Online Writing Support
              OWS HOME               PARTS OF SPEECH               SENTENCE STRUCTURE               PUNCTUATION             USAGE             SELF-TEACHING UNITS             EXERCISES

             

PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions are words which begin prepositional phrases.

A prepositional phrase is a group of words containing a preposition, a noun or pronoun object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object.

A preposition sits in front of (is “pre-positioned” before) its object.

The following words are the most commonly used prepositions:

about

below

excepting

off

toward

above

beneath

for

on

under

across

beside(s)

from

onto

underneath

after

between

in

out

until

against

beyond

in front of

outside

up

along

but

inside

over

upon

among

by

in spite of

past

up to

around

concerning

instead of

regarding

with

at 

despite

into

since

within

because of

down

like

through

without

before

during

near

throughout

with regard to

behind

except

of

to

with respect to

                                     

         

It is useful to locate prepositional phrases in sentences since any noun or pronoun within the prepositional phrase must be the preposition’s object and, therefore, cannot be misidentified as a verb’s direct object.

To the store is a prepositional phrase.

Store is the object of the preposition to, not the direct object of the verb drove.

           

Car is the direct object of the verb drove.

To the grocery store is a prepositional phrase.

           

NOTE:

A word that looks like a preposition but is actually part of a verb is called a particle.

Held up is a verb meaning “to rob.”

Therefore, up is not a preposition, and bank is not the object of a preposition.

Instead, bank is the direct object of the verb held up.

 

To avoid confusing prepositions with particles, test by moving the word (up) and words following it to the front of the sentence:

                Up the bank four armed men held.

If the resulting sentence does not make sense, then the word belongs with the verb and is a particle, not a preposition.

Note the difference:

The resulting sentence makes sense.  Therefore, up is a preposition.

The resulting sentence does not make sense.  Therefore, up is a particle in this sentence. 

    

The following examples illustrate the difference between prepositions and particles:

     

Some other examples of particles:

give in

turn in

pull through

wore out

broke up

go in for

put in for

bring up

found out

blow up

look up

make up

look over

 

 

For further information on these resources, contact
Margaret L. Benner
benner@towson.edu

copyright  ©2011 Towson University, Writing Support Program. All rights reserved.