Preposition Complete List with Example
aboard ( on or onto)
• We
climbed aboard the boat.
• Is
there a doctor aboard the plane?
about
• What
do you think about Mary?
• Let's
talk about something different.
• I've
just read a book about President Putin.
• The
lion was pacing about its cage.
above
• We
are flying above the clouds.
• We
live in the hills, 1,000 metres above sea-level.
• It's
only two degrees above freezing point. [+2ºC]
• Who
came above you in the test results?
across
• We
drove across the desert.
• The
dog ran across the road.
• There
is a bridge across the river.
• She
lives in the house across the street. It's nearly opposite mine.
after (also conjunction)
• We
had lunch [1pm] after the meeting [11am].
• Let's
meet the day after tomorrow.
against
• Did
you vote for or against the suggestion?
• He
put his bicycle against the wall.
along
• We
walked along the beach for two miles.
• There
are trees along the road.
• The
toilet is along the corridor.
alongside
• Their
boat came alongside our boat.
• Team
A worked alongside Team B during construction.
amid | amidst (poetic)
• I
couldn't hear her amid the noise.
• We
were lost amidst the trees.
among | amongst (mainly British
English)
• Is
there a doctor among us?
• There
were secret police among the crowd.
• I
was amongst strangers. I didn't know anyone.
anti
• He
seems to be anti my idea.
• Some
people are anti everything.
around
• We
walked around the town for an hour.
• They
all sat around the camp fire.
• There
is a big fence around the house.
• He
was born around 1570.
• Let's
meet around 7pm.
as (also conjunction)
• He
is working as a waiter.
• The
risk is as nothing compared to the profit.
• Ram
is as tall as Anthony.
astride
• She
sat astride the horse.
at
• He
is at school.
• We
first met at a party.
• Let's
start the meeting at 9 o'clock.
• He
started work at 17 (years of age).
• We
are aiming at sales of $1,000,000.
atop (poetic)
• The
church is situated atop a hill.
according to
• According
to John, Mary was late. I believe John.
ahead of
• Anthony
is ahead of Rachel in the race. He'll win.
• We
have a long day ahead of us. Let's get going!
à la (from French)
• It's
a TV show à la CNN. Same style, similar content.
along with
• Do
you want some pork along with the chicken?
apart from
• Nobody
objected apart from you, so we did it.
as for
• As
for Matt, he will arrive later.
aside from
• I
have another car aside from this one. Both are red.
as per
• We
must work strictly as per the law.
as to
• As
to your behaviour, I think you were wrong.
as well as
• You
should telephone as well as write, just to be sure.
away from
• The
cat ran away from the dog and escaped.
bar
• Everyone
came bar Angela.
• He
is the best bar none.
barring
• Barring
rain, we'll play tennis tomorrow.
before (also conjunction)
• We
had lunch [1pm] before the meeting [3pm].
• We
met the day before yesterday.
• She
was before me in the queue.
• I
would rather die before doing that.
behind
• There
is a police car behind us. It's following us.
• We
have a garden behind our house.
• The
child was hiding behind the tree.
• I
am behind your project. I will support it.
• Vonica
finished behind Shirley in the race.
• She
is behind the other children in her class.
below
• Much
of Holland is below sea-level.
• There
is a family in the flat below us.
• The
temperature is 5 degrees below freezing point. [-5ºC]
• I
came below Vonica in the test.
• You
can buy it if it's below $50.
beneath
• Our
garage is beneath our house.
• The
tunnel runs beneath the sea.
• Laurence
is beneath the General Manager.
• It
was beneath his dignity to do that.
beside
• The
river runs beside our house.
• James
was sitting beside Miriam.
besides
• What
shall we have besides coffee?
between
• Tara
was sitting between Ram and Ati.
• Between
you and me, I think she's crazy.
• I
can meet you between 1pm and 2pm.
beyond
• Can
you see someone in the distance, beyond that house?
• This
is too difficult. It's beyond me.
• The
meeting continued beyond midnight.
but (also conjunction)
• Everyone
came but Andrea.
by
• We
came by car.
• Fireworks
were invented by the Chinese.
• He
was shot by a professional killer.
• It
happened by accident.
• He
lost the race by five seconds.
• The
room is 10 metres by 6 metres.
• We
must finish by Tuesday.
• We
were sitting by the window.
• By
my calculation he must be 73.
Complex prepositions
because of
• We
can't play tennis because of the rain.
but for
• It's
your fault! But for you, I'd have been on time.
by means of
• You
open a door by means of its handle.
circa
• He
died circa 1270.
concerning
• Your
teacher talked to me concerning your homework.
• I
have some questions concerning your decision.
considering
• Considering
the poor quality, I think the price is too high.
• I
think I must be going, considering the time.
counting
• There
were four people, or five counting the baby.
• That
makes $70, not counting the tax.
cum
• I
have a study-cum-bedroom.
• She
is a kind of secretary-cum-receptionist.
Complex prepositions
close to
• My
car is close to your car. About two cars away.
contrary to
• Contrary
to expectations, the euro fell in value.
despite
• We
went swimming despite the cold water.
• He
passed the test despite being ill.
down
• They
ran down the hill.
• The
post office is down the road.
• They
have had many wars down the years.
during
• He
fell asleep during the meeting.
• I
want to go swimming during the weekend.
• I
was bored during the whole film.
Complex prepositions
depending on
• We'll
play tennis tomorrow, depending on the rain.
due to
• The
cancellation was due to the rain. There was no other reason.
except
• You
can have any colour except blue. There is no more blue.
• They
all came except Stephen. He didn't want to come.
excepting
• I
can eat anything excepting pork. It makes me sick.
• Excepting
Jo, everyone was present. No-one knew where Jo was.
excluding
• It
costs $70, excluding $10 for delivery. (Total = $80.)
• We
open every day excluding Christmas Day. On Christmas Day we have a holiday.
Complex prepositions
except for
• Everyone
was present, except for Mary. She stayed at home.
ollowing
• We
had coffee following lunch.
• He
couldn't work following his illness.
for (also conjunction)
• This
is for you.
• Do
you want to go for a walk?
• You
use a corkscrew for opening bottles.
• Cigarettes
are bad for you.
• I'm
saving for a new car.
• Is
this the road for Rome?
• They
passed me over for John.
• Is
this the train for Cambridge?
• I
bought it for $10.
• We
worked for three hours.
• Keep
walking for two kilometres.
from
• Where
do you come from?
• This
letter is from my wife.
• I
bought this car from Henry.
• They
prevented me from entering.
• My
car is different from yours.
• We
worked from Monday to Wednesday.
• Paper
is made from wood.
• It
can cost anything from $5 to $15.
• The
police took my driving licence from me.
• He
died from overwork.
Complex prepositions
forward of
• He
was sitting forward of me in the plane. I could just see the back of his head.
further to
• Further
to your letter, I have spoken to Mr Brown.
given
• He
is in very good health, given his age. He's at least 95.
• Given
the time, you ought to leave now.
gone (mainly British English)
• It's
certainly gone 11 o'clock. It must be 11.30.
• He's
gone 50. He must be nearly 60 years old.
in
• Monkeys
live in the jungle.
• John
is the man with his hand in his pocket.
• I
live in an apartment.
• She
lives in Bangkok.
• Tara
was born in 1977.
• Trains
were invented in the nineteenth century.
• I'll
come back in two weeks.
• Let's
meet in the morning.
• There
are 60 seconds in a minute.
including
• The
price is $70 including $10 for delivery. (Total = $70.)
• There
were four of us, including the baby.
inside
• It
was dark inside the tunnel.
• My
modem is inside my computer. It's an internal modem.
into
• John
went into that shop.
• If
you heat ice it turns into water.
• We
cut the cake into ten pieces.
• Five
into ten makes two.
Complex prepositions
in addition to
• There
were two people in addition to me. So that made three of us.
in between
• He
is in between the two opinions. He wants to compromise.
in case of
• You
can phone me in case of need. Day or night.
in face of
• He
reacts bravely in face of danger.
in favour of
• I
am not in favour of your idea. It won't work.
in front of
• You
can park your car in front of my house.
• I
couldn't see the film because the woman in front of me was wearing a big hat.
in lieu of
• I
don't have any dollars. Can I pay euro in lieu of dollars?
in spite of
• We
went swimming in spite of the cold water.
instead of
• We
don't have any tea. Would you like coffee instead of tea?
in view of
• In
view of your illness, we will wait for a week.
ess
• 10
less 3 = 7.
like
• She
is like her sister.
• She
sings like a bird.
• It's
not like John to complain.
• Do
it like this.
• I
feel like swimming.
• It
looks like rain.
• I
want something cold, like iced-coffee.
minus
• 10
minus 3 = 7.
• The
temperature is minus 30 degrees centigrade
near
• The
school is near the post office.
• It's
20 December. We are very near Christmas Day.
notwithstanding
• Notwithstanding
the low price, I don't want it.
• They
went swimming, notwithstanding the rain.
• They
went swimming, the rain notwithstanding.
Complex prepositions
near to
• There
is a restaurant near to my office. Just two minutes away.
next to
• The
school is next to the bank. Between the hotel and the bank
of
• I
live in the house at the end of the road.
• Do
you like the work of Shakespeare?
• What
was the cost of this book?
• He
lives in the City of Westminster.
• It
was kind of you to help me.
• This
is the cause of the problem.
• He
died of cancer.
• Most
tables are made of wood.
• Can
I have a cup of coffee?
• I
know some of these people.
• I
don't know any of these people.
• He
lives south of London.
• He
lives in the south of London.
off
• Please
take your shoes off the table.
• Keep
off the grass.
• It
fell off the table and broke.
• They
live in a street off Fifth Avenue.
on
• Please
don't put your shoes on the table.
• The
picture is on page 7.
• We
live on a busy road. It's very noisy.
• She
is sunbathing on the beach.
• Is
there water on the Moon?
• I
need a book on bio-chemistry.
• My
birthday is on Monday.
• I
start work on 7 May.
• Let's
meet on the weekend. (American English)
• I'll
see you on Christmas Day.
• You
must be on time.
• He
broke his leg on getting out of the car.
onto (mainly American English) see on
to
• The
cat jumped onto the chair.
• The
police are onto us. (slang)
opposite
• There
is a post office opposite my house.
• She
sat opposite him and looked into his eyes.
outside
• I
don’t live in London. I live outside London.
• It
was very cold outside the car.
• This
is outside my scope.
over
• We
are flying over the mountains.
• Put
the blanket over the bed.
• The
cat jumped over the wall.
• Let’s
discuss it over dinner.
• The
king ruled over the country for many years.
• The
town is just over the border.
• It
cost over $50. It was $53.25.
• There
is rain over the whole country.
• It
took over an hour to do my homework.
• The
population has increased over the past twenty years.
• Can
you stay with us over Christmas?
Complex prepositions
on account of
• Don't
worry on account of me. Think about yourself.
on behalf of
• I'm
calling you on behalf of Mr Brown. I represent him in legal matters.
on board
• Is
there a doctor on board this plane?
on to (mainly British English) see
onto
• The
cat jumped on to the chair.
on top of
• The
cat is sitting on top of the television.
opposite to
• There
is a tree opposite to the house. Straight across the road.
other than
• Sorry,
we're out of whisky. But we have every drink other than whisky.
out of
• Take
your hands out of your pockets and help me!
• He
went out of the room to smoke a cigarette.
• We're
out of eggs. Shall I buy some?
outside of
• They
stopped outside of the city to check the map before entering.
owing to
• We
didn't go swimming, owing to the cold weathe
past
• I
saw you yesterday when we drove past your school.
• The
post office is just past the police station.
• Don't
work past your bed-time.
• This
is difficult. It's past me.
• It's
nearly ten minutes past five. 5.09 to be precise.
pending
• We
cannot supply you pending payment.
• Pending
his return, we can do nothing.
• There
were many arguments pending the negotiations.
per
• The
speed limit is 70 miles per hour.
• The
carpet costs $10 per square metre.
plus
• 2
plus 2 = 4.
• There
will be three of us, plus the baby. So that's four in total.
pro
• Are
you pro capital punishment or against it?
• He
is very modern. He is generally pro new ideas.
Complex prepositions
preparatory to
• I
made a graph preparatory to the meeting, so everything was ready.
prior to
• I
never spoke French prior to living in France. But I learned quickly after
coming to France.
re
• Re:
your letter dated 21 May
• I
want to talk you re the proposed meeting.
regarding
• I
would like to speak to you regarding my homework.
• Regarding
John, let's talk later.
respecting
• I
would like to speak to you respecting my homework.
• I
am writing to you respecting our latest products.
round
• I
live round the corner.
• They
all sat round the fire.
• There
is a hedge round the house
save (formal)
• All
save Mrs Jones were present.
saving (formal)
• Saving
yourself, nobody thanked me.
since (also conjunction)
• I
haven't seen Josef since Monday.
• Mr
Brown has worked in a bank since 1985.
Complex prepositions
save for
• Everyone
came, save for Lek who had to work.
than (also conjunction)
• He
is a writer than whom there is no finer.
• Your
car is bigger than my car.
through (also thru - American
English)
• The
train goes through a tunnel.
• I
can see light through the keyhole.
• You
have been through a difficult experience.
• You
went thru a red light.
• The
error occurred through my own stupidity.
• They
worked Monday through Thursday. (American English)
throughout
• It
is raining throughout the whole country.
• He
worked throughout the day, and most of the night.
till (also conjunction)
• I
work from 9am till 5pm.
• Please
wait till I come.
to
• Could
you give this to Kob?
• My
car does 10 miles to the litre.
• To
his surprise, the door was open.
• The
museum is open from Monday to Friday.
• The
time is ten to five. [4.50]
touching
• Touching
your homework, I think we need to speak.
towards (mainly British English),
toward (mainly American English)
• He
drove off toward(s) the mountain.
• I'd
better go. It's getting toward(s) midnight.
• He
contributed $100,000 toward(s) the new building.
• It's
the first step toward(s) peace.
• He
has a positive attitude toward(s) his work.
Complex prepositions
thanks to
• Thanks
to Shirley, we arrived on time.
together with
• I'd
like chicken please, together with vegetables.
under
• The
mouse ran under the chair.
• The
bucket is under the sink.
• Submarines
can travel under water.
• We
drove under a bridge.
• I
have a T-shirt under my pullover.
• Who
do you work under? Who is your boss?
• I
am under orders from the President.
• What
is the subject under discussion?
• Under
the company rules, we can't do that.
• Please
buy it if it's under $50.
underneath
• The
nurse put a pillow underneath his head.
• There
is a big cellar underneath our house.
unlike
• That's
very unusual. It's unlike Andrea to be so rude.
• This
problem is unlike any we have met before.
until (formal; also conjunction)
• They
continued the meeting until 11pm.
• Please
wait until I come.
up
• Jack
and Jill ran up the hill.
• There
is a post office up the street.
upon (formal)
• Please
don't put your shoes upon the table.
• There
are now no dinosaurs upon Earth.
• I
need a book upon bio-chemistry.
• We
met upon a Monday.
• He
broke his leg upon getting out of the car.
Complex prepositions
up against
• We
are up against a powerful enemy.
up to
• There
was a shop here up to 1990. But it closed that year.
up until
• We
worked up until they came. Then we stopped.
versus
• He
was the judge in the case of Gore versus Bush.
• We
should choose peace versus war.
via
• We
flew from Paris to Bangkok via Dubai.
Complex prepositions
vis-Ã -vis (from French)
• I
prefer Jaguar cars vis-Ã -vis BMW cars.
• I
need to speak to you vis-Ã -vis your homework.
with
• Do
you live with your parents?
• He's
been with EnglishClub.com for two years.
• I
discussed it with her.
• With
your permission, I'd like to go.
• If
you mix red with yellow you get orange.
• Muriel
is the girl with black hair.
• Do
you want to come with us?
• I
made this chair with my own hands.
• You'll
forget her with time.
within
• There
is a modem within the computer.
• I
will finish within 30 minutes.
• He
lives within 10 miles of his work.
• It's
not within my power to help you.
without
• I
want trousers without buttons.
• I
came without my wife because she is working.
• He
watched without speaking.
worth
• This
car is worth $10,000.
Complex prepositions
with reference to
• With
reference to your comments, I'll reply soon.
• I
am writing with reference to your order.
with regard to
• I'd
like to speak to you with regard to your work.
