Prepositions ,Grammar American & British [ 25 ]

25 - ] Grammar American & British 

Prepositions .

A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object. Some examples of prepositions are words like "in," "at," "on," "of," and "to." Prepositions in English are highly idiomatic.

The definition of a preposition is a word or phrase that connects a noun or pronoun to a verb or adjective in a sentence. An example of preposition is the word "with" in the following; "I'm going with her."

A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object. Some examples of prepositions are words like "in," "at," "on," "of," and "to."

Prepositions in English are highly idiomatic. Although there are some rules for usage, much preposition usage is dictated by fixed expressions. In these cases, it is best to memorize the phrase instead of the individual preposition.

Prepositions are words that show relationships. A sentence would not make sense without the use of a preposition. There are different types of prepositions used in the English language that not only add detail but make a sentence complete. Prepositions are used to show location, time, direction, cause and possession.

How many prepositions are in English?

There are about 150 prepositions in English. Yet this is a very small number when you think of the thousands of other words (nouns, verbs etc.). Prepositions are important words. We use individual prepositions more frequently than other individual words.

What are the types of preposition?

The five types of prepositions are simple, double, compound, participle, and phrase prepositions.

Types of Prepositions

Preposition of movement. Prepositions of Direction

To refer to a direction, use the prepositions "to," "in," "into," "on," and "onto."

She drove to the store.

Don’t ring the doorbell. Come right in(to) the house.

Drive on(to) the grass and park the car there.

Ending a Sentence With a Preposition

At one time, schools taught students that a sentence should never end with a preposition. This rule is associated with Latin grammar, and while many aspects of Latin have made their way into English, there are times when following this particular grammar rule creates unclear or awkward sentence structures. Since the purpose of writing is to clearly communicate your ideas, it is acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition if the alternative would create confusion or is too overly formal.

Example: The car had not been paid for. (Ends with a preposition but is acceptable)

Unclear Revision: Paid for the car had not been. (Unclear sentence.)

Example: I would like to know where she comes from. (Ends with a preposition but is acceptable)

Overly Grammatical Revision: I would like to know from where she comes. (Grammatical but overly formal. Nobody actually speaks like this.)

However, in academic writing, you may decide that it is worth revising your sentences to avoid ending with a preposition in order to maintain a more formal scholarly voice.

Example: My research will focus on the community the students lived in.

Revision: My research will focus on the community in which the students lived.

 Example: I like the people I am working with.

Revision: I like the people with whom I am working.

Preposition of manner.

Preposition of agent of instrument.

Preposition of measure.

Preposition of source.

Preposition of possession.

8 Types of Prepositions With Examples

1- ]Simple Preposition. When a preposition consists of one word is called single or simple preposition.

Simple Preposition Examples: in, at, on, to for, of, from, up, after, over, under, with, till, etc.

Simple prepositions are words like at, for, in, off, on, over, and under. These common prepositions can be used to describe a location, time or place.

Some examples of common prepositions used in sentences are:

He sat on the chair.

There is some milk in the fridge.

She was hiding under the table.

The cat jumped off the counter.

He drove over the bridge.

She lost her ring at the beach.

The book belongs to Anthony.

They were sitting by the tree.

We are running in the gym today.

The sun is above the clouds.

She lives near her workplace.

She drew the picture with a crayon.

He swam at the lake.

I walked down the street.

We located the key for the lock.

The car went through the tunnel.

I got a package from a friend.

I have liked that song since 1999.

She put the flowers by the window.

The food was placed on the table.

2- ] Double Preposition. When a preposition consists of more than one word, it is called double preposition.

Double Preposition Examples: into, within, upto etc.

Double prepositions are two simple prepositions used together, often indicating direction. Some examples are into, upon, onto, out of, from within.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess.

The baby climbed onto the table.

It is up to us to find the answer.

The loud noise came from within the stadium.

She never leaves without her phone.

The bird sat atop the oak tree.

The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.

I was unable to get out of the appointment.

3. Compound Preposition  consists of two or more words.

Compound Preposition Examples: on behalf of, according to, in front of, from across etc.

Compound prepositions (or complex prepositions) consist of two or more words, usually a simple preposition and another word, to convey location. Some examples are in addition to, on behalf of, and in the middle of.

She sat across from Marie.

I attended the meeting on behalf of my company.

We were in the middle of the storm.

He has gym class in addition to his regular classes today.

He picked up the penny from beneath the couch.

Aside from singing, she also plays the piano at the bar.

My car is parked in front of the mailbox.

The weather will be good this weekend according to Tom.

The Most Common Compound Prepositions

according to	ahead of	along with	alongside of	apart from
around about	as against	as between	as compared with	as compared to
as for	at that point in time	at this point in time	at the point of	at the time of
because of	by force of	by means of	by reason of	by virtue of
by way of	due to	during the course of	except for	for fear of
for lack of	for the purpose of	for the reason that	for the sake of	from above
from among	from behind	from beneath	from between	from the point of view of
in accordance with	in a manner similar to	in care of	in case of	in close connection with
in common with	in comparison to	in compliance with	in connection with	on account of
on behalf of	on the basis of	on the part of	on the point of	on top of
out of	outside of	owing to	previous to	prior to
pursuant to	regardless of	relating to	relative to	short of
similar to		subsequent to	under cover of	what with
with a view to	with regard to	with reference to	with respect to	with the intention of
in consequence of	in consideration of	in contrast to	in default of	in deference to
in exchange for	in excess of	in favor of	in front of	in lieu of
in opposition to	in order to	in place of	in preference to	in receipt of
in regard to	in relation to	in search of	in spite of	in terms of
in the course of	in the event of	in the face of	in the immediate vicinity of	in the nature of
independently of	inside of	instead of	on account of	on behalf of
on the basis of	on the part of	on the point of	on top of	out of
outside of	owing to	previous to	prior to	pursuant to
regardless of	relating to	relative to	short of	similar to
subsequent to	under cover of	what with	with a view to	with regard to
with reference to	with respect to	with the intention of

4- ]Participle Preposition consists of words that end in “ing”.

Participle Examples: regarding, barring, concerning, considering, etc.

Participle prepositions have endings such as -ed and -ing. Examples are words such as considering, during, concerning, provided.

She is interested in anything concerning horses.

He works one job during the day and another at night.

The dog kept following him home.

All the neighbors were there including the new one.

The principal was asking questions regarding her behavior.

Considering his age, he did a great job.

He was frustrated at the situation.

The teacher said no talking during class.

Participle prepositions have endings such as -ed and -ing.

assuming, barring, considering, during, given, notwithstanding, provided,  regarding, and respected.

5. Disguised Prepositions

Disguised Preposition Examples: ‘by’ can be changed into ‘be’, ‘on’ into ‘a’, and ‘of’ can be changed into ‘o’ for example, 5 O’ clock.

6. Phrase Prepositions

Prepositional Phrases and Wordiness

Like with pronouns, too many prepositional phrases can create wordiness in a sentence:

Example: The author chose the mixed-method design to explain that the purpose of the study was to explore the leadership qualities of the principals in the schools as a means to gauge teacher satisfaction in the first year of teaching.

This type of sentence could be shortened and condensed to minimize the prepositional phrases and bring clarity to the writer's intent:

Revision: The author chose the mixed-method design to explore the principals' leadership qualities and their impact on first-year teachers' satisfaction.

Unnecessary Prepositions

If the preposition is unnecessary, leave it out. This creates more clear and concise writing.

Example: Where are the plates at?

Revision: Where are the plates?

Example: She jumped off of the balance beam.

Revision: She jumped off the balance beam.

Group of words used with the force of a single preposition is called phrase preposition.

For example according to , by means of , owing to .

Phrase prepositions (or prepositional phrases) include a preposition, an object, and the object's modifier. Examples include phrases like on time, at home, before class, and on the floor.

Prepositional Phrase Example Sentences

Prepositional phrases contain a preposition followed by an article followed by a noun.

I will get to the conference on time.

The baseball game was canceled after the heavy rain.

John found his homework under the bed.

The children loved the gifts from their grandparents.

He succeeded with a little help.

We met to discuss the project before class.

She left muddy footprints on the clean floor.

According to his wishes, his funeral will be private.

The baby cries during the day and sometimes at night.

All the children were in the classroom including the teacher.

The hamburger with cheese is yours.

Let’s spice up this sentence.

The hamburger with cheese is yours.

I danced on the stage.

Next, we add more details.

I danced on the concert stage.

The puppy ran through the grass.

Adjectives make the sentence more enticing to read.

The puppy ran through the lush green grass.

How do you Identify a Prepositional Phrase?

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that doesn’t contain a verb or a subject. It functions as a unified part of speech. A prepositional phrase normally has a simple preposition and a noun or a simple preposition and a pronoun.

Think of prepositional phrases as making a hamburger. You must have meat (or a protein) and bread. A simple preposition and the object of the preposition are the basics of a prepositional phrase.

You can jazz up your hamburger by adding cheese, grilled onions, mustard, tomatoes, etc. The same can be done for prepositional phrases. Add adverbs and adjectives to make your sentence more enjoyable to read.

Here are some of the most common, or simple prepositions:

aboard	about	above	across	after	against
along	alongside	amid	among	around	at
before	behind	below	beneath	beside	besides
between	beyond	but	by	concerning
considering	despite	down	during	except	excepting
for	from	in	inside	into	like
near	of	off	on	onto	opposite
out	outside	over	past	regarding
round	save	since	through	throughout	till
to	toward	under	underneath	until	unto
up	upon	via	with	within	without

What are the prepositions of time?

A preposition of time is a preposition that allows you to discuss a specific time period such as a date on the calendar, one of the days of the week, or the actual time something takes place. Prepositions of time are the same words as prepositions of place, however they are used in a different way.

Prepositions are used in many different ways in English - perhaps that's why a lot of people have problems with them.

Prepositions of Time

To refer to one point in time, use the prepositions "in," "at," and "on."

Use "in" with parts of the day (not specific times), months, years, and seasons.

He reads in the evening.

The weather is cold in December.

She was born in 1996.

We rake leaves in the fall.

Use "at" with the time of day. Also use "at" with noon, night, and midnight.

I go to work at 8:00.

He eats lunch at noon.

She often goes for a walk at night.

They go to bed at midnight.

Use "on" with days.

I work on Saturdays.

He does laundry on Wednesdays.

To refer to extended time, use the prepositions "since," "for," "by," "during," "from…to," "from…until," "with," and "within."

I have lived in Minneapolis since 2005. (I moved there in 2005 and still live there.)

He will be in Toronto for 3 weeks. (He will spend 3 weeks in Toronto.)

She will finish her homework by 6:00. (She will finish her homework sometime between now and 6:00.)

He works part time during the summer. (For the period of time throughout the summer.)

I will collect data from January to June. (Starting in January and ending in June.)

They are in school from August until May. (Starting in August and ending in May.)

She will graduate within 2 years. (Not longer than 2 years.)

First, they are used with time words:

on Monday

in the 20th century

at night

at        

times: at 8pm, at midnight, at 6:30

holiday periods: at Christmas, at Easter

at night

at the weekend

at lunchtime, at dinnertime, at breakfast time

on       

days: on Monday, on my birthday, on Christmas Day

days + morning / afternoon / evening / night: on Tuesday morning

dates: on the 20th of June

in        

years: in 1992, in 2006

months: in December, in June

decades: in the sixties, in the 1790s

centuries: in the 19th century

seasons: in winter, in summer

in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

no

prep    

next week, year, month etc.

last night, year etc.

this morning, month etc.

every day, night, years etc.

today, tomorrow, yesterday

Prepositions of Place

To refer to a place, use the prepositions "in" (the point itself), "at" (the general vicinity), "on" (the surface), and "inside" (something contained).

They will meet in the lunchroom.

She was waiting at the corner.

He left his phone on the bed.

Place the pen inside the drawer.

To refer to an object higher than a point, use the prepositions "over" and "above." To refer to an object lower than a point, use the prepositions "below," "beneath," "under," and "underneath."

The bird flew over the house.

The plates were on the shelf above the cups.

Basements are dug below ground.

There is hard wood beneath the carpet.

The squirrel hid the nuts under a pile of leaves.

The cat is hiding underneath the box.

 To refer to an object close to a point, use the prepositions "by," "near," "next to," "between," "among," and "opposite."

The gas station is by the grocery store.

The park is near her house.

Park your bike next to the garage.

There is a deer between the two trees.

There is a purple flower among the weeds.

The garage is opposite the house.

Prepositions of Location

To refer to a location, use the prepositions "in" (an area or volume), "at" (a point), and "on" (a surface).

They live in the country. (an area)

She will find him at the library. (a point)

There is a lot of dirt on the window. (a surface)

Second, they are used to show where something or someone is:

The plate is on the table.

Julie is in the garden.

The picture is on the wall.

If something is contained inside a box or a wide flat area, we use ‘in’:

in the newspaper         in a house

in a cup            in a drawer

in a bottle        in a bag

in bed  in a car

in London        in England

in a book         in a pub

in a field          in the sea

in my stomach in a river

If something is on a line or a horizontal or vertical surface, we use ‘on’:

on the table      on the wall

on the floor      on the window

on my face       on a plate

on the page      on the sofa

on a chair        on a bag

on the river     on a t-shirt

on the ceiling   on a bottle

on a bike          on his foot

If something is at a point, (it could be a building) we use ‘at’:

at the airport   at the door

at the table      at the bus stop

at the cinema   at the top

at the bottom   at the pub

at the traffic lights       at the front

at the back       at school

at university    at the window

at the hospital  at the piano

Here are some more common ones that don't really fit:

on TV

on the bus

on a train

on a plane

on the radio

at home

at work

Prepositions of Spatial Relationships

To refer to a spatial relationship, use the prepositions "above," "across," "against," "ahead of," "along," "among," "around," "behind," "below,"

"beneath," "beside," "between," "from," "in front of," "inside," "near," "off," "out of," "through," "toward," "under," and "within."

The post office is across the street from the grocery store.

We will stop at many attractions along the way.

The kids are hiding behind the tree.

His shirt is off.

Walk toward the garage and then turn left.

Place a check mark within the box.

Prepositions Following Verbs and Adjectives

Some verbs and adjectives are followed by a certain preposition. Sometimes verbs and adjectives can be followed by different prepositions, giving the phrase different meanings. To find which prepositions follow the verb or an adjective, look up the verb or adjective in an online dictionary, such as Merriam Webster, or use a corpus, such as The Corpus of Contemporary American English. Memorizing these phrases instead of just the preposition alone is the most helpful.

Third, they are used after some adjectives:

 

She is good at tennis.

Scotland is famous for whisky

I'm worried about my new job.

Here are some of the most common ones:

 

famous for

France is famous for its food.

proud of

He is very proud of his new car.

interested in

Julie is very interested in sport.

pleased with

John is very pleased with his new suit.

bad at

They are very bad at math.

good at

Einstein was very good at physics.

married to

My mother has been married to my father for 20 years.

excited about

I'm very excited about my holiday.

different from / to

Coffee is different from tea.

afraid of

I'm afraid of spiders.

Fourth, they are used after some verbs:

Some Common Verb + Preposition Combinations

About: worry, complain, read

He worries about the future.

She complained about the homework.

I read about the flooding in the city.

At: arrive (a building or event), smile, look

He arrived at the airport 2 hours early.

The children smiled at her.

She looked at him.

From: differ, suffer

The results differ from my original idea.

She suffers from dementia.

For: account, allow, search

Be sure to account for any discrepancies.

I returned the transcripts to the interviewees to allow for revisions to be made.

They are searching for the missing dog.

In: occur, result, succeed

The same problem occurred in three out of four cases.

My recruitment strategies resulted in finding 10 participants.

She will succeed in completing her degree.

Of: approve, consist, smell

I approve of the idea.

The recipe consists of three basic ingredients.

The basement smells of mildew.

On: concentrate, depend, insist

He is concentrating on his work.

They depend on each other.

I must insist on following this rule.

To: belong, contribute, lead, refer

Bears belong to the family of mammals.

I hope to contribute to the previous research.

My results will lead to future research on the topic.

Please refer to my previous explanation.

With: (dis)agree, argue, deal

I (dis)agree with you.

She argued with him.

They will deal with the situation.

Although verb + preposition combinations appear similar to phrasal verbs, the verb and the particle (in this case, the preposition) in these combinations cannot be separated like phrasal verbs. See more about this on our verb choice page.

I'm listening to music.

She is waiting for her friend.

He borrows money from his sister.

Here are some of the most common ones:

arrive at / in somewhere

We arrived at the airport.

We arrived in London.

belong to somebody

This book belongs to me.

borrow something from somebody

I borrowed a book from my classmate.

concentrate on something / doing something

I concentrated on studying at the weekend.

depend on something / somebody

It depends on the weather.

explain something to somebody

The teacher explained the exercise to the students.

listen to something / somebody

I listened to music.

pay somebody for something

I paid the waiter for the coffee.

wait for somebody / something

Wait for me!

worry about somebody / something

Don't worry about a thing!

Fifth, they are used after some nouns:

She has trouble with remembering new vocabulary.

Finally, they are used in certain phrases:

The bus arrived in the end.

She arrived just in time for the film.

Disguised Prepositions

Disguised prepositions are those that are not used in the sentences but are implied. Unique examples of disguised prepositions are the letters 'a' and 'o'. Here, 'a' stands for the shortened form of the preposition 'on' and 'o' stands for the shortened form of the preposition.

Prepositions List With Verbs & Nouns & Adjectives

Here is an alphabetically organized list of common prepositions.

 

Abide by a promise	Ability for in some work	Abound in or with fish	Absolved of a charge
Absorbed in thoughts	Abstain from wine	Abundance of food	Accede to a request
Acceptable to a person	Access to a person or a place	Accomplice with a person in some crime	Accountable to a person for a thing
Accustomed to hearing abuses	Acquaintance with a person or a thing	Accuse of some misdeed	Acquitted of a charge
Adhere to a plan	Adjacent to a place	Admit to an excuse	Adverse to his interests
Affection for a person	Affectionate to a person	Affinity with something between two things	Afraid of death
Agree to a proposal	Agree with a person	Aim at a mark	Alarmed at a bad news
Alight from a carriage	Allegiance to a person	Alliance with a person or state	Allot to a person
Allusion to something	Alternative to a plan	Amazed at anything	Ambition for something
Amused at a joke	Animosity against a person	Angry at a thing with a person	Answer to a person
Answer for conduct	Anxious for his safety about the results	Apology for some fault to a person	Appeal to a person for redress or help against
Appetite for food	Applicable to a case	Apply to a person for a thing	Appoint to a situation
Apprise of a fact	Appropriate to an occasion	Approve of an action	Aptitude for science etc.
Arrive at a place in a country	Ashamed of his ignorance	Ask for a thing from a person	Astonished at her behavior
Astonishing to a person	Assent to an opinion	Associate with a person or thing	Attack on a place
Attain to a high place	Attend to a speaker	Attend on a person	Attention to study
Avail oneself of an offer	Avenge oneself on a person	Aversion to a person or thing	Aware of his intentions
Bark at a person or thing	Beat against a rock	Believe in one’s honesty	Belong to a person
Bestow a thing on a person	Beware of pick-pockets	Blessed with health	Blind to his own fault
Blush at one’s own fault	Boast of one’s wealth	Born of rich parents	Break into a house
Break with a person	Burst into a rage	Busy with his lessons	Call on a person at a place
Call for punishment	Canvass for votes	Capable of improvement	Care for a person
Careful of his money about his dress	Charge man with a crime	Cling to a person or thing	Close to a person or thing
Clothed in blue	Commence with a thing	Comment on a matter	Common to sever persons or things
Compete with a person	Competent for certain work	Complain against a person	Complaint about a thing
Comply with someone’s orders	Composed of a material	Conceal facts from anyone	Concede to some demand
Condole with a person	Conducive to success	Confer a thing on anyone	Confidence in a person
Confident of success	Conform to rule with one’s views	Congratulate a man on his success	Connive at other men’s fault
Consent to some proposal	Conscious of her beauty	Consist of material in facts or results	Consult with a person on or about some matter
Contempt for a person or thing	Contend with or against a person	Contend for or about a thing	Contented with a little
Contrary to rules	Contrast to a person or thing	Contribute to a fund	Control over a person or thing
Converse to a point	Converse with a person about a thing	Convince a person of a fact	Cope with a person
Correspond to something	Count on a thing	Cure a man of a disease	Deaf to his advice
Deal in clothes(trade)	Deal with a person	Deficient in energy	Delight to see you
Depend on a person or thing	Deprive a person of a thing	Desire for wealth	Desirous of success
Despair of success	Detrimental to health	Devoid of happiness	Die of a disease
Die from some cause as overwork	Die by violence	Differ with a person on a subject	Disagree with a person or thing
Disappointed with a person in a thing	Disapprove of anything	Disgrace to a person	Dispense with a man’s services
Displeased with a person	Dispose of property	Dispute with a person about anything	Disqualified for a post
Dissent from an opinion	Dissuade from an action	Distinguish one thing from another	Distinguish between two things
Dream of strange things	Duty to a person	Dwell on a subject	Eat into iron
Elicit from a person	Eligible for employment	Embark on board ship	Embark in business
Eminent for his poetry	Employed in gardening	Encroach on one’s authority	Endow a person or thing with something
Engaged to some person in some business	Enmity with a person	Entitled to some facility	Entrust anyone with a thing
Entrust a thing to anyone	Envy at another’s success	Envious of another’ success	Equal to the occasion
Escape from jail	Excuse for a fault	Exempt a person from a rule	Exonerate a person from blame
Experience in doing something	Explain to a person	Exult in a victory over a rival	Faith in a person or a thing
Faithful to a master	Familiar to a person or thing with a language	Famous for his learning	Fatal to his health
Feed on grass	Feed a cow with grass	Fit for a position fond of music	Forbearance for some weakness
Fraught with danger	Gifted with abilities	Glance at a person to a thing	Grapple with difficulties
Grieve at or for or about an event	Grieve for a person	Guard against a bad habit	Guess at something
Hanker after wealth	Harmony with anything	Hatred of or for a person of a thing	Heal of a disease
Heir to some property	Hint at an intention	Hope for something	Hopeful of success
Hostile to my efforts	Ignorant of English	Ill with fever	Impart a thing to a person
Impose on a person	Incite a person to some action	Inclined to laziness	Incumbent on a person
Indebted to a person for some kindness	Indicative of his motives	Indifference to a person or thing	Indulge in gambling
Infected with smallpox	Infer one fact from another	Infested with rats	Inflict punishment on a man
Influence over a person on a man’s action	Informed of a fact	Infringe on a man’s rights	Innocent of a charge
Inquire into a matter of a person about some matter	Insist on something being done	Instill a thing into the mind	Interest in music with a person about some matter
Interfere with a person in some matter	Intimate with a person	Introduce a man to someone into a place or sect	Invite a man to dinner
Involve a man in debt	Irrelevant to a question	Irrespective of color and creed	Jeer at person
Jealous of his reputation	Jest at a person	Jump at a person	Jump to a conclusion into the river
Lame of one leg	Lament for the dead	Laugh at a person or thing	Lean against a wall
Liable to an error of payment	Limited to a certain area	Live on a small income	Long for or after some business
Long at a person or thing	Long into a matter	Long for something lost	Loyal to the government
Lust after/for riches	Mad with hunger	Malice against a person	Marry one person to another
Meddle with other man’s affairs	Merge into anything	Moved to tears	Moved with pity
Moved at the sight	Moved by request	Negligent of duty	Necessity for a thing
Need for assistance	Nomination of a person to a post	Notorious for his misdeeds	Obedience to a person or order
Object to some proposal	Obliged to a person	Oblivious of the past	Occupied with some work
Operate on/upon a patient	Opposed to facts	Opposite to a place	Overcome with sorrow
Overwhelm with emotions	Painful to one’s feelings	Parallel to or with anything	Part with a person or thing
Persevere in an effort	Persist in doing something	Pertain to question	Play at cards
Play upon the guitar	Play tricks with a person	Plot against a man	Plunge into a river
Ponder on or over a subject	Popular with students	Pounce on a thing	Prefer one thing to another
Prejudice against a person	Present anyone with a book	Preside at or over a meeting	Prevent from going
Previous to some event	Proficient in mathematics	Prohibit from doing something	Prone to laziness
Protect from harm	Protest against injustice	Proud of his wealth	Provide for one’s children
Provide with something	Purged of evil thoughts	Qualification for office	Quarrel with someone over or about something
Quick at mathematics	Recover from an illness	Reduced to poverty	Related to a person
Refer to a subject	Refrain from some action	Regard for a man’s feeling	Rejoice at the success of another in one’s own success
Relieve of or from pain	Rely on a person or thing	Remedy for or against a snake bite	Remind a person of a thing
Repent for a sin	Repentance for sin	Result from a cause	Result in a consequence
Revenge me on someone for some injury	Revolt against a government	Reward a man with something for some service done	Rob a person for something
Rule over a country	Run after new fashions	Run at a cat	Run into debt
Sacred to a person	Satiated with pleasure	Satisfied with income	Search for something lost
Send for a doctor	Shocked at your behavior	Short of money	Shudder at cruelty
Sick of waiting	Similar to a person or thing	Slow at accounts	Sorry for your sufferings
Stand against an enemy	Stand by a friend	Stand to one’s opinion	Stare at a person
Startled at a sight	Steeped in evils	Stoop to greediness	Strange to a person
Struggle against difficulties	Subject to authority	Submit to authority	Subordinate to a person
Subscribe to a fund	Succeed to a property	Succeed in doing something	Succumb to difficulties
Sue for peace	Sufficient for a purpose	Suitable to the occasion	Suitable for his income
Supplement to a book	Supply a thing to a person	Supply a person with a thing	Sure of success
Surrender to the enemy	Suspicious of his meaning	Sympathize with a person in trouble	Synonymous with another word
Take after her mother	Take a person for a thief	Take to gambling	Take upon oneself to do a thing
Talk to or with a person	Thankful for some favor	Throw a stone at any one	Tired of doing nothing
Tired with his exertions	Traitor to his country	Tremble at a snake with fear	True to his words
Trust in a person	Trust a man with money	Vested in a person	Vexed with a person
Vexed at a thing	Victorious over difficulties	View with another person	Vote for anything
Vote against a thing	Wait for a person or thing	Wait on a person	Warn a person of danger against a fault
Want of money	Weary of doing nothing	Welcome to my house	Wish for anything
Witness of or to an event	Wonder at something	Worthy of praise	Yearn for love
Yield for pedestrians	Zeal for a cause	Zealous for improvement	Zest for enjoyment

Prepositions Of Manner

Prepositions of Manner is all about how a certain thing happened or is done. Sometimes even referred to as Prepositions of Method, these include words like on, by, with, like, etc. Using the Prepositions of Manner is all about how a certain thing happened or is done. Sometimes even referred to as Prepositions of Method, these include words like on, by, with, like, etc.

The most commonly used Prepositions of Manner are “by” and “with”. We make use of By whenever we talk about actions and it is usually followed by the gerund (verb + -ing) or a noun, while we make use of With to talk about objects or tools that are used to achieve something and it is often followed by a noun. This will make more sense as you read further: prepositions 'for, from, of, through, with. '

Prepositions of form- By, With. They have the same purpose in the sentence but not the same meaning. Both of them show the form of the noun. They show what was used to make something happen.

By is used as –By + noun OR By + -ing + noun

With is used as – with + noun

For example:

He will die by the sword. (the sword will be the manner of his death)

He faces danger with courage. (he is courageous when faced with danger)

She left the room in tears. (she was crying when she left the room)

Answering the question of how:

She lost 2 pounds by going vegan. (how did she lose 2 pounds? by going vegan)

They went through the blizzard with courage. (how did they go through the blizzard? with courage)

2. Preposition of method- As if, like, on, as. These show the method with which something was done.

For example:

She spoke as if she was the head of the team. (in the manner of the head)

He acted like there was no other option. (in a manner that there was no other option)

They traveled on foot. (they walked)

I have worked as a teacher and counselor. (in the capacity of a teacher and counselor)

Try answering the question of how from the following examples:

She went to South Bombay by cab.

Our mother sings like a cuckoo bird.

The skydivers were dropped by a plane.

He fell in the ditch while walking home.

The tourists arrived on the Havelock island on a ferry.

I reacted with anger to his mistake.

My sister speaks like an old wise woman.

Solved Question for You

Q: Fill in the blank with a suitable preposition.

She came to the party _______ auto.

[ by- for – with – of ]

Answer: The preposition ‘by’ is used to show how or in what way something is done, especially to denote the transport that is used for traveling. In the given context the person uses an auto to travel, therefore ‘by’ is the apt answer. Thus option A is correct.

Whereas ‘with’ in the given context would mean in the company of someone. Since the auto is not a person and cannot accompany the person to the party option C is incorrect. Similarly ‘for’ cannot be used in the sentence because ‘for’ is used to denote why something is done or for whom.

The party is not conducted for the auto, therefore, option B is incorrect. The preposition ‘of’ is used to express belonging, which is inappropriate here because the party doesn’t belong to or originates from the auto. Thus option D is incorrect.

Preposition of Measure, Standard, Rate, Value:

To begin with, this preposition is used for the purpose as it seems from the title: for a measure or state a standard or specify a rate or specify a value. There are a few prepositions that are used before nouns, adjectives or verbs to describe them in the context of a measurement. Let’s see a few examples to really understand what we mean here:

My brother is taller than me by 5 inches. – In this sentence, what’s being measured is the height. Height can be measured specifically and the comparison is clearly mentioned in the sentence. Notice how the preposition by is placed right before the measure of 5 inches.

Can you please sell your bicycle to me at 50 percent of selling price. – What’s being measured here is the rate. A rate usually always takes the preposition at. A percentage is a very precise number to describe a rate that usually goes with the preposition, at.

So now that we think you have a good idea of Preposition of Measure, Standard, Rate, Value, let’s have a look at a few prepositions and try to break down their usages:

By – Most commonly used preposition for the purpose of measure, by is usually used to describe a measure, standard or value, sometimes in comparisons or just stating standard measurement. Let’s see a few examples:

 Tina won the match against Whitney by 2 points.

The area of this house is measured by the yard.

The leopard is heavier than the jaguar by 10 pounds.

 At – Second most common preposition of this kind. At is usually used in the context of very precise measures. Let’s see a few examples:

She charges interest rate at 10 percent.

It came in running at 110km/hour.

 Of – This preposition is usually used when the topic is abstract or measurement can’t be in numbers. For example, a thing like bravery cannot be measured in numbers, but it’s measurement or value can still be described. Let’s see a few examples:

Can you give me a piece of you cake?

The soldiers were driven by the bravery of their spirits.

Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality

Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality: As we covered before, Prepositions are words that link either the noun, or the pronoun with another word in the sentence so as to form a relationship between them. To define it: A preposition is a word usually placed before a Noun(or a pronoun) to show it’s relation to another element in the sentence. This element could be another noun, adjective or verb.

These prepositions are usually placed to connect the doer and the doing, basically the noun and the verb. Agent, as you know, is the connector. It’s that which makes something happen. So that means Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality are placed in a sentence to fulfil the purpose of showing an agent. Let’s see which words do this and how:

By:

By is usually used to show a doing by a person. Let’s see a few examples to get this fully:

This food store is constructed by my father. (A doing was done by a person- Construction is the action and father is the noun, and by is the preposition connecting them to show their relation.)

Harry Potter was written by J.K. Rowling.

The much acclaimed song “Something” was written by none other than Sir George Harrison.

This sweater was knitted for me by my grandmother.

2. With:

Usually used to show a doing by a thing, with is another Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality.  Let’s see a few examples:

We drove away the mosquitoes with the repellant spray. (A doing was done with something- Drove away is the action and the repellant spray is the noun that the preposition with is connecting. The purpose of the preposition here as you can see is to show the agent of the action- Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality.)

We flushed out the dirt from the terrace with water. (The verb or the action here is flushed out and the noun is water. The act was done using the noun, water and the word showing this agency is shown using the preposition- with.)

Mother chopped onions with a knife.

Alternatively, usually places where “with the help of” phrase is used can be replaced by with. We will see that the same words can be used in most kinds of prepositions alike. The key difference lies in the purpose we use the preposition for. You know which prepositions to use for agency or instrumentality.

Preposition of Cause, Reason, Purpose

So what is a Preposition of Cause or Reason or Purpose or Motive or Destination or Target(all of these words snowballed into a broader term, Cause)? These are the prepositions that in general show the reason of a happening or being in a sentence. They generally answer the question of  why. They basically show the cause of something happening or the purpose of an action. As the name suggests, these show the reason in a sentence.

For example:

A train is used for travelling to different places. ( Why is a train used? The purpose of a train is to travel. The preposition for is the preposition of cause in this sentence as it is showing the purpose of a train.)

Sami Kohli received a prize for his exceptional performance in the field of cricket. (Why was Sami Kohli given prize? The award was given because of his exceptional performance. The reason of the award is being indicated by the preposition for.)

Let’s see some Prepositions of Cause:

To: Usually used to show the purpose of the noun. This preposition joins a noun with a verb.

We use coal in hydraulic plants to make electricity.

She ran to deliver the mail before the bus left.

My baby sister always goes to our father to ask for sweets.

2. For: This is also used to show the purpose of the noun. This preposition joins a noun with usually another noun or an adjective. If it joins the noun with a verb, usually the verb is in it’s gerund form.

I need a fine profile for getting a job at the Wall street.

Thank you for bringing us a casserole while our mom is out of town.

My cat goes out in the garden for emptying her bowels.

3. Because of/ on account of : Joining a verb with the noun, this preposition is pretty straight up. It shows the reason of the happening.

I need to stay home because of my naughty brother.

The moon shines because of the sun.

On account of the flight delay caused, the Prime minister will reach the office later than expected.

4. Owing to: Shows a cause

Owing to the brilliant example set by Ellen, she received a Medal of Freedom by the President .

Alternatively, you can use words like due to, by courtesy of, by reason of, by virtue of, for the benefit of, in favor of, in honor of, in the light of, on behalf of, thanks to, or towards. All these words are Prepositions of Cause and can do the job well. You know, a lot of them can pretty much be used substitutionally. Try using them in your essay writing to notch up the quality of your writing. Hope this article helped you!

Preposition of Inference, Motive, Source, or Origin

As easy as it sounds, Preposition of Inference, Motive, Source, or Origin is about a preposition whose functionality is to basically show the origin or source of something in a sentence. What is that something will be clearer to you as you read further. A preposition, as you must have learned so far is a word that connects a lot of elements in a sentence. These elements could be noun, verb, adjective or even adverb.

Preposition of Inference, Motive, Source, or Origin:

From: Usually, this preposition joins two nouns in a sentence, or a verb and a noun. Let’s see a few examples to understand this.

My father bought me a new play-station from Dubai.

She has to bring her tiffin from home.

Shehnaz is from Oman.

I got these sweets from London.

From this experiment, we can derive that plants need sunlight for photosynthesis.

His dedication to crack JEE exam is rooting from his desire to excel in life.

2. Of/Out of: Now this preposition joins two verbs usually. Let’s see a few examples to understand this.

From what we know of our father, he is a reliable man.

Out of respect, the knight bowed down to the king.

Sometimes words like from within and out of  can be used to show the same purpose of this preposition. As long as you see the idea of inference, motive, source, or origin being portrayed in a sentence, know that the kind of preposition used is a Preposition of inference, motive, source, or origin.

What is also to be noted is, sometimes Preposition of cause, purpose or reason is confused with Preposition of inference, motive, source, or origin. We recommend you to go through the said chapter to clearly see the difference between the two. Although they can be considered under the same umbrella sometimes, origin and reason is not the same thing as you can imagine. For example:

She ran to deliver the mail. (Preposition of cause: The verb is ran, the joining verb is deliver, and the joining preposition is to. It answers the question of why did she run? Preposition of reason always answer the question to why?)

She has to bring her tiffin from home. (Preposition of source: The two nouns are tiffin and home and the preposition joining them are from. It answers the question of where did she bring her tiffin from? Preposition of source answers the question of where?)

It must be clear to you that if you ask the question of why and where to your sentence, you will straight away know which kind of preposition it is. Voila!

Prepositions of inference, motive, source, or origin answer the question of where!

There! With that we wrap up with our chapter of Preposition of Inference, Motive, Source, or Origin. Hope you enjoyed learning with us. We have more fun grammar chapters coming up for you.

Preposition of Contrast and Concession

Preposition of Contrast and Concession: Well we have seen how a preposition is a word that indicates a relation among the different elements in a sentence. It can basically show a connection between the noun or adjective or verb. Prepositions are of different kinds depending upon the purpose they serve. They may be indicating a time, place, manner, or cause, etc.

Forget about Prepositions for a second and focus on the word contrast. What does Contrast mean? Contrast is basically something strikingly different than something. It could be animate or inanimate. Color black and white contrast each other. Qualities of good and bad contrast each other. We will see more of it in detail as we go further.

 

Concession are words like “though” or “although” that are used to show a different idea than suggested by the main part. For example:

 

Although my best friend is very tall and athletic, she didn’t make it in the basketball team.

Though she is an animal lover, she eats non-veg food.

Although my sister is very studious, she is not popular among teachers.

You see how ideas mentioned in the above sentences are quiet contrasting. In the first example, a tall and athletic person should make it to the basketball team, she didn’t. In the second one, you’d expect the person who loves animals to not eat them. In the third sentence, a studious one should be popular among teachers but she isn’t. In the above sentence, he irony of the sentence is shown by the preposition of contrast and concession, though and although.

Preposition of Contrast and Concession:

Though and Although

These words are commonly used alternatively. You must have seen above how these words are used to show contrasting ideas.

Although my sister exercises daily, she has serious health problems.

Though my sister exercises daily, she has serious health problems.

Huge though it is, an elephant is a very peaceful animal.

Small although an ant is, it is very hard working and persistent.

2. As and Though

Used after an adjective or adverb, the preposition as can be used in the place of though. Let’s see how that works:

Studious though he is, he is not a popular student among the teachers.

Studious as he is, he is not a popular student among the teachers.

Punctual though he is, he missed today’s train for his office.

Punctual as he is, he missed today’s train to his office.

3. In spite of and despite

These prepositions of contrast and concession can be alternatively used.

In spite of being so huge, an elephant is a very calm animal.

Despite being so huge, an elephant is a very calm animal.

In spite of attracting an income tax raid last year, the minister kept his scams going.

Despite being so rich, they are not very kind to people.

4. Nonetheless, nevertheless and however

Well, these are not exactly words that connect clauses. They usually mark discourses between sentences. Let’s see that with an example:

This cat is quick at its feet; however, it can’t catch a mouse.

This cat is quick at its feet; nonetheless, it can’t catch a mouse.

I am usually not interested to attend weddings; nevertheless, I will be at my best friend’s wedding.

I am usually not interested to attend weddings; however, I will be at my best friend’s wedding.

I love to sleep all day long; nonetheless, I also like to play football.

5. All the same and At the same time

Just like the above category of Preposition of contrast and concession, these prepositions do not connect two clauses. They are used after a semicolon to show the contrast of ideas in the two clauses. Let’s see an example:

Elephants are huge; all the same, they are very calm creatures.

Elephants are huge; at the same time, they are very calm creatures.

Lions are the strongest; all the same, they keep the hunting for their lionesses.

Lions are the strongest; at the same time, they keep the hunting for their lionesses.

Great work! Now that you have an idea, how about we do a few fun exercises:

Rewrite the following sentences using the preposition of contrast and concession:

It was dark at night, but we decided to step out.

– Although_____________________________.

Although she is not very tall, she plays basketball remarkably well,

– In spite of ____________________________.

In spite of being in an unprivileged school, Sheila topped the university exams.

– Although_____________________________.

Even after losing her parents, Ali didn’t lose hope.

– Despite____________________________.

Despite being so talented, O.J Simpson didn’t do well in life.

-Although_____________________________.

Answer key to the above exercise:

Although it was dark at night, we decided to step out.

In spite of being short(you can change the word if the meaning stays the same), she plays basketball remarkably well.

Although Sheila is in an unprivileged school, she topped the university exams.

Despite losing his parents, Ali didn’t lose hope. (Notice how a pronoun is used right after despite or in spite of)

Although O.J Simpson was very talented, he didn’t do well in life. (Notice how “was” is used because of the original sentence being in past tense.)

Prepositions of Possession

Prepositions of Possession: Preposition is a word that connects various elements of a sentence. To define it: A preposition is a word usually put before a Noun (or a pronoun) to show it’s relation to another element in the sentence. This element could be another noun, adjective or verb. In our previous chapters, we read about the introduction and kinds of Prepositions. Further, we went one step further and dissected each kind one by one, which leads us to our chapter here – Prepositions of Possession.

The Possessive form is used in a sentence in context of things that belong to a person or animal. We can also use it to show a connection between things. Some of the most commonly used prepositions of Possession are of, with and to. We will show you a few examples:

This is the house of Mormons.

He’s the boy with the olive sunglasses.

This book is a property of the Half Blood Prince.

The house on the mountain belongs to my grandmother.

She’s the one with the ponytail.

The preposition form words and their usage:

Of: This preposition of possession is usually used for cities, countries, people, and possessive pronouns. Of is placed in a sentence to show possession of a place like a city, country or people or possessive pronouns like mine, yours, etc.

Usual form: Of + noun/possessive pronoun(mine, yours, his, hers)

The preposition of explains to whom the person or an object belongs to. In this case )Let’s see a few examples:

Canberra is the capital of  Australia.

This is the house of my uncle.

He is a friend of ours.

Taj Mahal is the finest monument of India.

A friend of  mine had a car accident yesterday night.

With: With is used with objects/materials/animals, accents, and physical characteristics. To fully understand this definition, read the examples below and come back again to this definition to see what we mean:

Usual form: With + adjective/noun

Let’s see a few examples:

I saw a girl with a pink purse.

The boy with the dragon tattoo is sitting by the corner.

The cat with black spots on her tail is my pet.

To: A preposition that shows possession, this is usually used in the expression “belong to“.

Usual form: To + object pronouns(it, him, her)

 

Let’s see a few examples:

This race course belongs to the Government.

This garden belongs to my old aunt Mercy.

Now, don’t stop here. Look around you and use these prepositions in the form of possession right away. One quick tip is that notice how most of these sentences are passive in voice. Go on then! Have fun with Grammar!

Exercises

Prepositions of Time 1

Put in the correct preposition (choose in / on / at). If no preposition is needed put in -.

1) There was a loud noise which woke us up-------------midnight.

2) Do you usually eat chocolate eggs ----------------Easter?

3) What are you doing -----------------the weekend?

4) Last week I worked until 9pm------------every night.

5) My father always reads the paper ---------------breakfast time.

6) She plays tennis--------------Fridays.

7) The trees here are really beautiful --------------------the spring.

8) I'll see you ---------------------Tuesday afternoon then.

9) Shakespeare died----------------1616.

10) She studies ----------------every day.

11) John is going to buy the presents--------------today.

12) In my hometown, the shops open early ----------------the morning.

13) She met her husband -----------------1998.

14) The party is -------------------next Saturday.

15) We are meeting -----------------Friday morning.

16) I often get sleepy-----------------the afternoon.

17) His daughter was born--------------------the 24th of August.

18) Mobile phones became popular---------------the nineties.

19) Luckily the weather was perfect -----------------her wedding day.

Prepositions of Time 2

Put in the correct preposition (choose in / on / at). If no preposition is needed put in -.

1) Lucy is arriving ---------------February the 13th --------------eight o'clock ------------the morning.

2) The weather is often terrible in London -------------January.

3) It's better to get taxi if you are out alone ---------------night.

4) She got married---------------September.

5) They usually go to the south of France ---------------the summer.

6) Columbus sailed to the Americas ---------------the 16th century.

7) The Beatles were popular ---------------the 1960s.

8) I graduated from university -------------------2001.

9) His birthday is ---------------------June.

10) I usually go to my parents' house --------------Christmas. We eat turkey together-------Christmas Day.

11) The train leaves------------tomorrow morning ----------------8:00 am.

12) I love going skiing --------------------January.

13) We met at the restaurant ----------------8pm.

14) The class is-----------9am-------------------Monday mornings.

15) I like to drink coffee ----------------the morning and tea -------------the afternoon.

16) We went out for dinner----------------last Wednesday.

17) She left London ---------------the 4th of March.

18) I had a party -------------------my birthday.

19) Lucy went to New York --------------New Year.

20) We're meeting --------------------lunchtime ----------------next Tuesday.

Prepositions of Place 1

Put in the correct preposition

1) He's swimming ---------the river.

2) Where's Julie? She's ---------------school.

3) The plant is -----------------the table.

4) There is a spider---------------the bath.

5) Please put those apples ------------the bowl.

6) Frank is --------------holiday for three weeks.

7) There are two pockets----------------this bag.

8) I read the story -----------------the newspaper.

9) The cat is sitting ----------------the chair.

10) Lucy was standing ---------------the bus stop.

11) I'll meet you -----------------the cinema.

12) She hung a picture ----------------the wall.

13) John is ------------------the garden.

14) There's nothing----------------TV tonight.

15) I stayed ------------------home all weekend.

16) When I called Lucy, she was --------------the bus.

17) There was a spider --------------the ceiling.

18) Unfortunately, Mr. Brown is --------------hospital.

19) Don't sit ----------------the table! Sit -------------a chair.

20) There are four cushions -----------------the sofa.

 

Prepositions of Place 2

Put in the correct preposition

1) The wine is ---------------the bottle.

2) Pass me the dictionary, it's ------------the bookshelf.

3) Jennifer is-----------------work.

4) Berlin is --------------Germany.

5) You have something-------------------your face.

6) Turn left ----------------the traffic lights.

7) She was listening to classical music -----------------the radio.

8) He has a house-----------------------the river.

9) The answer is ------------------the bottom of the page.

10) Julie will be-------------------the plane now.

11) There are a lot of magnets ----------------the fridge.

12) She lives ------------------------London.

13) John is ----------------a taxi. He's coming.

14) I'll meet you ---------------the airport.

15) She stood -------------------the window and looked out.

16) The cat is----------------the house somewhere.

17) Why are you calling so late? I'm already -----------------bed.

18) I waited for Lucy------------------the station.

19) There was a picture of a flower --------------------her T-shirt.

20) She has a house ---------------Japan.

Prepositions after Verbs 1

Put in the correct preposition

1) Stop worrying------------your exam - everything will be fine.

2) I've waited ----------------Judy for 30 minutes. I'm going home.

3) Stop talking and concentrate -------------------your work.

4) Don't forget to pay-------------------the newspaper.

5) He explained the computer program ---------------me.

6) I don't know what we'll do at the weekend. It depends ----------------the weather.

7) She will arrive-------------------Beijing at 3pm.

8) I like to listen -----------------the radio when I wake up.

9) He borrowed £20 ----------------his brother.

10) Who does this coat belong --------------?

11) She left without paying -----------------the meal.

12) It was so hot I couldn't concentrate ----------------my book.

13) Mothers always worry -----------------their children.

14) Please explain the meaning of this word -------------------------your classmates.

15) I'm fed up of waiting ------------------spring.

16) That car belongs ------------------------my father.

17) She listens -------------------------opera on the tube.

18) Which university you go to depends -----------------your exam results.

19) A lot of people borrow money ----------------------the bank.

20) When she arrived --------------------the pub, it was already closed.

Prepositions after Verbs 2

Put in the correct preposition

1) It's so noisy that I can't concentrate ---------------my homework.

2) Don't worry - I'll pay---------the tickets.

3) The car belongs ---------------my father, so I don't think we can use it.

4) I borrowed a pen -----------------------my classmate.

5) I've been waiting -------------------the bus for more than twenty minutes!.

6) Julie: "What time shall we eat dinner?" Gill: "It depends -------------John - we'll eat when he gets home".

7) When we arrived-------------the cinema, the film had already started.

8) Please explain this problem----------------us.

9) She was listening------------------the radio when the doorbell rang.

10) John worries -----------------------his exam results all the time.

11) My flat-mate listens ------------------a lot of jazz.

12) David paid --------------------the drinks.

13) Who does that house belong -------------?

14) Don't worry ----------------Gemma, she'll be fine.

15) She borrowed a jumper------------------Julie.

16) Please be quiet. I need to concentrate --------------------this book.

17) I want to go to the beach tomorrow but it depends----------------the weather.

18) Who are you waiting----------------?

19) When will we arrive -------------Beijing?

20) A policeman explained ----------------------the children why they should never run across the road.

Adjectives and Prepositions Exercise 1

Put in the correct preposition

1) England is famous----------------its rainy weather.

2) I'm very proud ----------------my daughter, she worked very hard.

3) He isn't really interested ------------------getting married.

4) Luke is very pleased -------------------his exam results.

5) Unfortunately, I'm very bad ------------------music.

6) I've been married -------------------my husband for 10 years.

7) She's very excited ---------------------the party.

8) Julie is very different ----------------her sister.

9) My niece is afraid ------------------dogs.

10) A ball gown is similar ---------------------an evening dress.

11) What is your town famous ------------------?

12) It's great you got that job - you should be proud -----------------yourself.

13) I'm very excited-------------------buying a new computer.

14) That bike is similar ---------------------yours.

15) She is interested ----------------------jazz.

16) Are you pleased--------------------your new house?

17) Lucy is extremely good ----------------------languages.

18) Who is James married -----------------------?

19) English cheese is very different ---------------------French cheese.

20) He isn't afraid------------------anything.

Preposition Collocations 1

Put in the correct preposition

1) She paid for lunch ------------------advance, so we don't need to pay now.

2) I went to the wrong house ------------------mistake.

3) Please make sure that you're --------------------time for the class.

4) I was walking to the station and ------------------chance I saw the glove that I'd lost on the ground.

5) I love eating out in London. ------------instance, one of my favorite restaurants has amazing Japanese food.

6) I think the cat is------------------danger on that high roof.

7) I picked up the laptop and --------------------my surprise it fell apart in my hands.

8) I have a lot --------------------common with my cousin. We both like many of the same things.

9) If the baby starts to cry, pick her up --------------------once.

10) Did you forget your purse -------------------purpose so you wouldn't have to pay?

11) It's best to arrive--------------------foot because there is nowhere to park.

12) What do a whale and a dolphin have -----------------------common?

13) He added salt instead of sugar -------------------mistake.

14) What's your favorite thing to do? ------------------instance, do you like sport?

15) The book was --------------------reach on a high shelf.

16) I want to go to Germany---------------------a change. I've never been there.

17) Please let me know -------------------advance if you can't come to the meeting.

18) She often goes to school ------------------foot.

19) Do you always brush your teeth before bed--------------fail?

20) The little girl broke the toy -------------------purpose because she was so angry.

21) Please come -----------------once. We have a big problem.

22) She worked very hard and -----------------last she managed to pass the exam.

23) We need to be -----------------time or my grandmother will start to get anxious.

24) It feels like owning a house is -------------------reach. I'll never be able to do it.

25) We thought about it a lot and ------------------last we decided to buy a new flat.

26) We watched a film ----------------a change. Usually we read.

27) She was really -------------------danger for a few minutes in the rough sea, but luckily a lifeguard saw her.

28) I went to the bookshop and -------------chance I found a really interesting book about Switzerland.

29) He walked into the kitchen and------------his surprise there was food all over the floor.

30) She drinks a liter of water every day------------fail.