Prepositions | Types and Uses of Preposition

Prepositions

  A preposition refers to a word or a group of words that is used before a noun or a pronoun to indicate its state, place, aource etc. or to show its relation with other words in the sentence.
As,- 

• They come to my house. [Relation between they and my house.]

  Some of the prepositions are:
At, in, on, of, above, with, under, bellow, up, down, before, after, into, off etc.

Use of –

AT

At is used to indicate— 

Time— 

at night, at noon, at 12 o’clock

• We sleep at night. 

• He came home at noon. 

• They reached the station at 12 o’clock. 

Place— 

Small places—

At school , at the restaurant.

• The annual cultural function was held at our school.

Small places (which are proper nouns)—

At Kolkata, at Poona.

• The Victoria Memorial is situated at Kolkata. 

Direction —

[দিকে]

At him, at the cat.

• She runs at him.
• The boy throws a stone at the cat.

Expressing a rate —

• I sold the cycle at rs. 2000. 

IN

Time—

In the morning, in January, in 2019, in (the) Autumn.

• The man arrived the port early in the morning.
• The Kumbh-Mela took place in 2019.
• The trees shed all the leaves in the autumn.

Place—

Large place—

In India/Bangladesh/Pakistan/china/Russia/ Asia.
in the state, in the country, in the subcontinent, in the continent.

• We live in India.
• There are many temples in the country.

A place that is a common noun—

In the village/town/field, in the district.

• There are two hundred houses in the village.
• There is a large forest in the district.

A very small place—

In the building, in the house, in the room, in the box, in the show-case, in the wardrobe, in office etc. 

• The boys are in the room.
• The pencil is in the box.

Direction—

In the east, in the west.

• The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. 

Human characteristics—

• He is shy in nature.

Other examples—
In the pond /river/lake/bay/gulf/sea/ocean.
In the nature/world/universe/galaxy etc.

OF

Of Science, of the book, of it.

• He has no knowledge of Science.
• Page number sixty six of your book.

Material--

• The bed is made of wood.
• The jewellery is made of gold. 

Other examples--

• She comes of a good family.
• She was born of rich parents.

FOR

For you, for him, for her, for me.

• The chocolates are only for you.
• This place is for the little children.

Time-

For two hours, for six days, for the first time.

• I have been reading for two hours.
• She was absent for six days.
• He came to this place for the first time.

Purpose-

We are going for a tour.

Other examples [For+(verb+ing)]-

• The field is for playing. 
• We go to bed for sleeping.
• She comes here for buying cookies.

ON

Day – 

On Sunday, on 5th September, on his birth anniversary etc.

• On this Sunday, we are going for a picnic.
• We celebrate Teachers’ Day on 5th September every year. 
• A football tournament was organised on his 100th birth anniversary. 

Place—

On the chair, on the floor, .

• The cat is on the chair.
• The book is on the floor.

On the bank of the river, on the river.

• The Tajmahal is situated on the bank of the river Yamuna.

Base –

• Write an essay on this topic.

 On your school/ on your childhood/ on woman empowerment/ on cows/ on dogs/ on...

With any device—

• He is busy on laptop.

TO

Direction—

To school, to Delhi.

• He doesn’t go to school.
• They came to Delhi yesterday.
• I am coming back to you.

[*But, Go to home is not correct, Go home is correct. Here home is actually used as an adverb.]

Any person—

To + noun/pronoun:

To him,  to me, to you, to Alam, to Joseph, to Amar etc.

• Give this pen to him.

FROM

Direction –

From Kolkata, from me.

• The players will come from Kolkata.
• Take the pen from me.

Starting —

From Thursday, from 10 am.

• It is raining from Thursday.
• I’ll be at my office from 10 am.

Source/ out of—

• Curd is made from milk.

Cause—

• She died from (of) it.

A lower limit—

From rs. 5. 

• The fare of the train starts from rs. 5. 

BY

Agent—

By a vehicle, by post/mail, by my watch, by a person.

• We go to school by bus.
• Send the letter by post.
• The work was done by me.
• It’s 5 pm. by my watch.

Along—

• They came by this road.

Near/beside—

• He sat by me.

Adjacent—

• The room is twelve by sixteen.

WITH

Company—

• Come with me.
• He always quarrels with his sister.

Agent—

With a stick, with pen.

He killed the snake with a stick.
We write with pen.
We see with eyes/ feel with skin/ hear with ears/ breathe with nose.

INTO

Going inside by a moving person or animal or any object.
Into the room, into the shop, Into the hole, into the pond, into the river, into the forest.

• The girl walks into the shopping mall.
• The rat ran into the hole.
• The frog jumps into the pond.
• The hermit went into the forest.

NEAR

Place—

Near the building, near the door,  near the tree.

• The accident took place near the building.
• There is a cat near the door.
• The boys are playing near the tree.

BETWEEN

Position—

Between the tables, Between the two.

There is a chair between the tables.

Among—

• Divide the cake between Tom and Jerry.

UNDER

Apart from these there are many other prepositions, like -

• Before/ago.
• After.
• Up.
• Down.
• Beside.
• Upon. etc.

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