Prepositions are short words that show how one thing relates to another, especially in space, time, cause, or manner. They usually come before a noun or pronoun to form a prepositional phrase, like “in the box” or “after lunch.” The prepositional phrase often adds detail to a sentence by answering where, when, how, or why. Many common prepositions have multiple meanings, so you choose the one that matches the relationship you want to express.

Use place prepositions to describe location and movement. “In” focuses on being inside a space, “on” focuses on a surface, and “at” points to a specific place or point on a map. For movement, “to” shows direction toward a destination, while “from” shows the starting point. These choices often depend on whether you see the location as an enclosed space, a surface, or a point.

Rule	Example
Use in for enclosed spaces	The keys are in my bag.
Use on for surfaces	The phone is on the table.
Use at for a point or specific place	Meet me at the station.
Use to for movement toward a place	She went to the office.
Use from for the starting point	We drove from Boston.

Time prepositions connect actions to moments, days, dates, and longer periods. “At” is used for exact times, “on” for days and dates, and “in” for longer periods like months, years, and seasons. “For” expresses duration, while “during” highlights that something happens within a period. Picking the right one depends on whether you mean a specific point in time or a span of time.

Rule	Example
Use at for clock times	The meeting starts at 9:00.
Use on for days and dates	We leave on Friday.
Use in for months, years, seasons, and longer periods	She was born in 2001.
Use for for duration	I lived there for two years.
Use during for something happening within a period	I fell asleep during the movie.

Some prepositions describe the path an object or person takes. “Into” emphasizes entering an enclosed space, while “out of” emphasizes leaving it. “Across” describes movement from one side to the other, and “through” focuses on movement within something like a tunnel, crowd, or process. These are especially useful when you want to make the direction and path clearer than “to” alone.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
into	movement to the inside of a space	He walked into the room.
out of	movement from inside to outside	She ran out of the house.
across	movement from one side to the other	We swam across the river.
through	movement within and out the other side	They drove through the tunnel.
along	movement following a line or edge	Walk along the beach.

English often needs prepositions to show relative position rather than exact location. “Under” and “over” describe vertical position, while “above” and “below” often sound more neutral and less connected to contact. “Between” is used for two reference points, while “among” is used for a group. “Near” and “by” express closeness, with “by” often sounding slightly more specific or immediate.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
under	lower than, often directly beneath	The cat is under the bed.
over	higher than, often covering or across	A lamp hangs over the table.
above	higher than, not necessarily directly over	The picture is above the sofa.
below	lower than, neutral and general	The temperature is below zero.
between	in the middle of two things	The café is between the bank and the library.
among	in a group of many things	She was sitting among friends.
near	close to, not far away	We live near the park.
by	next to or at the side of	Put the bag by the door.

Prepositions can express reasons and goals. “Because of” introduces a cause, while “due to” is also used for cause but is more formal and often follows a linking verb. “For” can express purpose or intended use, and “to” can express a goal in phrases like “to my surprise” or “to your benefit.” Choosing the right form depends on whether you are explaining a reason, assigning responsibility, or stating an intended function.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
because of	caused by something	The game was canceled because of rain.
due to	caused by, more formal style	The delay was due to traffic.
for	purpose or intended use	This tool is for cutting wood.
to	toward a goal or result in set phrases	To my surprise, he agreed.

Use these prepositions to show how something is done. “By” often introduces a method, especially with transport or a process, while “with” highlights a tool or something used together. “In” can describe the manner, style, or form, such as speaking in a certain language or writing in pencil. The difference is mostly what you want to emphasize: method, instrument, or style.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
by	method or route	I came by train.
with	instrument or accompaniment	She opened it with a key.
in	manner, style, or form	Please reply in writing.
like	similarity in manner or appearance	He talks like a teacher.

Prepositions can connect nouns by showing ownership, origin, or material. “Of” is the most common connector for describing what something belongs to or what it is about. “With” can describe a feature that something has, especially in descriptions. “From” can mark origin, and “by” can mark the creator of something, especially in passive structures.

Rule	Example
Use of to connect something to its owner or topic	The cover of the book is red.
Use with to describe a feature or included part	A house with a garden is expensive.
Use from to show origin	She is from Mexico.
Use by to show the creator or agent	The novel was written by Toni Morrison.

In passive sentences, the focus is on the receiver of the action, not the doer. “By” introduces the agent, meaning who performed the action, but it is often omitted when the agent is unknown or unimportant. “With” can introduce the instrument used to perform the action. This helps you separate the doer from the tool in a clear way.

Rule	Example
Use by for the agent in the passive	The window was broken by a storm.
Omit by when the agent is not important	The documents were signed yesterday.
Use with for the instrument	The window was broken with a rock.

Some prepositions are fixed with certain verbs, adjectives, and nouns, and the meaning can change if you switch them. In many cases, there is no simple logic, so the best approach is to learn the pairing as one unit, like “interested in” or “afraid of.” When you are unsure, check whether the preposition expresses place, time, cause, or method, and then confirm the common pairing. This is one of the main reasons prepositions feel difficult in English.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
interested in	wanting to know about something	I am interested in history.
good at	skilled in an activity	She is good at chess.
afraid of	feeling fear about something	He is afraid of heights.
wait for	stay until something happens or arrives	We are waiting for the bus.
belong to	be owned by someone	This jacket belongs to me.

Common prepositions let you describe where things are, when things happen, and how actions connect to reasons, methods, and relationships. The key is to match the preposition to the relationship you mean, such as point versus period for time, or container versus surface for place. When English uses fixed pairings, learn the word and its preposition together as a single expression. With these patterns, you can choose prepositions more confidently in everyday sentences.