Prepositions — English Grammar Rules, Examples & Practice (Free)
Learn Prepositions in English grammar with simple rules, clear examples, common mistakes and free practice questions for students.
TL;DR: Learn Prepositions in English grammar with simple rules, clear examples, common mistakes and free practice questions for students.
Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated
Prepositions show relationships between nouns (or pronouns) and other words in a sentence. They indicate position, direction, time, manner, or association.
Prepositions — The Rules
- Prepositions of place: in, on, at, under, above, between, beside, into, through
- Prepositions of time: at, on, in, during, before, after, since, until, for
- Prepositions of direction: to, from, toward, up, down, across, along, past
- Prepositions of manner: with, by, in, on, without, like, through
- Prepositions of association: with, without, about, of, for, against
Examples
- Place: "The cat is on the table. She sits under the tree."
- Time: "We meet at 3 PM on Monday in June."
- Direction: "He walked toward the park and through the gate."
- Manner: "She solved it with patience and by thinking carefully."
- Association: "a cup of tea, a fear of heights, a book about history"
Common Mistakes
These are the errors that cost marks most often. Each line gives the mistake and the correction.
- Wrong preposition: "different than" should be "different from" (in American English)
- Ending sentences with prepositions: "Where did he go to?" should be "Where did he go?" (avoid prepositions at sentence end)
- Forgetting prepositions in fixed phrases: "I am interested music" — use "in": "interested in music"
Practice Questions
Attempt each one before reading the answer beneath it — checking first teaches nothing.
Fill the blanks: "The book is _____ the shelf. She walked _____ the door _____ the classroom."
on (place), through (direction), into (direction)
Correct: "I am afraid of the dark." Is this sentence correct?
Yes — "afraid of" is the correct prepositional phrase
Choose the correct preposition: "She is married _____ him." (to, with, for)
to — "married to" is the standard phrase
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it OK to end a sentence with a preposition?
Modern English allows it, especially in informal writing: "That is the person I was talking about." However, formal writing prefers: "That is the person about whom I was talking."
What is the difference between "in" and "into"?
"In" shows position (already inside): "in the room". "Into" shows movement toward an inside position: "walked into the room".
Are there fixed prepositional phrases I should memorize?
Yes! Common ones: "in time", "on time", "by mistake", "in my opinion", "at least", "on purpose". Context determines the exact preposition.
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