Prepositions in English (preposition) are parts of speech that come before a noun and connect it with other parts of a sentence. The most common prepositions in English are in, of, on, for, with, at, by.
Prepositions show us the connection between the noun or and the rest of the sentence:
The book is on the round table - The book is on the table.
We will complete a translation in November – We will complete the translation in November.
I sent the information by email at the right time – I sent the information by email at the right time.
Sometimes prepositions in English are used to express more abstract concepts:
in love - in love
beyond doubt - beyond any doubt
under investigation - under investigation
The only case where a preposition does not appear before a noun is in interrogative sentences:
Who did you talk to? - With whom did you talk?
What are you talking about? - What are you talking about?
Forms of English prepositions
In English, prepositions come in two forms.
1. Simple prepositions consist of one word:
in, on, at, to, from, with, by, about, over, under, off, of, for, etc.
2. Complex/compound prepositions are formed from two or more words:
as apart from, along with, on account of, by means of, as for, away from, because of, etc.
Types of prepositions with examples
Most prepositions in English can be divided into two large groups: prepositions of place and direction and prepositions of time.
Table of prepositions of place and direction
| Pretext | Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| In (in, on) | Used to show the location of an object. | in the bedroom - in the bedroom in Manchester - in Manchester in the newspaper - in the newspaper in the toilet - in the toilet in a taxi - in a taxi in the photo – in the photograph in the country - in the country |
| At (at, for, on, in) | Used to show the proximity of an object to something or a place where people go for a single activity (to study, watch movies, etc.). | at the corner - on the corner at the railway station - at the railway station at the table - at the table at school - at school |
| On (on, by) | Used to show the location or direction of an object. | the vase is on pedestal – vase on a pedestal put on the tongue - put it on the tongue on the right - to the right on the third floor - on the third floor on the bus - on the bus on Youtube – on YouTube |
| By (y), next to (next to), beside (behind) | Used to show the location of an object. | Mike is hiding by / next to / beside the pickup – Mike is hiding at the pickup/next to the pickup/behind the pickup |
| Under | Used to show the location of an object underneath something. | the cat’s bowl is under the chair – the cat’s bowl is under the chair |
| Below (under) | Used to show the location of an object under something but above the ground. | the sharks are below the surface - sharks swim below the surface of the water |
| Over (on, more, by, for) | Shows the position of the object from above; used to show the quantitative advantage of an object or overcoming any obstacles. | put the shoes over your socks - put your shoes on top of your socks over 25 years of age – over 25 years old jump over the fence - jump over the fence |
| Above | Used to show the location of an object over something. | a path above the river – bridge over the river |
| Across (over, through) | walk across the street - walk along the street run across the stadium - run across the stadium |
|
| Through (through) | Used to show direction of movement. | travel through time – travel through time |
| To (in) | Used to show direction of movement. | go to the English club – go to the English club go to Scotland – go to Scotland go to work – go to work |
| Into (in, inside) | Used to show direction of movement. | go into the bedroom - enter the bedroom |
| Towards (to) | Used to show movement towards something. | go towards the doghouse - go to the doghouse |
| Onto (on) | Used to show movement towards the top of something. | jump onto the bench - jump onto the bench |
| From | Shows where the object came from. | a boy is from California – a boy from California |
Table of prepositions of time
| Pretext | Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| On | Used with days of the week. | on Friday - on Friday |
| In | Used with months, seasons, years, periods of time. | in September - in September in summer - in summer in the evening - in the evening in 1999 – in 1999 in a minute - within a minute |
| At (at) | Used with weekends and specific times (in numerical terms). | at the weekend - on the weekend at quarter past ten – at 10:15 |
| Since (c) | Used to show a specific point in time in the past. | since his birth - since his birth |
| For (for) | Used to show duration. | for seven years - for seven years |
| Ago (back) | Used to show a period of time in the past. | one year ago - one year ago |
| Before | Used to show a period before a certain point in time in the past. | before I met my wife - before I met my wife |
| To/till/until (by/until) | Indicates the end of a time period. | from Tuesday to/till Sunday – from Tuesday to Sunday |
Differences in the use of English prepositions with the Russian language
The difference in the use of prepositions in English and Russian is that in English there are no case endings for nouns. Because of this, the connection between words is conveyed only with the help of prepositions. For example, in Russian we can say “Give bread to mom.” There is no need for a preposition here, since the ending in the word “mama” conveys the connection between the words. The English language requires the preposition to to denote this connection:
Give the bread to mother. When translating such cases into Russian, we omit prepositions.
There is also a downside to this. The use of some verbs in Russian requires a preposition after them, but in English they do without it. For example:
Play football - Play football.
Answer the question - Answer the question.
Enter the building – Enter the building.
Leave the university – Leave the university.
Video about prepositions in English:
Pretext- this is an auxiliary part of speech that reflects spatial, temporal, causal or other types of relationships between two significant words.
In Russian, such relationships are often expressed using cases, but in English, cases are rudimentary and prepositions and word order are most often used to construct sentences.
Prepositions in English are a service part of speech and, as a result, cannot be used independently or changed. Prepositions are not considered parts of a sentence.
Although they are traditionally considered a separate part of speech, prepositions are often very close in meaning to adverbs and conjunctions.
Forms of English prepositions
English prepositions are divided into simple (simple), derived (derived), complex (compound) and composite/phrasal (composite/phrasal).
Simple The overwhelming majority of English prepositions have the following form:
At - at, near, in, on
In - in, on, for, through
About - about, around, at, by
Against- against, facing towards, on
Before - before, earlier, before
Derivatives prepositions come from words of other parts of speech:
Concerning- regarding, regarding
Including - including, including
Depending - depending
Granted - provided that
Complex prepositions include several components:
Composite or phrasal English prepositions represent a phrase. They include a word from another part of speech and one or two prepositions:
Because of - because of
Instead of - instead
By virtue of - in force, on the basis
For the sake of - for the sake of
With regard to - relatively, in relation to
Moreover, none of the elements of a compound preposition can be expanded, shortened or changed in any other way - they all remain a whole unit.
The meaning of a compound preposition is closely related to the meaning of the significant word in its composition.
Differences in the use of English prepositions with the Russian language
Some verbs that require a preposition in English are used without it in Russian, and vice versa:
To ask for- ask
To wait for- wait
To look for- search
To listen to- listen
To belong to- belong
To care for- be in love
To explain to- explain
To answer - answer on
To climb - get up on
To cross - go over through
To doubt - doubt V
To enter - enter V
To fight - fight With
To follow - follow behind
To join - join To
To leave - leave from
To need - to need V
To play - play V
To affect - influence on
How to distinguish a preposition from an adverb
Some English prepositions have the same spelling as adverbs, and they can only be distinguished by their role in the sentence. Prepositions in English only reflect the relationships between significant parts of speech. Adverbs carry their own meaning and can define a verb. In addition, they usually receive logical emphasis.
Prepositions
Shares
Preposition (preposition)- an independent part of speech. Usually prepositions indicate place, direction or time. Prepositions are usually placed before the noun. The same preposition can be translated differently, depending on the context. For example, at the window= at the window; at 2 o'clock= at 2 o'clock. Be careful when translating prepositions into Russian (there may be a large number of options).
Prepositions of time in English.
| Pretext | Usage | Example |
| On | Days of the week | On Sunday |
| In | Months, seasons, time of day, year, after a certain period of time | In May/in summer, intheevening, in 2016
in anhour. |
| At | Night Weekend |
Atnight
Atthe weekend At 8 p.m. |
| Since | From a certain point in time until now | Since 2006 |
| For | For some time, including the present | For 3 months |
| Ago | A certain period of time ago | 5 years ago |
| Before | Before any point in time | Before 2014 |
| To/Till/Until | Start and end of time period | From Tuesdayto/till Friday |
| By | To a certain point in time | By11 o'clock, Iwill haveread five pages. |
Prepositions of place in English.
| Pretext | Usage | Example |
| In | In a room, building, on the street, in a city, in a country, in a book, in a car, in a painting, in the world | in the kitchen, in London
in the book in the car, in a taxi in the picture, in the world |
| At | At the table, at some event, place of study, work, etc. | at the door, at the station
at the table at a concert, at the party at the cinema, at school, at work |
| On | Something attached Place associated with the river, on the surface, left/right, on the floor in the house, on public transport, on television, radio |
the picture on the wall
London lies on the Thames. on the table on the left on the first floor on the bus, on a plane on TV, on the radio |
| Under | Under something or lower than something else | the bag is under the table |
| Over | Meaning more than | put a jacket over your shirt
over 16 years of age walk over the bridge climb over the wall |
Other important prepositions in English.
| Pretext | Usage | Example |
| From | From whom | a present from Jane |
| Of | Part of something, genitive case | a page of the book
the picture of a palace |
Prepositions in English are a sore subject for anyone learning the language. Why, even native speakers sometimes get confused about them. To make it easier for you to remember the rules for using prepositions, which are especially often confused, Skyeng Magazine has made beautiful and understandable signs.
Prepositions of time
Often errors when using prepositions of time arise from the fact that we translate literally: "See you on Monday". Use in looks logical, but in fact you need to use on. But when we plan to meet someone in May, it will be correct in May, but if at 10 am, then you need to consume at, because it means exact time.
Prepositions of place
When you need to report the presence of an object in a confined space, you should use the preposition in. Countries and cities also have borders, so they are included in this paragraph. If something lies on the surface, you need an excuse on. And to talk about a specific location you will need a preposition at.
About vs. Of
Prepositions about And of after verbs they often give them additional semantic meanings. And it is important not to confuse them, because, for example, to dream about means “to have a dream”, and to dream of- “dream”. Agree, the difference is significant.
Between vs. Among
Among(among) is used when talking about an object or person who is part of a group. Between(between) used in relation to separate objects or people. By the way, the statement that between can only be used when talking about two participants or objects - this is a myth. You can read more about this.
Ask for vs. Ask about
The difference in use is again semantic. When you need to ask for an item, use the construction ask for. And if you want to know some general information, use ask about.
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With a poorly developed system of case endings, prepositions in the English language play an extremely important role in expressing grammatical relations. Such prepositions include of , to , by , with. These prepositions can express the meanings that in Russian are conveyed by the endings of oblique cases: of- genitive, to- dative, with, by- creative. As a rule, in these cases they are not translated into Russian.
My table is in the middle of the room.
My desk is in the middle of the room. (genus)
This is a book of my brother.
This is my brother's book. (genus)
The teacher explained the new rule to the pupils.
The teacher explained the new rule to the students. (Dan. p.)
I gave the book to him, and not to her.
I gave the book to him, not her. (Dan. p.)
The article was translated by our student.
This article was translated by our student. (creative p.)
I was invited by my friend.
I was invited by my friend. (creative p.)
He sharpened his pencil with a pen-knife.
He sharpened the pencil with a penknife. (creative p.)
I am writing with a pencil.
I write with a pencil. (creative p.)
The preposition in this case does not have a separate meaning and is translated into Russian only together with the word (noun or pronoun) to which it refers.
Forms of English prepositions
Prepositions in their form are simple, derivative, complex, compound.
Simple Prepositions
in- V
at- at, about, on, in
on- on
by- near, nearby
to- to, in, on
Derivative Prepositions
Derivative prepositions come from words of other parts of speech.
granted- provided that
concerning- regarding, regarding
depending- depending
including- including, including
Complex Prepositions
Complex prepositions are formed by compounding words.
wit hin
- inside
out side
- out
along side
- near, near, at
with out- without
where with- with what, by means of which
Compound Prepositions
Compound prepositions in English are phrases.
by means of- through
in spite of- despite
due to- thanks to
according to- in accordance with
instead of- instead of
in front of- before
in case of- when
owing to- thanks to
Prepositions of place, direction and time
According to their meaning, prepositions can be divided into several groups, the main ones being:
Prepositions of place ( Prepositions of place)
in- in (inside something)
on- on (on the surface of an object)
behind- behind (behind another object)
over- above
under- under
in front of- before
by- near, nearby (indicates the presence of one object near another)
at- at, near, on (indicates the presence of an object near another object)
Prepositions of direction ( Prepositions of Direction)
to- to, in, on (indicates the movement of an object towards another object)
into (in + to) - in (indicates the movement of one object inside another)
from- from, from, with, at (indicates the movement of one object from another)
out of- from (indicates the movement of one object from inside another)
through- through
Prepositions of time ( Prepositions of Time)
at- in (indicates time in hours and minutes)
in- in, through
on- in (used to indicate days of the week, dates)
Verbs with prepositions in English
Some verbs change their meaning depending on the preposition that follows them:
to look- look
to look for- search
to look through- view
to look in- look in
A verb with a preposition should be perceived and remembered as a separate word, since its meaning is somewhat different from the meaning of the original verb. In phrasal verbs, it often goes far from the meaning of the words included in it.
Prepositions that have the same form as adverbs
Some prepositions have the same form as adverbs. Such prepositions can be distinguished from adverbs only by the function they perform in a sentence. Prepositions only express relationships between nouns (or pronouns) and other words in a sentence. They, therefore, do not perform an independent function in the sentence and therefore are not members of the sentence. The emphasis does not fall on them. Adverbs perform an independent function in a sentence - they define the verb and are members of the sentence. The emphasis falls on them:
Didn't go up the stairs.(Pretext)
He walked up the stairs.
I looked up and saw an airplane flying very low.(Adverb)
I looked up and saw a plane flying very low.
Before the war he lived in Leningrad.(Pretext)
Before the war he lived in Leningrad.
I have read this book before.(Adverb)
I've read this book before.
We"ll go there after dinner.(Pretext)
We'll go there after lunch.
I never saw him after.(Adverb)
Subsequently I never saw him.
Some adverbs that have the same form as prepositions ( in , on , up , down , by etc.), are used in combination with some verbs, expressing a single concept with them. Such combinations of verbs with adverbs form phrasal verbs. Although the adverb in this case does not perform an independent function, the emphasis falls on it:
Put on your coat.
Put on your coat.
Doesn't get up very early.
He gets up very early.
Come in, please.
Come in, please.
Go on reading.
Continue reading,
Turn off the light.
Turn out the lights.
Examples of using common prepositions
| on(on, in) | The book is on the table. The book is on the table. I shall come on Monday. I will come on Monday. |
| in(in, through) | The boy is in the room. Boy in the room. He will be here in 20 minutes" time. He'll be here in 20 minutes. |
| to(k, v) | I am going to my friend. I'm going to my friend. I am going to the cinema. I'm going to the cinema. |
| from(from) | I got a letter from my friend. I received a letter from my friend. |
| about(O) | We are speaking about the new film. We're talking about a new film. |
| with(With) | I am going there with my friend. I'm going there with my friend. |
| till (untill) (before) | I shall stay here till five o"clock. I'll stay here until five o'clock. |
| of(from, about) | The table is made of wood. The table is made of wood. I know nothing of it. I don't know anything about this. |
| at(for, at, in) | He was sitting at the table. He was sitting at the table (at the table). He left at 5. He left at five. |
| by(near) | The bookcase stood by the window. The bookcase stood by the window. |
| for(For) | My mother bought the dress for my sister. Mom bought a dress for my sister. |
Place of preposition in a sentence
A preposition in English, as in Russian, usually comes before a noun or pronoun in a sentence. However, if the noun (pronoun) refers to verbs or verb combinations such as to look (at) (look at someone), to object (to) (to object to something), to ask (for) (ask for something), to send (for) (send for someone), to speak (about) (talk about someone, something), to be fond (of) (to love something, someone), to take care (of) (to take care of someone, about something), to put an end (to) (to put an end to something), to hint (at) (to hint at something) and some others, a preposition can appear at the end of a sentence.
The film was very much spoken about. = They spoke about the film very much.
There was a lot of talk about this film.
This is a picture I am very fond of. = I am very fond of this picture.
This is a picture that I really like.
The children were taken care of by their grandmother. = The grandmother took care of the children.
Their grandmother took care of the children.
Don't you think, Sir, that a doctor had better be sent for?
Don't you think, sir, that we should send for a doctor?
I intend to forget everything you"ve hinted at.
I want to forget everything that you hinted at.
What shall we set them (the clocks) at . What time, I mean.
How long will we set them (the clock)? I mean, for how long?
English prepositions in a table with pictures
| 1. Simple (simple) |
of, for, in, at, on | ||||||
| 2. Derivatives (derivative) |
across, between, below | ||||||
| 3. Complex (complex) |
into, upon, within, outside | ||||||
| 4. Composite (compound) |
out of, in front of, by means of, in spite of | ||||||
| Prepositions, denoting relationships expressed in Russian by case endings | |||||||
| of | The book of the boy was open. The boy's book was open. She showed her pen to the boy (him). This is for him. The letter is written by the boy (him). Not is writing with the pencil. |
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| Prepositions of place(Prepositions of Place) | |||||||
|
on- on in- V at- y under (below, beneath) - under, below over- above near- near in front of- before behind- behind, behind across- through through- through, through between- between among- among |
on the box - on the box in the box - in the box at the box - at the box under the box - under the box over the box - above the box |
|||||
| Prepositions of direction(Prepositions of Direction) | |||||||
 |
to- to, on, in towards- to, in the direction from- from, from into- in (inside) out of- from (from within) off- from, from |
to the house - to the house towards the house - towards the house from the house - from the house |
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| Prepositions of time(Prepositions of Time) | |||||||
| on- V in- in, through, for, during at- V by- to (by time) from…till- From to since- With |
on Saturday - on Saturday on the first of May - the first of May in March - in March at 7 o’clock - at seven o’clock by 3 o’clock - by three o’clock from 3 till 5 o’clock - from three to five o’clock since 5 o’clock - from five o’clock |
for- during during- during before- before, before after- after till (until) - before between- between |
for an hour - within an hour during the lecture - during the lecture before the lecture - before the lecture after the lecture - after the lecture till June - until June between one and two o’clock - between one and 2 o’clock |
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| Translation: prepositions, case endings | |||||||