preposition (s), prepositions (pl)

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and another word (or words) in a sentence.

A word that shows the relationship between its object; the noun or pronoun following the preposition, and other words in a sentence.

The following examples that are in bold type are prepositions:

• The book on the table is a dictionary.
• The book next to the table is a dictionary.
• The book near the table is a dictionary.

The following list of common prepositions has only a few of the many prepositions that are available in English. When any of the prepositions have two or more words they are called compound prepositions.

• about
• above
• according to
• across
• after
• against
• along with
• among
• apart from
• around
• aside from
• at
• because of
• before
• behind
• below
• beneath
• beside
• besides
• between
• beyond
• by
• despite
• down
• during
• except
• for
• from
• in
• in addition to
• in back of
• in place of
• inside
• in spite of
• instead of
• into
• in view of
• like
• near
• next to
• of
• off
• on
• on account of
• opposite
• out
• outside
• over
• prior to
• through
• throughout
• to
• toward
• under
• underneath
• until
• up
• upon
• with
• within
• without

A preposition is always part of a group of words called a prepositional phrase.

A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or a pronoun called the object of a preposition.

One or more modifiers may come between the preposition and its object. The prepositional phrases in the following sentences are shown in bold type:

• During our English class, we saw a film about Julius Caesar.
• Because of the snowstorm, traffic was a mess throughout the city."