In English, all correct prepositions with sound. There are many more English prepositions than it seems. How to remember it all

Only we publish the most complete and understandable table of prepositions in English with examples. Any word can be translated by double click. We recommend you memorize this topic.

Pretext	Meaning	Examples of
at	1. Location (on, for, y, at a certain point) 2. Time (in hours)	She is at school. She is sitting at my table. Let us meet at 5 p.m.!
in	1. Location (in a separate space) 2. Time (in months, years) 3. Work written in some language	He is in the study. The book is in my table. Summer begins in June. It took place in 2002. This article is written in English.
on	1. Location (on a horizontal and vertical surface) 2. Dedicated to something, on the topic (oh, oh) 3. Time (in days)	The book is on my table. The picture is on the wall.This is an article on history. I was born on the 5th of November,
from	1. Direction (from, from) 2. Time (s, from)	The train is coming from Moscow. Take the pencil from the table.I’ll be busy from 10 a.m.
to	1. Direction (in, on) 2. Time (until a certain moment) 3. Corresponds to the dative case	We came to Moscow. They went to the theater.I’ll be busy from 10 p.m. to 3 p.m. Give this book to me.
since	Time (from, from some moment)	I'll have a rest since July till August.
till	Time (before, until a certain moment)	Till Friday I'll be very busy.
into	Direction (inward)	Put the book into the bag.
onto	Direction (to, to the surface of something)	Put the pen from the drawer onto the table.
before	Time (before, before)	The accident took place before our era.
after	Time (after)	I went there after the stopped.
about	1.O (relatively) 2. Place (about, around, about) 3. Time (about, about)	Please, tell me about him. Come about 2 p.m. It was about noon, when she came home.
for	1. Time (within a specified (in days, years) period of time) 2. Purpose (at) H. For 4. Direction (in) with the verb to leave	I have lived there for 2 years. I went for a walk. That is a present for you. We left for St. Petersburg at 10 p.m.
during	Time (over the period of time expressed by the noun)	I was in the countryside during my weekend.
of	1. Corresponds to the genitive case (what?, Whom?) 2.O (relatively)	All the students of this group passed the exams perfectly. You must never think of him badly.
with	1. Corresponds to the instrumental case (what?) 2.C, together 3. From (surprise, fear)	We write with pens. He went to the station with her. His face was pale with fear.
by	1. Corresponds to the instrumental case (by whom?) 2. Place (near, near) 3. Time (at some point)	This poem was written by Pushkin. He was standing by the window. He had already come by 3 p.m.
between	Location (between 2 objects)	The father divided the apples between his 2 sons.
among	Location (between multiple items or objects)	The farther divided the apples among all his children.
except (for)	Except (excluding those present)	Everybody likes it except me.
besides	Except (in addition, by the number of more attendees)	There were 5 boys in the room besides me.
over	1. Above, above 2. Through 3. For, in, during (period of time)	A flight over the lake - flight over the lake. Over the last five years - over the past five years.
below	Below, under	Below zero - below zero.
out	Outside, outside, outside	My crossbow is already out... “I've already pulled out my crossbow.
behind	Behind, behind, behind	The sun is behind a cloud. - The sun disappeared behind a cloud.

With a poorly developed system of case endings, prepositions in English play an extremely important role in expressing grammatical relations. Such pretexts include of , to , by , with... These prepositions can express the meanings that are conveyed in Russian by the endings of indirect 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. p.)

This is a book of my brother.
This is my brother's book. (genus. p.)

The teacher explained the new rule to the pupils.
The teacher explained the new rule to the students. (date p.)

I gave the book to him, and not to her.
I gave the book to him, not to her. (date 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 his pencil with a penknife. (creative p.)

I am writing with a pencil.
I write in pencil. (creative p.)

In this case, the preposition has no 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, near
to- k, in, on

Derivative Prepositions

Derived prepositions come from words of other parts of speech.

granted- provided that
concerning- regarding, regarding
depending- depending on
including- including, but not limited to

Complex Prepositions

Compound prepositions are formed by compounding.

wit hin - inside
out side - outside
along side - near, near, near
with out- without
where 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- front
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 are:

Prepositions of place ( Prepositions of place)

in- in (inside something)
on- on (on the surface of the object)
behind- for (behind another object)
over- above
under- under
in front of- front
by- near, near (indicates the location of one object near another)
at- y, about, on (indicates the presence of an object near another object)

Direction prepositions ( 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, s, y (indicates the movement of one object from another)
out of- from (indicates the movement of one object from within another)
through- across

Prepositions of time ( Prepositions of Time)

at- in (indicates the 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 after them:

to look- watch
to look for- search
to look through- view
to look in- look

A verb with a preposition should be perceived and memorized 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 coincide in form with adverbs

Some prepositions have the same form as adverbs. It is possible to distinguish such prepositions from adverbs only by the function that they perform in the sentence. Prepositions only express the relationship between nouns (or pronouns) and other words in a sentence. They, therefore, do not perform an independent function in the proposal and therefore are not members of the proposal. They are not stressed. Adverbs, on the other hand, perform an independent function in a sentence - they define the verb and are members of the sentence. They are stressed:

Didn't go up the stairs.(Pretext)
He went up the stairs.

I looked up and saw an aeroplane flying very low.(Adverb)
I looked up and saw the 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 will go there after lunch.

I never saw him after.(Adverb)
I never saw him afterwards.

Some adverbs that coincide in form with 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 does not perform an independent function in this case, 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.
Keep reading,

Turn off the light.
Put out the light.

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. The boy is in the room. He will be here in 20 minutes "time. He'll be here in 20 minutes.
to(k, c)	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 a friend of mine.
about(O)	We are speaking about the new film. We're talking about a new movie.
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 will stay here until five o'clock.
of(out, oh)	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, y, at)	He was sitting at the table. He was sitting at the table (at the table). He left at 5. He left at five.
by(about)	The bookcase stood by the window. The bookcase was by the window.
for(for)	My mother bought the dress for my sister. Mom bought a dress for my sister.

Place of a preposition in a sentence

A preposition in English, as in Russian, usually comes before a noun or pronoun in a sentence. However, if a noun (pronoun) refers to verbs or verb combinations such as to look (at) (look at someone), to objekt (to) (to object to something), to ask (for) (ask for something), to send (for) (send for someone), to speak (about) (talk about someone, about something), to be fond (of) (to love something, someone), to take care (of) (take care of someone, something), to put an end (to) (put an end to something), to hint (at) (hint at something) and some others, the preposition can be at the end of the 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 picture, which I really like.

The children were taken care of by their grandmother. = The grandmother took care of the children.
The children were cared for by their grandmother.

Don "t you think, Sir, that a doctor had better be sent for?
Do you think, sir, that I ought to send for a doctor?

I intend to forget everything you "ve hinted at.
I want to forget everything (that) that you hinted at.

What shall we set them (the clocks) at. What time, I mean.
How much will we put them (clock) on? I mean, for how long?

English prepositions in the table with pictures

Table. Prepositions.

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 relations 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). She showed her pen to the boy. This is for him. This is for him. The letter is written by the boy (him). The letter was written by a boy. Not is writing with the pencil. He writes with a pencil.
Prepositions of place(Prepositions of Place)
			on- on in- v at- at under (below, beneath) - under, below over- above near- about in front of- front behind- behind, behind across- across 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 near the box - near the box in front of the box - in front of the box behind the box - behind the box across the street - across the street through the window - through the window between two windows - between two windows among the students - among students
Prepositions of direction(Prepositions of Direction)
			to- to, to, to towards- to, in the direction from- from, from into- in (inside) out of- from (from within) off- s, from		to the house - to the house towards the house - towards the house from the house - from home into the house - into the house out of the house - from home off the house - from home
Prepositions of time(Prepositions of Time)
on- v in- in, through, behind, 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 in a month - in a month 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- in time 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
Translation: prepositions, case endings

Use of prepositions - The use of prepositions in English

The main three categories of prepositions by lexical meaning (use):
1. Prepositions of time
2. Prepositions of place
3. Prepositions of direction
In its pure form, there are practically no only prepositions of time, place or direction. The lexical meaning of a preposition directly depends on its position in the sentence, therefore, in most cases, the same preposition can have two or more lexical meanings.

Preposition table in English

Table of lexical meaning (use) of English prepositions

Pretext	Lexical meaning of a preposition		Example	Translation
at [æt]	time	in (in hours and minutes)	He came at 5 o "clock.	He came v five hours.
	a place	on, at, around	You can buy the cabbage at the market.	You can buy cabbage on market.
			Let "s meet at the car.	Let's meet at/about cars.
on [? n]	time	in (in days and dates)	We will visit Donald on Friday.	We will visit Donald v Friday.
	a place	on	The TV remote control is on the sofa.	The TV remote control lies on sofa.
	about any topic	oh oh	I like magazines on fishing.	I love magazines O fishing.
in [? n]	time	in (in months and years); after (after a certain period of time)	Dorothy was born in June.	Dorothy was born v June.
			The examination will start in three hours.	The exam will begin across three hours.
	a place	v	Mr. Milton is not in the office at the monent.	At the moment, Mr. Milton is not v office.
to	direction	in, on; to (where?)	They are going to the theater.	They are coming v theatre.
			Philip is walking to work. Note: The word home is used without the preposition to. Philip is going home.	Philip is walking on work. Philip goes home.
			She is coming to his car.	She fits To your car.
		Without translation	Give this pen to me.	Give this pen ( to whom?) to me.
into [?? ntu?]	direction	in (inward)	We are coming into the flat.	We go in v apartment.
from
	direction	from, from, from	My father is coming back from the theater.	My father is coming back from theater.
			Sylvia is coming back from work.	Sylvia returns with work.
			Samuel is coming back from his friends.	Samuel returns from friends.
		from	I have got a reprimand from the chief. I have got a letter from Lewis. What do you want from me?	I got a reprimand from chief. I received a letter from Lewis. What do you want from me?
before	a place	before, before	Lewis left the room before John.	Lewis left the room front John.
until till [? n? t? l]	time	before	She won "t come back till the end of the month.	She won't come back before end of the month.
about [?? ba? t]	time	about	Walter returns home at about seven o "clock in the evening.	Walter returns home about seven o'clock in the evening.
	a place	around, around	Harry is wandering about the house.	Harry wanders around/about at home.
		O	We are talking about a new movie.	We are talking O new movie.
for	time	during	Nicole has been learning Spanish for two years.	Nicole learns Spanish during two years.
	direction	v ; to / without translation	The train left for London one hour ago.	The train has left v London an hour ago.
			My son has gone for a walk.	My son is gone on walk / ( where?) walk.
	dative case in Russian (to whom?, what?)	for / without translation	I have bought a gift for my girlfriend.	I bought a gift for his girlfriend / ( to whom?) to your girlfriend.
of [? v]	genitive case in Russian (who?, what?)	Without translation	Malcolm was invited for a meeting of ex classmates.	Malcolm was invited to a meeting ( whom?) former classmates.
	prepositional case in Russian (about whom?, about what?)	o	We are talking of a new movie.	We are talking O new movie.
with	instrumental case in Russian (with whom?, with what?)	s / s; together with / with	My husband is flying to Spain with his colleagues next week.	My husband is flying to Spain with / with his colleagues next week.
	The action takes place with the help / with the help of something.	Without translation	I moved the cabinet with my hands.	I moved the closet ( how?/as?) with your hands.
	Actions come from / for a reason.	from, from	She has turned pale with fear.	She turned pale from/with fear.
			The teacher widely opened his eyes with amazement.	The teacher opened his eyes wide from surprise.
by	a place	near / near (s) / near / near	Joseph stood for a while by the door and knocked.	Joseph stood for some time near/at/about doors and knocked.
	instrumental case in Russian (by whom?, by what?) This includes cases where an action is performed in a certain way.	Without translation; to / without translation	Recently I have read a book that is was written by a very famous writer.	I recently read a book by a very famous writer.
			Her mother prefers traveling by car.	Her mother prefers to travel on car / ( as?) by car.
after [??? ft? (r)]	time	after	Isabel usually walks after breakfast.	Isabella usually walks after breakfast.
since [s? ns]	time	with	Daniel has been learning Chinese since he graduated school.	Daniel learns Chinese with graduation from school.
during [? dj ?? r ??]	time	in continuation, within. The use of this preposition in the lexical meaning of tense resembles the preposition for. The difference is that for indicates the duration of the event, while during indicates the period of time during which the action took place.	Mark was sleeping during the film.	Mark was sleeping during film.
between	a place	between	My house is between the grocer and the parking.	My house is located between grocery store and parking.
near nearby / [? n ?? (r)? ba?]	a place	near, near, near	My house is nearby the parking.	My home is about/at /near parking.
in front of [? n fr? nt? v]	a place	in front, on the contrary, in front	A school bus stopped in front of my house.	School bus stopped against of my house/ front my home.
behind	a place	behind, behind, behind, after	He is behind the door.	He per by the door
			Sharon is walking behind us.	Sharon is coming behind/behind US.
			I am behind the woman in this queue.	I'm standing per a woman / behind women in this line.
across [?? kr? s]	a place	across	Why is your dog looking across the road so wary?	Why is your dog looking across road so wary?
above [?? b? v]	a place	above, above	There thousands of dragonflies above our heads.	Fly over our heads thousand dragonflies.
			Neighbors above us are Portuguese migrants.	Neighbors above us - migrants from Portugal.
over [??? v? (r)]	a place	above	Look! Our aircraft is flying over the sea.	Look! Our plane is flying above by the sea!
under [?? nd? (r)]	a place	under	My dog ​​likes sleeping under the table.	My dog ​​loves to sleep under table.
below	a place	under, below	Her flat is below Michael "s.	Her apartment is located under apartment / below Michael's apartment.
along [?? l ??]	a place	along, along	Anthony is driving along the highway.	Anthony rides on/along highway.
round around / [?? ra? nd]	a place	behind, around	Robbers turned round the corner.	The robbers turned a corner.
			Alan is driving around the parking looking for some free place.	Alan drives around parking, looking for free space.
past	a place	by	Lewis went past a flower shop and didn "t buy flowers.	I passed by flower shop and did not buy flowers.
through [θru?]	a place	through, across	Postman pushed the letter through the door gap.	The postman slipped the letter through/across door gap.
out of	direction	from	Ann has just gone out of the room.	Ann just got out from rooms.

As you can see prepositions in English- It is not so difficult.

Hi there! From today's article, you will learn: how English prepositions differ from Russian ones, what types and groups they are, how to remember, organize and use them correctly.

Preposition in English- this is a service part of speech, which is fraught with an analogue of the Russian case, moves objects in space and can irrevocably change the meaning of what you say.

There are many prepositions in English, but this does not mean that you need to learn them all at once. It will be enough to know the main ones and understand their division into groups.

What is the difference between Russian and English prepositions?

Yes, there are much fewer prepositions in Russian, but there are dozens of case endings. For example:

She read the text in English, crossed it out with a red pen and cried for hours. - She read the text on english ohm, crossed out his red Oh pen Oh and cried for an hour ami.

In addition, there are differences that are hidden in our perception of the world.

The bird is in the tree. - Bird on tree.
There are flowers in the picture. - On painting flowers.
I'm at a concert. - I AM on concert.
She is dancing in the rain. - She is dancing under rain.
I went to England. - I drove v England.

There are a lot of such situations, try to memorize such “strange” (for the Russian language) prepositions from what you read, watch or listen to.

In addition to the physical world, a significant difference in prepositions accompanies abstract concepts and actions. Sometimes it matches (rely on- count on), and sometimes not. For example:

depend on- to depend from;
prepare for- get ready To;
tired of- tired from;
wait for- wait;
listen to- listen.

Forms of English prepositions

• Simple:

at- at, about, at, on;
in- in, on, behind, through;
about- oh, around, y, by;
against- against, facing to, on;
before- before, before, before.

• Derivatives(derived from words from other parts of speech):

concerning- concerning, relatively;
including- including, but not limited to;
depending- depending on;
granted- provided that.

• Complex(includes several components):

alongside- near, near, at;
outside- outside, outside, except;
within- inside, within, no further;
wherewith- what, by means of which.

• Composite(represent a phrase - include a word from another part of speech + 1 or 2 prepositions):

because of- due to;
instead of- instead of;
by virtue of- by virtue, on the basis;
for the sake of- for the sake of;
with regard to- relatively, in relation.

It is important to remember that none of the elements of a compound preposition cannot be expanded, shortened or changed... Even a compound preposition always remains whole.

Preposition or adverb - how to define?

Some prepositions coincide in spelling with adverbs. However, their role in the proposal will still be different.

The preposition reflects relationship between significant parts, and the adverb has its own meaning.

There is only clear sky above me. - Above me is only a clear sky (“above” expresses the spatial relationship between the words — the noun “sky” and the pronoun “me”).
The guests were led above.- The guests were taken away up(the adverb "above" has its own meaning of direction - "where?")

Types of English prepositions by meaning

According to their meaning and functions, English prepositions can be divided into different groups. The most basic are prepositions place, time, direction, person and instrument.

• Prepositions of place:

above- above, above;
across from- opposite, across the street from;
around- screaming;
at- y, v, na;
behind- behind, behind;
below- under, below;
between- between;
by, beside, near- at, near, near;
under- under.

close to- close to, near;
in- in, inside;
in front of- in front, in front;
next to- next to, next to;
on- on;
opposite- against;
over- above;
past- for, on the other side.

• Prepositions of movement:

across- across, across, on the other side;
along- along;
away from- from, away;
back to- back to;
down- way down;
from- from, from, from;
into- v;
off- from, s;
onto- on;
out of- from, outside;
over- across;
past- by;
round, around- around;
through- through, through, on, inside;
to- to, to, in, towards;
towards- to, towards;
under- under;
up- up.

• Prepositions of time:

after- after;
at- at, during;
before- before, before;
by- to, no later than at;
during- during, during;
for- during, in continuation;
from- from, from, starting from;
in- during, during, for;
on- at, during;
past- after, after;
since- since, since, since;
through- throughout, in continuation;
till, until- before, not earlier;
within- within, within.

• Prepositions of doer and instrument:

by- on behalf of; indicates the one who performs the action (person / object);
with- by using; what the action is performed by;
without- without something;
on- O; about; through.

I was scolded by my teacher. - I was scolded by the teacher.
Our house was destroyed by a falling tree. - Our house was destroyed by a fallen tree.
He always writes only with a pencil. - He always writes with pencil only.
I cut my hand on a broken glass. - I cut myself on a broken glass.

It's important to know! Prepositions with / by in this meaning are used in passive voice and indicate who or what did the action.

The use of prepositions in English

Prepositions and cases. Let's see what cases in Russian what prepositions correspond.

Genitive case (who? What?) - the preposition " of».

Show me the plan of the house. - Show me the plan of the house.

Dative case (to whom? What?) - the preposition " to».

Give it to me. - Give it to me.

Accusative case (who? What?) - without preposition.

Give me a pen. - Give me a pen.

Instrumental case (by whom? What?) - the preposition " with», « by».

She was cutting the letter with scissors. “She was cutting the letter with scissors.

Prepositional (About who about what?)- the preposition " about»,« of».

Don’t speak about me. - Don't talk about me.
I think of you. - I think of you.

Preposition in a sentence There are some general rules about where to put it.

• The preposition is placed before a noun or pronoun (if the noun has an article or definition, then before them).

Put the book on the table. - Put the book down on table.
Give it to me. - Give it to me.
The shop is near the big house. - Shop next to the big house.

• In interrogative sentences (which begin with interrogative words), the preposition is placed at the end.

What city do you live in? - What city do you live in?
Who are you waiting for? - Who are you waiting for?

• By analogy with a question, a preposition is at the end of a subordinate clause or a passive construction (in Russian, a preposition is placed at the beginning of a subordinate clause):

That is what they wanted to begin with... - It `s that, with what they wanted to start.
You know who she is worried about... - You know, O whom she worries.
Her marriage was very much talked about... - Her marriage was very controversial.
Mary loved the cat and it was taken good care of.- Mary loved the cat and she was well-groomed.

Prepositions are also found in the composition sustainable expressions, which are more convenient to memorize as a whole. A few of the most common:

How do you remember all this?

It is extremely difficult to juggle all the prepositions of the English language. There are some tips how not to "drop" the main ones:

• When you write out verbs from the dictionary, mark yourself at least 2 options with different pretexts. Soon, this will save you from pauses in different contexts and speech situations.
• Like other parts of speech, prepositions are better study in context(at least in phrases).
• Start with the most simple and popular prepositions (direction, place, time).
• Prepositions of place easier to remember with pictures.
• Regularly do exercise... Prepositions are not a topic that you just have to go through and return to it after a month.

Let's start memorizing prepositions right now! We suggest you complete the exercise and write your answers in the comments:

1. This letter was written ___ English.

2. The sun was shining ___ our heads, the birds were singing ___ the tree.

3. Your results depend ___ your preparation.

4. I have been waiting ___ you here for 3 hours!

5. We moved to another country because ___ my new job.

6. There is a lamp ___ two armchairs in my room.

7. He sits ___ front ___ a computer every day.

8. Give me the map ___ this city, please.

9.I don’t know anything ___ this writer.

10. Give this book ___ him.

11. What are you worried ___?

12. He hopes he’ll find a better job ___future.

13. We went there ___ foot.

14. ___the way, what do you think about it?

Conclusion

So, let's summarize.

• English prepositions replace cases(of, to, with, by, about).
• Prepositions can indicate location, time, direction and tool.
• We put them in the offer front noun and his article(or definition).
• V issues make an excuse v the end.
• There are combinations of words with prepositions that you need to memorize ( depend on, wait for etc.)

We hope this article helps you use prepositions quickly and appropriately! Good luck!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

Prepositions in English (preposition) are a part of speech that stands before a noun and connects 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 a translation in November.
I sent the information by email at the right time - I sent the information by email at the correct 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 when a preposition does not come 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 or 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.

Prepositions of place and direction

Pretext	Use	Examples of
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 photo in the country - in the country
At (y, za, na, v)	It is used to show the proximity of an object to something or a place where people go for a single action (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, on)	Used to show the location or direction of an object.	the vase is on pedestal - a vase on a pedestal put on the tongue - put on the tongue on the right - to the right on the third floor - on the third floor on the bus - by 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 near the pickup / next to the pickup / behind the pickup
Under (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	Used to show the location of an object below something, but above the ground.	the sharks are below the surface - sharks swim below the surface of the water
Over (over, over, over, over)	Shows the position of the object on top; is used to show the quantitative advantage of an object or the overcoming of any obstacle.	put the shoes over your socks - put the shoes over your socks over 25 years of age - over 25 years old jump over the fence - jump over the fence
Above (over)	Used to show the location of an object over something.	a path above the river - bridge over the river
Across (by, through)		walk across the street - walking down the street run across the stadium - run across the stadium
Through	Used to show the direction of travel.	travel through time - travel through time
To (in)	Used to show the direction of travel.	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 the direction of travel.	go into the bedroom - enter the bedroom
Towards (k)	Used to indicate movement towards something.	go towards the doghouse - go to the doghouse
Onto (on)	Used to indicate 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

Prepositions of time table

Pretext	Use	Examples of
On (in)	Used with days of the week.	on Friday - on Friday
In (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 (in)	Used with weekends and specific times (numerically).	at the weekend - at the weekend at quarter past ten at 10:15
Since (s)	Used to indicate 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	Indicates the end of the time period.	from Tuesday to / till Sunday - from Tuesday to Sunday

Differences in the use of English prepositions with Russian

The difference in the use of prepositions in English and Russian is that there are no case endings for nouns in English. 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 "mom" conveys the connection between the words. The English language requires the preposition to to indicate this connection:

Give the bread to mother. When translating such cases into Russian, we omit prepositions.

There is also a downside. The use of some verbs in Russian requires a preposition after itself, 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: