Prepositions: Top 15 Key Points

Understanding prepositions is crucial for constructing sentences correctly in English. This guide covers the top 15 key points about prepositions.

No.	Key Point	Explanation	Examples
1	Prepositions of Time	Used to indicate when something happens. Common prepositions include 'at', 'on', 'in'.	"We will meet at 5 PM." "She was born on July 4th." "I go to the gym in the morning."
2	Prepositions of Place	Indicate where something is located. Common prepositions include 'at', 'on', 'in', 'under', 'between'.	"He is at the park." "The book is on the table." "She lives in New York."
3	Prepositions of Movement	Show movement from one place to another. Common prepositions include 'to', 'through', 'across'.	"She is going to the office." "He walked through the woods."
4	Preposition 'by'	Indicates the agent in passive sentences, or means of transportation.	"The cake was made by her." "He travels by train."
5	Preposition 'with'	Indicates the instrument or means by which something is done.	"He wrote the letter with a pen." "She cut the paper with scissors."
6	Preposition 'from'	Shows the origin or source.	"She received a gift from her friend." "He comes from Canada."
7	Preposition 'of'	Indicates belonging or a part of something.	"The roof of the house." "A slice of pizza."
8	Preposition 'for'	Indicates purpose, duration, or in favor of.	"This gift is for you." "He studied for two hours."
9	Preposition 'about'	Refers to the subject of something.	"We talked about the movie." "She is reading about history."
10	Phrasal Verbs with Prepositions	Verbs combined with prepositions to create a new meaning.	"She is looking after the kids." "He ran into an old friend."
11	Complex Prepositions	Combinations of words that function as prepositions.	"She sat in front of the TV." "He is on top of the world."
12	Prepositions at the End of Sentences	Sometimes prepositions are placed at the end of sentences.	"What are you looking for?" "This is the book I told you about."
13	Avoiding Unnecessary Prepositions	Unnecessary prepositions should be omitted, especially in formal writing.	Incorrect: "Where are you at?" Correct: "Where are you?"
14	Prepositions in Idiomatic Expressions	Many idiomatic expressions in English include fixed prepositions.	"She is good at painting." "They are afraid of spiders."
15	'To' and 'For' with Verbs of Giving and Telling	'To' and 'for' are used differently with verbs of giving and telling.	"I gave the book to him." (direct recipient) "I made a cake for her." (beneficiary)