List of Prepositions

List of Prepositions

English speakers use prepositions in both formal and everyday communication. Without them, the English language would sound short and choppy. If you have a child starting grammar lessons, read through the list of prepositions and take a quick refresher class on prepositions.

Scroll down to go straight to the big list of prepositions.

Prepositions connect nouns, pronouns, and phrases with other words in a sentence. It gives information about location, direction, space, or time. Prepositions are usually part of a phrase because they often have a noun or pronoun after them. Here are two examples of prepositions in sentences.

The dog jumped over the fence.
I will go to the doctor.

The main job of prepositions is to create relationships between words. How is the dog related to the fence? It jumped over the fence. How am I related to the doctor? I am going to the doctor

Prepositional phrases can also act like adverbs or adjectives. Remember that adverbs describe verbs (actions and being), and adjectives describe nouns and pronouns (ideas, people, places, and things).

As an adverb – The children crossed the street with caution.
The prepositional phrase “with caution” describes the way the children crossed the street.

As an adjective – He lives in the house with the red roof.
The prepositional phrase “with the red roof” describes the house in a specific way.

Children will see prepositions in their early reader books. In Kindergarten and first grade, children are focused on word recognition and reading skills. Basic sentence structure is taught, but it is too early for children that young to learn parts of speech. Below is a list of prepositions new readers can recognize easily:

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List of Basic Prepositions

Preposition Starter List

as
at
but
by
down
for
from
in
into
like
near
next
of
off
on
onto
out
over
past
plus
minus
since
than
to
up
with

As children develop their reading skills, they will learn the spelling and definitions of more complex words. They are introduced to prepositions and other parts of speech between the second and fourth grade. The following list shows some more advanced prepositions:

List of Advanced Prepositions

More Advanced Preposition List

aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
around
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
during
except
following
inside
minus
onto
opposite
outside
round
since
through
toward
under
underneath
unlike
until
upon
without

Compound Prepositions

Older elementary and middle school students are exposed to a variety of prepositions. This includes compound words and single words used in complex sentences.

Examples of Compound Prepositions

according to
along with
alongside
among
apart from
as for
atop
because of
by means of
concerning
despite
except for
in addition to
in back of
in case of
in front of
in place of
in spite of
instead of
on top of
out of
regarding
throughout
till
up to
via
within
worth

Of course, the English language is full of exceptions. Some prepositions seem to break the rules, yet make sense in everyday language. These are called idioms. A few common examples include the following:

List of Idioms

according to
capable of
familiar with
impatient with
rewarded for
superior to

Prepositions are not always easy to identify in spoken and written language. However, they play a big part in making the English language colorful and interesting. Use this list of prepositions as a quick guide to help your student learn about prepositions.