and me." "Among" for three or more: "among the crowd." See fewer vs. less for a similar distinction.
- beside / next to: "She sat beside me."
- behind / in front of: "The garage is behind the house."
- inside / outside: "The keys are inside the drawer."
- near / close to: "The hotel is near the station."
- opposite: "The bank is opposite the post office."
Prepositions of Movement
Movement prepositions describe the direction or path of movement:
- to: toward a destination — "I'm going to the store."
- from: away from a starting point — "She drove from New York."
- into: entering an enclosed space — "He walked into the room."
- out of: leaving an enclosed space — "She climbed out of the car."
- through: passing within and exiting — "We drove through the tunnel."
- across: from one side to the other — "She swam across the river."
- along: following a line — "They walked along the beach."
- toward(s): in the direction of — "He ran toward the exit."
- past: going by — "She walked past the shop."
- up / down: "He climbed up the hill." "She ran down the stairs."
- around: in a circular path — "They drove around the city."
- over: above and across — "The cat jumped over the fence."
Dependent Prepositions
Many verbs, adjectives, and nouns are followed by specific prepositions. These combinations must be memorized because they do not follow logical rules:
Verb + Preposition
- agree with (a person) / agree on (a topic) / agree to (a proposal)
- apologize for
- believe in
- belong to
- consist of
- depend on
- listen to
- look at / look for / look after
- wait for
Adjective + Preposition
- afraid of, angry about/at, good at, interested in, proud of, responsible for, similar to, tired of, worried about
For verbs that combine with prepositions to create new meanings, see our guide on phrasal verbs.
Can You End a Sentence with a Preposition?
The "rule" against ending sentences with prepositions is one of the most persistent myths in English grammar. It was invented in the 17th century by writers who tried to impose Latin grammar rules on English. In Latin, prepositions cannot appear at the end of a sentence. In English, they frequently do, and the result is perfectly natural and grammatical.
"This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put." — often attributed to Winston Churchill, mocking the contortion required to avoid a terminal preposition.
Sentences ending with prepositions are standard English: "What are you looking for?" "That is nothing to worry about." "She had no one to talk to." Rearranging these to avoid the terminal preposition would produce awkward, unnatural sentences.
Common Preposition Errors
- "Different than" vs. "different from": In formal English, "different from" is preferred: "This is different from what I expected." "Different than" is common in American speech but considered informal.
- "Between you and I": Should be "between you and me." After a preposition, use object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them), not subject pronouns.
- Unnecessary prepositions: "Where is she at?" should be "Where is she?" "Where are you going to?" should be "Where are you going?"
- "In" vs. "into": "In" indicates location; "into" indicates movement. "She is in the room" (location) vs. "She walked into the room" (movement).
- "Bored of" vs. "bored with": Traditional grammar prefers "bored with" or "bored by," though "bored of" is increasingly common in informal usage.
Complete List of English Prepositions
Here are the most common English prepositions in alphabetical order:
aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, alongside, amid, among, around, as, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, but, by, concerning, considering, despite, down, during, except, following, for, from, in, inside, into, like, minus, near, next, of, off, on, onto, opposite, out, outside, over, past, per, plus, regarding, round, save, since, than, through, throughout, till, to, toward, towards, under, underneath, unlike, until, up, upon, versus, via, with, within, without
Prepositions may be small words, but they carry enormous weight in English. They create relationships between ideas, specify locations and times, and often make the difference between clarity and confusion. While some preposition choices must simply be memorized, the rules and patterns in this guide will give you a solid framework for using English prepositions correctly and confidently.