{"id":145,"date":"2024-01-31T17:43:17","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T22:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/grammarbasics\/?post_type=chapter&p=145"},"modified":"2026-01-26T12:54:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:54:39","slug":"prepositions","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/grammarbasics\/chapter\/prepositions\/","title":{"raw":"Prepositions","rendered":"Prepositions"},"content":{"raw":"The clue to remembering the job of prepositions is right in the name: preposition<\/span><\/strong>. Prepositions indicate how things in a sentence are related to one another, and most of the time that means expressing their relative positions in space, time, or order.\r\n\r\nClick on the + icons below to see how prepositions work.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"8\"]\r\n\r\n \r\n
Some Common Prepositions<\/h5>\r\nThere are many prepositions -- too many to list here -- but the following table includes the most common ones.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Place\/Position<\/strong><\/td>\r\nMovement\/Direction<\/strong><\/td>\r\nTime<\/strong><\/td>\r\nOther<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
amid \/ among<\/td>\r\nacross<\/td>\r\nafter<\/td>\r\nabout<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
above \/ over<\/td>\r\nagainst<\/td>\r\nbefore<\/td>\r\naccording to<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
at<\/td>\r\nalong<\/td>\r\nduring<\/td>\r\nfor<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
behind<\/td>\r\naround<\/td>\r\nsince<\/td>\r\nlike<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
below\/under<\/td>\r\nfrom<\/td>\r\nuntil<\/td>\r\nof<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
beside<\/td>\r\ninto<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\nwith<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
between<\/td>\r\noff<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
by<\/td>\r\npast<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
in \/ within<\/td>\r\nthrough<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
on \/ upon<\/td>\r\nto \/ toward<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n

<\/h3>\r\n
\r\n

PRACTICE: Click to identify the prepositions in the following sentences.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/header>\r\n

\r\n\r\nIf you are unsure of your answer, refer to the table of common prepositions above.\r\n\r\n[h5p id=\"29\"]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n \r\n

Prepositions Don't Work Alone<\/h3>\r\nImagine you asked me to borrow a pen and I replied, \"Sure thing! Look in.\"\u00a0 In what<\/em>, you might ask. Although prepositions are really helpful, they don't work if they're left on their own. Instead, they work as part of a prepositional phrase<\/strong> that includes a preposition (like\u00a0in<\/em>) and at least one additional word that answers the question posed by the preposition. In this case, the question would be \"in<\/em> what?\"\r\n\r\nLet's see a few examples to illustrate the concept:\r\n

The motorcycle is parked between<\/span> two big trucks.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  • \r\n
      \r\n \t
    • \r\n
        \r\n \t
      • preposition is \"between.\" Between what? Between two big trucks<\/span>.<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

        Marjorie walked past<\/span> me.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n

          \r\n \t
        • \r\n
            \r\n \t
          • \r\n
              \r\n \t
            • preposition is \"past.\" Past whom? Past me<\/span>.<\/em><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

              Soccer season starts after<\/span> the first day<\/span> of<\/span> school<\/span>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n

                \r\n \t
              • \r\n
                  \r\n \t
                • \r\n
                    \r\n \t
                  • first preposition is \"after.\" After what? After the first day<\/span>.<\/em><\/li>\r\n \t
                  • second preposition is \"of\". First day of what? Of school<\/span><\/em>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n \r\n\r\nNotice a pattern to all three prepositional phrases?\r\n
                      \r\n \t
                    1. They always start with a preposition.<\/li>\r\n \t
                    2. They always end with a noun or pronoun.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nPrepositional phrases can also include adjectives, and sometimes they will be strung together in a chain, just like adjectives and adverbs. That's because a prepositional phrase does the same job as adjectives and adverbs: it [pb_glossary id=\"382\"]modifies[\/pb_glossary] other parts of a sentence.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n ","rendered":"

                      The clue to remembering the job of prepositions is right in the name: preposition<\/span><\/strong>. Prepositions indicate how things in a sentence are related to one another, and most of the time that means expressing their relative positions in space, time, or order.<\/p>\n

                      Click on the + icons below to see how prepositions work.<\/p>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                      \n