Most Commonly Used Prepositions in English Grammar

As we know that most of common prepositions in English grammar shows relationships of time, location or direction. Given below are the some most commonly used prepositions in English grammar.

1)      Above, Over:- Above shows a higher place, position, rank, quantity, Over shows that something has been put higher than something else;

i)                    It weighs above ten tons.          (greater in weight)

ii)                   His conduct is above praise.

iii)                 The overseen was set over the workers to supervise their work.

iv)                 Everyone needs a roof over his head.

Over also suggest other relations:-

i)                    They heard the news over the radio.

ii)                   The temperature was over 110 degrees. (more than)

2)      About, Around: - About shows the direction here and there without being specific. Round or around has largely replaced about in the sense of movement here and there.

i)                    Books were lying about everywhere in his room.

ii)                   Tell me about but took place there.

iii)                 He wrote a book about sociology.

iv)                 The members sat around the table.

3)      At, In:- Normally ‘at’ is used with names of small towns and places, ‘in’ is used with the names of big cities and countries. ‘At’ is also used to show a spot or a position in time or space.

i)                    They are sitting at the table.

ii)                   He lives at Shimla.

iii)                 He was born at Ambala.

‘At’ is used for a point of time and ‘in’ is used for the period of time.

i)                    I shall leave the collage at 5 o’clock in the morning.

Note: - ‘In’ is used with morning, evening, afternoon, and ‘at’ is used with noon, night, daybreak, sunset.

ii)                   He will come back in the evening.

iii)                 Take rest at night.

4)      In, Within:- ‘in’ denotes the close or end of some period, while ‘within’ denotes sometime short of the close or ‘in’ denotes after the laps of a future period of time and ‘within’ denotes before the laps of a future period of time.

i)                    I shall come back in a day or two.

ii)                   I shall return in four days.

iii)                 I shall return within four days.

5)      In, Into:- ‘In’ denotes position of inside a thing, while ‘into’ denotes motion toward the inside of a thing.

i)                    He was sitting in the room.

ii)                   Water in the well is dirty.

iii)                 He ran into the room.

6)      Between, Among:- ‘between’ is used for two persons or things and ‘among’  for more than two persons and things.

i)                    The two friends divided the money between themselves.

ii)                   All the friends started quarreling among themselves.

7)      At, On:- ‘at’ expresses proximity in place, while ‘on’ shows a state of rest on the upper surface of a things. ‘At’ does not indicate movement. It is used to show a spot or position in time or space.

i)                    They are sitting at the table.

ii)                   Who is knocking at the door?

iii)                 He is slanding on the roof of the house.

‘At’ can be used to indicate words, actions, ideas which cause a feeling or behavior.

8)      Since, for, from:- Since denotes point of time and for denotes period of time. Since & for must be preceded by a verb in perfect tense or in perfect continues tense. From is preceded by a verb in the indefinite tense.

i)                    I have known him since 1960.

ii)                   I have known him for 10 years.