What are Prepositions in Prepositional Phrases?
A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with its object — a noun, pronoun, or gerund (verb + -ing). The whole phrase works as a single unit, usually functioning as an adjective or adverb within the sentence.
Think of a preposition as a connector: it shows the relationship between its object and the rest of the sentence — where something is, when something happens, how it is done, or why.
Structure of Prepositional Phrases
Note: When the object of a preposition is a pronoun, use the object form: me, him, her, us, them, whom — never the subject form. "between you and me" ✓ · "between you and I" ✗
Preposition + (Determiner) + Noun / Pronoun / GerundExamples of prepositional phrases
| Preposition | Object | Full phrase | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| in | the garden | in the garden | The children are playing in the garden. |
| after | dinner | after dinner | We usually watch TV after dinner. |
| by | working hard | by working hard | She succeeded by working hard. |
| because of | the rain | because of the rain | The match was cancelled because of the rain. |
| between | us | between us | Let's keep this between us. |
Multi-word prepositions (complex prepositions)
English has many multi-word prepositions — fixed combinations of two or three words that function like a single preposition. These are especially common in formal and written English.
| Multi-word preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in front of | at the forward position of | Park in front of the building. |
| on top of | above / covering | The bag is on top of the wardrobe. |
| out of | from inside to outside; from a supply | She walked out of the office. |
| instead of | in place of; as a substitute | Use olive oil instead of butter. |
| because of | as a result of; caused by | Cancelled because of rain. |
| due to | caused by (more formal) | Delayed due to technical issues. |
| thanks to | because of (positive cause) | Passed the exam thanks to your help. |
| according to | as stated by; based on | According to the report, sales rose. |
| in spite of | despite; regardless of | She smiled in spite of the pain. |
| in addition to | as well as; besides | In addition to the salary, you get a bonus. |
| on behalf of | representing; in the name of | She signed on behalf of the company. |
| as a result of | because of; following from | He resigned as a result of the scandal. |
Key adjective + preposition collocations
These adjective + preposition pairs are tested frequently at B1–B2 level. Learn them as fixed phrases, not as individual words.
| Adjective + Preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| good at | She's really good at drawing. |
| bad at | I'm terrible at maths. |
| interested in | Are you interested in art? |
| bored with / of | I'm getting bored with this game. |
| afraid of | He's afraid of heights. |
| proud of | We're very proud of you. |
| responsible for | Who is responsible for this? |
| excited about | They're excited about the holiday. |
| worried about | She's worried about her results. |
| surprised at / by | I was surprised at his reaction. |
| tired of | He's tired of waiting. |
| similar to | This is very similar to the original. |
| different from | Your plan is different from mine. |
| famous for | Paris is famous for its food. |
When to Use Each
As an adverbial — modifying a verb
The phrase tells us when, where, how, or why the action happens. It modifies the verb, just as an adverb would. These phrases are extremely common and can often move to the front of the sentence for emphasis.
- She waited at the bus stop for twenty minutes.
- The meeting starts at nine o'clock.
- He drives with great care.
- Because of the traffic, we arrived late.
- They travelled by train all the way to Barcelona.
As an adjective — modifying a noun
The phrase describes a noun, answering the question "which one?" or "what kind?". It always follows the noun it modifies (unlike most adjectives, which come before the noun).
- The book on the shelf belongs to me.
- She's looking for an apartment with two bedrooms.
- The man in the blue coat is my uncle.
- We need a solution to this problem.
After adjectives — fixed collocations
Many English adjectives require a specific preposition when a complement follows. These are fixed collocations — the preposition is part of the expression and must be memorised. Using the wrong preposition is one of the most frequent errors at B1 level.
- She is very good at maths.
- Are you interested in history?
- He's afraid of spiders.
- We're responsible for this project.
- I'm excited about the trip.
- She was surprised at the news.
After verbs — phrasal meaning
Many verbs are followed by a preposition + object to create a prepositional verb. The preposition is grammatically required; leaving it out changes the meaning or makes the sentence ungrammatical. Like adjective collocations, these must be learnt as fixed phrases.
- Can you look at this for me?
- She's been waiting for the results all week.
- We agree with your decision.
- He apologised for his behaviour.
- I believe in second chances.
- They depend on good weather for the harvest.
Place and position
These phrases say where something or someone is located. Common prepositions: at, in, on, under, above, behind, in front of, next to, between, among, opposite, beside.
- The keys are on the kitchen table.
- She stood in front of the mirror.
- There's a café between the bank and the post office.
- He lives opposite the park.
Time
These phrases say when something happens. The choice of preposition depends on the type of time reference: at for exact times and specific occasions, on for days and dates, in for longer periods, and others like during, before, after, by, until, since, for for additional nuances.
- The train leaves at 7:45.
- We'll see you on Friday morning.
- It happened in the summer of 2019.
- She studied during the flight.
- Please finish this by the end of the week.
Movement and direction
These phrases say where something moves — towards a destination, away from an origin, or along a path. Common prepositions: to, into, onto, out of, away from, toward(s), through, across, along, past, around, up, down.
- She walked into the room quietly.
- The cat jumped onto the sofa.
- We drove through the tunnel.
- He ran across the road without looking.
Manner and means
These phrases say how something is done or the means used. Common prepositions: by, with, without, in, like.
- She travels by bus every day.
- He opened the door with a key.
- They completed the project without any help.
- Please answer in full sentences.
- She listened with great attention.
Reason and cause
These phrases explain why something happened or why something exists. Common expressions: because of, due to, thanks to, as a result of, on account of, out of, from.
- The flight was delayed because of bad weather.
- She resigned due to health reasons.
- He was shaking out of fear.
- Thanks to your advice, I got the job.
- Several schools closed as a result of the storm.
Key Expressions
Preposition vs Adverb
Many words — in, out, up, down, on, off, inside, outside, before, after — can be either a preposition or an adverb depending on whether they have a noun object. If there is a noun object, it is a preposition and forms a prepositional phrase. If there is no noun object, it is an adverb.
Preposition (+ noun object)
She waited inside the building.
"Inside" is a preposition here — "the building" is the object of the preposition.
Adverb (no noun object)
Please come inside.
"Inside" is an adverb here — there is no object after it. It modifies the verb "come".
Preposition (+ noun object)
He arrived before the others.
"Before" has an object ("the others") → preposition.
Adverb (no noun object)
Have you met her before?
"Before" has no object → adverb.
Common Mistakes
Wrong preposition after an adjective
✗ She is very interested at history.
✓ She is very interested in history.
Adjective–preposition collocations are fixed. "Interested" always pairs with "in". There is no logical rule — you need to memorise each pairing. When in doubt, check a learner's dictionary.
Adding a preposition after a transitive verb that doesn't need one
✗ Let's discuss about the problem.
✓ Let's discuss the problem.
"Discuss" is a transitive verb — its object follows directly without a preposition. Other verbs that catch learners out: mention, emphasise, reach, enter, approach. Compare: "We talked about the problem." — "talk" requires "about".
Using the wrong preposition with "wait"
✗ I've been waiting to your reply.
✓ I've been waiting for your reply.
"Wait for" (something / someone) means to remain until something arrives. "Wait to" is used before an infinitive verb: "I'm waiting to see the doctor." The difference is the object: a noun takes "for", an infinitive takes "to".
Using a base verb instead of a gerund after a preposition
✗ She's thinking about leave her job.
✓ She's thinking about leaving her job.
The object of a preposition must be a noun, pronoun, or gerund — never a base form infinitive. Whenever a verb comes directly after a preposition, it takes the gerund (-ing) form: "interested in learning", "good at cooking", "before leaving".
Confusing "different from" and "different than"
✗ This result is different than what I expected.
✓ This result is different from what I expected.
In standard British English, "different from" is the correct collocation. "Different to" is also accepted informally in British English. "Different than" is common in American English but avoid it in formal writing unless you know your audience expects it.
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