Free English Tutorial - Types of Prepositions and examples how to use them in sentences
In this article, I am discussing about the preposition and its types. A preposition is known as a joining word that is placed before a noun or a pronoun. In this article, you will study about the application of prepositions in a sentence and the types of prepositions.
A preposition is a word used before a noun or a pronoun to indicate place, time, spatial relationship between objects, etc. The most commonly used preposition words are 'in', 'at', 'of', 'to', etc. They reveal the relationship of different elements or objects in a sentence. To identify a preposition in a sentence, you should find the word placed before a noun or a pronoun. These words usually include 'next', 'close', 'in', 'for', etc. Let us now study in detail the types of prepositions.Types of preposition
Preposition of place
Preposition of place indicates the location or place of an object or a thing. In a sentence, words such as 'on', 'at', or 'in' are placed to show the place of an object or person.
Examples of 'Preposition of place' are as follows:
a) The kitten is sleeping under the table. In this sentence, the preposition of place is 'under' as it shows the place of a kitten.
b) The clothes are in the bucket. In this sentence, the word 'in' is the preposition of place.Preposition of time
These words are used before words that indicate time such as day, month, seasons, etc. Words such as 'in', 'at', and 'on' are used to show the preposition of time. For example: In Spring, you can listen to the melody of a Cuckoo. Here, 'in' is the preposition of time in the sentence as it shows the time or period i.e. spring. It is placed before the word 'spring' which indicates time.
Another fine example of the preposition of time is: We celebrate Christmas in December. Here, 'in' is a preposition of time in the sentence that shows time i.e. December.Simple Preposition
Words used to define a relationship between a noun and a pronoun is a simple preposition. It is also used to relate two parts in the sentence.
One example of a simple preposition is as follows: I am not working with X company. In this sentence, 'with' is a preposition that joins two elements in a sentence namely 'I' and 'X company'.
Another example of simple prepositions is: She is working in the kitchen. Here, the word 'in' is a simple preposition to join two words 'She' and 'kitchen'.Double Preposition
When two continuous words are used as prepositions in a sentence, it is known as a double preposition. Some of the words used as double prepositions are 'out of', 'in the', etc.
The following sentences show how these double prepositions are used in a sentence:
(1) ran out of fuel when they were going to market. Here, in this sentence 'out of' is known as a double preposition that joins two aspects of a sentence.
(2) My brother climbed onto the tree. In this sentence 'on and 'to' are both prepositions to show where the brother climbed.Participle preposition
Some words ending with 'ing', 'ed', or 'en' are known as participle prepositions. Examples of participle prepositions are 'considering', 'regarding', 'during', 'assuming' etc. The participle preposition is used in a sentence as follows: Considering the fact that she is a good communicator, we are hiring her for the position although she is not very qualified. In this sentence, considering is a preposition that connects two aspects of a sentence. The first aspect is that she is a good communicator and the other aspect is that she is hired for the position.
Another sentence to show how participle preposition is used in the sentence- I am baking a cake for her, assuming she likes it. In this sentence, the joining word is assuming.Preposition of movement
It is a type of preposition that explains the movement of an object. It may show how or where an object is moving. The commonly used words for the preposition of movement are 'from', 'across', 'under', 'behind' etc.
The preposition of movement is used in a sentence as follows: 1) He swam across the river and reached the forest. In this sentence, 'across' is a preposition of movement to show the location of the place he reached. 2) My pen fell behind the table. In this sentence, 'behind' is a preposition of movement to show the location of a pen falling.Preposition of possession
The commonly used words for the preposition of possession are 'of', 'with', and 'to'. They represent the connection between objects. It is used in a sentence in the following way:
1) The roof of the house is damaged. Here, of is connecting two objects i.e. roof and house.
2) Please buy a pair of jeans with a top for me. Here, with is connecting two objects i.e. jeans and a top.Complex preposition
It is a preposition containing two or more words together such as 'in front of', 'in-between', 'from behind', etc. The complex preposition is used in a sentence in the following way-Her shop is located in front of my house. Here, 'in front of' is a complex preposition that the location of the shop and connecting two aspects namely her home and shop.
The compound preposition is a mixture of preposition and non-preposition, whereas the double preposition contains two different prepositions.Conclusion
Prepositions are joining words and they are classified into different categories based on the type of sentence. Prepositions such as 'in', 'under', 'on', etc. are used to show the location of a place.
Preposition and its types
This is a nice article bringing out the correct usage of prepositions in English language. Many English users do mistakes in using these prepositions in the sentences and get confused as to which one to use.
I would add some correct usage -
1. He jumped into the river.
2. He is in bed.
3. I shall return in an hour.
4. I have not seen him since last week.
5. The dog sprang upon the table.