List of Prepositions in English

When speaking or writing in English, you often come across prepositions. These are vital in showing relationships between words or phrases in a sentence. This reference provides a comprehensive list of prepositions commonly used in both spoken and written English. You will find sections covering different types of prepositions like those of time, place, movement, and manner. This resource is useful to enhance your English fluency.

List of Prepositions

List of Prepositions
List of Prepositions – Created by 7ESL

Prepositions are words that tell how one thing is relating to or interacting with another. For example, “The man sat on the chair.” The preposition in this sentence is on. Prepositions tell us where something is in relation to something else. The man isn’t under the chair, for example. He’s on it.

There are around 150 prepositions in the English language, and we’re going to list all of them we could find. They are broken down into categories of prepositions, based on how that type of preposition functions.

This list contains one-word prepositions as well as complex prepositions. Complex prepositions are when more than one word works together as a preposition. This is not the same as a prepositional phrase, which is a phrase starting with a preposition but ending in a noun.

Some of these prepositions can function in multiple categories, depending on how they’re used. They will appear in more than one list.

Some of these words also fit into other speech categories, especially adverbs and conjunctions.

Prepositions of time

Prepositions of time are prepositions that we use to indicate something’s relationship with time.

  1. About
  2. After
  3. Ago
  4. Around
  5. At
  6. Before
  7. By
  8. Circa
  9. During
  10. Following
  11. For
  12. From
  13. Gone
  14. In
  15. On
  16. Past
  17. Prior to
  18. Since
  19. Until/till
  20. Up to
  21. Up until

Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place are ones that tell where one thing is in space compared to another.

  1. Aboard
  2. Above
  3. Across
  4. Against
  5. Alongside
  6. Amid
  7. Among
  8. Apart from
  9. Astride
  10. At
  11. Atop
  12. Behind
  13. Below
  14. Beneath
  15. Beside
  16. Between
  17. Beyond
  18. By
  19. Close to
  20. Far
  21. Far from
  22. Forward of
  23. From
  24. In
  25. In between
  26. In front of
  27. Inside
  28. Into
  29. Minus
  30. Near
  31. Near to
  32. Next to
  33. Of
  34. Off
  35. On
  36. On board
  37. On top of
  38. Onto
  39. Upon
  40. Opposite
  41. Out
  42. Out of
  43. Outside
  44. Outside of
  45. Over
  46. Round
  47. Through
  48. Throughout
  49. To
  50. Together with
  51. Toward/towards
  52. Whether this word ends with an -s depends on what region’s English is being used.
  53. Under
  54. Underneath
  55. Up against
  56. With
  57. Within
  58. Without

Prepositions of Movement

Prepositions of movement (also known as prepositions of direction) tell how something moves in relation to another thing. Many of these are also prepositions of place. Prepositions of place tell where something is, and prepositions of movement tell how something is moving.

  1. Above
  2. Across
  3. Against
  4. Ahead
  5. Along
  6. Along with
  7. Amid
  8. Around
  9. Away
  10. Away from
  11. Behind
  12. Below
  13. Beneath
  14. By means of
  15. Down
  16. Further to
  17. In between
  18. Into
  19. Off
  20. Off of
  21. On
  22. Onto
  23. Over
  24. Out of
  25. Past
  26. Round
  27. Through
  28. Toward/towards
  29. Under
  30. Up
  31. Via

Prepositions of Manner

Prepositions of manner (also known as prepositions of agency or prepositions of instrument) tell us how something is done. This category also includes many legal phrases and whether or not people are includes or excluded.

  1. About
  2. According to
  3. Anti
  4. As
  5. As for
  6. As per
  7. As to
  8. As well as
  9. Aside from
  10. Bar
  11. Barring
  12. Because of
  13. Besides
  14. But for
  15. By
  16. But
  17. Concerning
  18. Considering
  19. Contrary to
  20. Counting
  21. Cum
  22. Depending on
  23. Despite
  24. Due to
  25. Except
  26. Except for
  27. Excepting
  28. Excluding
  29. Given
  30. In addition to
  31. in case of
  32. In face of
  33. In favor of/in favour of
  34. In light of
  35. In spite of
  36. In view of
  37. Including
  38. Instead of
  39. Less
  40. Like
  41. Notwithstanding
  42. Of
  43. On account of
  44. On behalf of
  45. Other than
  46. Owing to
  47. Pending
  48. Per
  49. Plus
  50. Preparatory to
  51. Pro
  52. Re
  53. Regarding
  54. Regardless of
  55. Save
  56. Save for
  57. Saving
  58. Than
  59. Thanks to
  60. Unlike
  61. Versus
  62. With
  63. With reference to
  64. With regard to
  65. Worth

Prepositions with Examples

Prepositions in Sentences

The following are some examples of prepositions being used in sentences. There is one example for each category of preposition we include in the list of prepositions below.

That happened during the 1900s.

This is a preposition that shows how the event relates to time. Prepositions of time have a lot of overlap with adverbs, and many words are listed as both adverbs and prepositions.

The ball is on the box.

This preposition shows where the ball is in relation to the box. It is a preposition of place.

He ran around the corner.

This preposition tells how he moved in relation to the corner. It is a preposition of movement or direction.

She wrote the paper with Sarah.

This preposition tells the manner in which the paper was written in relation to these two people. This category is a little more open, and it’s named differently according to who you consult. It primarily focuses on how people or things relate to functioning together. This category of prepositions often includes words that are also conjunctions.

More examples of prepositions:

– about: She was talking about her trip to Paris.

– above: The birds were flying above the clouds.

– across: We walked across the bridge to get to the other side.

– after: We went to the movies after dinner.

– against: The soccer team played against their rivals.

– along: We took a scenic drive along the coast.

– among: The children played among the trees in the park.

– around: The dog ran around the backyard chasing its tail.

– at: We met at the coffee shop for a quick chat.

– before: We need to finish our work before the deadline.

– behind: The car was driving behind us on the highway.

– below: The fish swam below the surface of the water.

– beneath: The treasure was hidden beneath the sand.

– beside: She sat beside her best friend during the movie.

– between: The cat was hiding between the two pillows on the couch.

– beyond: The mountain range was beyond the horizon.

– by: The book was written by Jane Austen.

– concerning: The meeting was about the new policy concerning vacation time.

– despite: Despite the bad weather, we still went for a hike.

– down: The leaves fell down from the trees in the autumn.

– during: We learned a lot during our trip to Japan.

– except: Everyone was invited to the party except for Mark.

– for: She bought a gift for her sister’s birthday.

– from: The package was shipped from China.

– in: He was born in New York City.

– inside: The cat was hiding inside the box.

– into: The bird flew into its nest in the tree.

– like: She danced like a ballerina on stage.

– near: The store was located near the train station.

– of: The color of the sky was blue.

– off: The plane took off from the runway.

– on: She placed the book on the table.

– onto: He climbed onto the roof to fix the shingles.

– out: The fire went out after we poured water on it.

– outside: The children played outside in the park.

– over: The plane flew over the mountains.

– past: We drove past the gas station without stopping.

– regarding: She received an email regarding her job application.

– round: We walked round the block to get some exercise.

– since: She has been working at the company since 2015.

– through: We walked through the tunnel to get to the other side.

– throughout: The festival lasted throughout the weekend.

– to: She gave a present to her mother for Mother’s Day.

– toward: The car was driving toward the city center.

– under: The cat was hiding under the bed.

– underneath: The keys were underneath the pile of papers.

– until: We waited until the store opened to buy our groceries.

– up: He climbed up the ladder to reach the top shelf.

– upon: The prince rode upon his white horse into the sunset.

– with: He cooked dinner with his girlfriend.

Prepositions of Place with Examples

Learn the preposition words list with pictures, meanings, and example sentences.

In

List of Prepositions in English 1

Meaning: Indicates the location of someone or something within a specific container, place, or area.

Example: The basketball is in the box.

On

List of Prepositions in English 2

Meaning: Used to indicate when an object is touching or supported by a surface.

Example: The basketball is on the box.

Under

List of Prepositions in English 3

Meaning: Refers to something being in a lower position or covered by something else.

Example: The basketball is hiding under the box.

Next to

List of Prepositions in English 4

Meaning: Something is situated closer to the front than another thing or person.

Example: There is a basketball next to the box.

Between

List of Prepositions in English 5

Meaning: Indicates a position in the middle of two objects or places.

Example: The basketball is hiding between the two boxes.

Among

List of Prepositions in English 6

Meaning: Refers to being in the midst of other people or things.

Example: The basketball is hiding among the boxes.

In front of

List of Prepositions in English 7

Meaning: Indicates something is located ahead of someone or something else.

Example: The basketball is situated in front of the box.

Behind

List of Prepositions in English 8

Meaning: Indicates something is located at the back of something else is “behind.”

Example: The basketball is hiding behind the box.

Above

List of Prepositions in English 9

Meaning: Indicates that something is in a position higher than something else.

Example: The basketball is above the box.

Below

List of Prepositions in English 10

Meaning: Indicates something is positioned at a lower level than another object.

Example: The basketball is below the box.

Near

List of Prepositions in English 11

Meaning: Indicating proximity, but with a slight distinction in distance between the two objects.

Example: The basketball is situated near the box.

Far from

List of Prepositions in English 12

Meaning: Indicates a significant distance between two things.

Example: The basketball is located far from the box.

At

List of Prepositions in English 13

Meaning: Specify the precise location of something or someone.

Example: The basketball is at the door.

Prepositions of Place List
Prepositions of Place List – Created by 7ESL

Prepositions of Movement with Examples

Learn prepositions list with pictures, meaning, and example sentences.

Down

List of Prepositions in English 14

The meaning of the preposition “down” is to move from a higher position to a lower one.

Example: The tennis ball comes down the stairs.

Up

List of Prepositions in English 15

The preposition up is used to show that something is moving from a lower position to a higher one.

Example: The tennis ball goes up the stairs.

Out of

List of Prepositions in English 16

The preposition “out of” indicates a transition from within a space to the exterior of that space.

Example: The basketball bounced out of the box.

Into

List of Prepositions in English 17

The preposition “into” denotes movement from outside to inside a three-dimensional space, often indicating movement towards something and potentially resulting in contact.

Example: The basketball bounced into the box.

Toward

List of Prepositions in English 18

The preposition toward is used to indicate movement, direction, or orientation towards a person, place, or thing.

Example: The basketball is moving toward the box.

Away

List of Prepositions in English 19

The preposition away is used to say that someone leaves a place or person, or stays some distance from a place or person.

Example: The basketball is rolling away from the box.

Past

List of Prepositions in English 20

The word “past” is a preposition that indicates movement beyond or at the far side of something.

Example: The basketball has rolled past the box.

Over

List of Prepositions in English 21

The preposition “over” is typically used to describe movement from one side of a place to another, particularly on two-dimensional surfaces like lawns or tables, or to indicate something positioned on the opposite side of a line such as a river or a bridge.

Example: The basketball bounced over the box.

Onto

List of Prepositions in English 22

The preposition onto is often used to indicate movement towards or onto a specific location.

Example: The tennis ball bounced onto the box.

Off

List of Prepositions in English 23

The preposition “off” is used to indicate movement away from something.

Example: The tennis ball gets off the box.

Around

List of Prepositions in English 24

The preposition around indicates moving in a circular direction along the edge of something.

Example: The tennis ball goes around the box.

Under

List of Prepositions in English 25

The preposition under indicates a motion beneath the surface of an object.

Example: The basketball is moving under the box.

Along

List of Prepositions in English 26

The preposition “along” has multiple uses, including indicating movement along a line, indicating a specific position in relation to a line, or indicating when things are positioned in a line.

Example: The tennis ball is rolling along the road.

Across

List of Prepositions in English 27

The preposition across is used to indicate a position that extends from one place to another or from one side to the other.

Example: The tennis ball is rolling across the street.

Through

List of Prepositions in English 28

The preposition “through” is commonly used to describe movement from one point to another or from one end to the other.

Example: The tennis ball goes through the tunnel.

Preposition List
Preposition List – Created by 7ESL

Prepositions List | Video