Understanding prepositions

What is a preposition?

A preposition is a small word that indicates abstract ideas and relationships, as well as direction, location, or time. You most likely already use prepositions in your everyday writing to form a prepositional phrase that modifies nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs.

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On their own, prepositions like “to,” “at,” and “of” have abstract definitions—their precise meanings vary based on the words they’re paired with. For example, in the sentence “Sasha promised to call her mother by the end of the week,” the preposition “by” indicates the time when Sasha will call her mother. However, in the sentence “Matthew left his umbrella by the door,” the word indicates the location of an object, the umbrella.

Some other common prepositions include:

• In
• As
• By
• But
• For
• From
• Into
• Like
• On
• Onto

What is a prepositional phrase?

A prepositional phrase includes a preposition, its object, and sometimes other words modifying the object. Prepositional phrases typically modify verbs and nouns. In the sentence “The girls sat by the lake,” the words “by the lake,” is a prepositional phrase. The preposition “by” modifies the noun “lake,” connected by the article “the.”

When to use prepositions

Use prepositions in your writing to describe different types of relationships between objects, locations, and ideas.

• Place or location. Prepositions help describe the location of something or someone. The most common prepositions used to describe location include at, in, on, and by. You might also use words like across, below, between, or among.
• Direction. Words like to, toward, in, on, and onto describe the direction something moves in. Although they can be used in a sentence alongside a location, these prepositions specifically refer to directional movement.
• Time. Use prepositions to explain when something happens. Words like at, in, on, by, from, before, during, and until can all be used to indicate time in your writing.

How to use prepositions in a sentence

Prepositions typically appear in sentences as a part of prepositional phrases. Usually, a preposition is the first word of the phrase, but the phrase can appear anywhere in a sentence. These examples show how to use prepositions and prepositional phrases correctly in a sentence.

• Natalia took her sister to school yesterday.
• After this weekend the sun will set one hour earlier.
• We walked toward the park after lunch.

Can I end a sentence with a preposition?

Although it’s often thought to be grammatically incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition, it’s a common misconception. It can be acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition, and sometimes sentences sound better when they do. For example, while the sentence “The students didn’t know what their teacher was talking about,” ends in a preposition, it’d be challenging to rephrase. The sentence “The students didn’t know about what their teacher was talking,” sounds awkward and confusing.

For everyday writing and speaking, feel free to end a sentence with a preposition when it makes sense. In more formal writing, try to rephrase your sentences if possible.

The next time you’re working on a blog post or finishing a school project, you’ll be able to identify and use prepositions correctly. Avoid making mistakes when using prepositions by double-checking your writing with a grammar checker.