List of Prepositional Phrases: Boost Your English Writing Skills

In this article, we’ll be exploring the world of prepositional phrases and how they can be used in writing and speaking. We’ll start by providing a list of common prepositions and their meanings, followed by examples of prepositional phrases in sentences. We’ll also cover some of the more complex prepositions that you might come across, and how to use them correctly.

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner of English, this article is designed to help you improve your vocabulary and writing skills. So, let’s dive in and explore the list of prepositional phrases together!

List of Prepositional Phrases

Contents

Understanding Prepositional Phrases

Definition and Importance

Prepositional phrases are groups of words that begin with a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, or gerund, which is the object of the preposition. They are essential in English grammar and are used to modify a verb, adjective, or noun. Prepositional phrases can also function as adverbs or adjectives in a sentence.

Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. They are usually short words, such as “in,” “on,” “at,” “for,” “with,” “to,” and “from.” Prepositions help clarify the meaning of a sentence by giving information about time, place, direction, manner, and more.

Components of Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase consists of two main components: the preposition and its object. The object of the preposition can be a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause.

Here are some examples of prepositional phrases with their objects:

Preposition	Object
in	the box
on	the table
at	the park
with	my friends
to	the store
from	the airport

Prepositional phrases can also include modifiers, such as adjectives or adverbs, that provide additional information about the object.

Here are some examples of prepositional phrases with modifiers:

Preposition	Object	Modifier
in	the big box	big
on	the red table	red
at	the beautiful park	beautiful
with	my funny friends	funny
to	the nearest store	nearest
from	the crowded airport	crowded

Examples of Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases are used in a wide range of sentences. Here are some examples:

She is sitting on the chair.
The cat is hiding under the bed.
He went to the gym with his friend.
The book is on the shelf.
The children are playing in the park.
The car is parked in the garage.
The flowers are in the vase on the table.
She is walking towards the door.

Learning prepositional phrases is important for developing English language skills. By understanding the components of prepositional phrases, you can better comprehend the meaning of sentences and express your thoughts more clearly.

Common Prepositional Phrases

Prepositions for Time

Prepositions for time are used to indicate when an action occurred. Here are some of the most common prepositions for time:

Preposition	Meaning
at	a specific time
on	a specific day
in	a specific month, year, or season
during	a period of time
for	a duration of time

Here are some examples:

Preposition Phrases	Example Sentence
at night	The stars shine brightly at night.
in the morning	I exercise in the morning before work.
on Tuesday	We have a meeting scheduled on Tuesday.
by the weekend	I need to finish this project by the weekend.
during the summer	During the summer, we like to go hiking.
until midnight	The café stays open until midnight.
before noon	Let’s meet before noon to beat the rush.
after the party	After the party, we all helped clean up.
since last year	I haven’t seen him since last year.
for three hours	She studied for three hours last night.
within a week	Please send the report within a week.
throughout the day	Snacks are available throughout the day.
from dawn to dusk	The festival lasts from dawn to dusk.
between classes	I usually read between classes.
around the clock	The service center operates around the clock.

Prepositions for Place

Prepositions for place are used to indicate where something is located. Here are some of the most common prepositions for place:

Preposition	Meaning
in	inside a specific area
on	on a surface
at	a specific location
by	next to
under	below

Here are some examples:

Preposition Phrases	Example Sentence
on the table	The book is lying on the table.
at the corner	She waited for me at the corner of the street.
in the box	The toys are kept neatly in the box.
under the bridge	We found shelter under the bridge from the rain.
over the hill	The sun rose over the hill.
across the street	The cafe is just across the street.
behind the building	The parking lot is behind the building.
in front of the supermarket	There is a taxi stand in front of the supermarket.
next to the bank	The ATM is located next to the bank.
between the trees	We set up our tent between the trees.
by the lake	They own a small cabin by the lake.
near the school	The library is near the school.
among the flowers	The child was playing among the flowers.
above the clouds	The airplane was flying above the clouds.
below the surface	The submarine dove below the surface of the water.
along the river	We took a walk along the river.
off the coast	The island is situated off the coast.
around the park	They jogged around the park every morning.
through the tunnel	The train goes through the tunnel.
within the walls	The old city was contained within the walls.
underneath the stars	They camped out underneath the stars.
against the fence	The bike was leaning against the fence.
towards the mountains	The road leads towards the mountains.
onto the balcony	Step onto the balcony to see the view.
out of the room	Please take the trash out of the room.

Prepositions for Direction

Prepositions for direction are used to indicate movement or direction. Here are some of the most common prepositions for direction:

Preposition	Meaning
to	towards
from	away from
into	movement inside
out of	movement outside
towards	movement in the direction of

Here are some examples:

Preposition Phrases	Example Sentence
into the room	She walked into the room to join the meeting.
out of the building	The employees rushed out of the building during the drill.
through the forest	They hiked through the forest to reach the clearing.
over the fence	The ball flew over the fence and into the neighbor’s yard.
under the bridge	The ducks swam under the bridge.
around the corner	The store is just around the corner from my house.
past the school	Walk past the school and you’ll see the library.
toward the city	We drove toward the city to see the parade.
from the airport	The shuttle runs from the airport to the hotel.
across the field	The players ran across the field celebrating their win.
along the coastline	We drove along the coastline enjoying the ocean view.
up the hill	The path leads up the hill to a scenic viewpoint.
down the street	My favorite restaurant is down the street on the left.
off the edge	The rock rolled off the edge of the cliff.
onto the highway	Merge onto the highway and continue for ten miles.
into the woods	The trail goes into the woods and becomes more rugged.
out onto the balcony	Step out onto the balcony to get some fresh air.
through the doorway	He stepped through the doorway and into the hall.
over the bridge	The train travels over the bridge every morning.
under the sky	They lay under the sky watching the stars.
around the island	The boat sailed around the island before docking.
past the gate	Drive past the gate and park in the visitors’ area.
toward the mountains	The hikers set off toward the mountains at dawn.
from the top	Water cascaded from the top of the waterfall.
across the room	The cat darted across the room chasing a toy.

Prepositions for Manner

Prepositions for manner are used to describe how something is done. Here are some of the most common prepositions for manner:

Preposition	Meaning
by	using a method
in	using a medium
with	using a tool or instrument

Here are some examples:

Preposition Phrases for Manner	Example Sentence
in silence	They sat in silence, contemplating the news.
by hand	The craftsman shaped the pot by hand with great skill.
on foot	They decided to explore the city on foot.
with ease	She solved the complex puzzle with ease.
in style	They arrived at the gala in style in a stretch limousine.
with enthusiasm	He greeted the new challenge with enthusiasm.
under pressure	The team performed remarkably well under pressure.
at full speed	The sprinter raced at full speed toward the finish line.
in unison	The choir sang in unison, creating a beautiful harmony.
with caution	She approached the wild animal with caution.
by mistake	He took the wrong suitcase by mistake at the airport.
in a hurry	He ate his breakfast in a hurry to catch the early bus.
with precision	The engineer measured the components with precision.
at a glance	I knew at a glance that something was wrong.
with pride	They looked at their completed project with pride.
in secret	The plans were made in secret, away from prying eyes.
without delay	Please send the documents without delay.
on purpose	He ignored the question on purpose.
with care	Handle the fragile items with care.
in a row	She won the championship three times in a row.
by chance	I met an old friend by chance at the supermarket.
with a smile	She greeted everyone with a smile.
in the dark	They fumbled in the dark looking for the light switch.
at random	Numbers were selected at random for the prize draw.
with respect	He treats all his colleagues with respect.

Using Prepositional Phrases in English

In Sentences

Prepositional phrases can be used in a variety of ways in sentences. They can modify verbs, nouns, and adjectives. Here are some examples:

Modifying verbs: She walked to the store.
Modifying nouns: The book on the shelf is mine.
Modifying adjectives: The cake with the chocolate frosting is delicious.

Prepositional phrases can also be used to show location, time, and direction. Here are some examples:

Location: The cat is under the table.
Time: I will meet you at 3 pm.
Direction: He walked towards the park.

In Paragraphs

Prepositional phrases can be used to create coherence and flow in paragraphs. They can help link ideas together and provide additional information. Here are some ways to use prepositional phrases in paragraphs:

To provide additional information: The house, with its red roof and white walls, stood out in the neighborhood.
To show cause and effect: Due to the heavy rain, the roads were flooded.
To compare and contrast: Unlike her sister, she prefers to read non-fiction books.

List of Prepositional Phrases

Here is a list of prepositional phrases for your reference:

Above the clouds	Along the beach	Behind the scenes
Across the street	Among the stars	Below the belt
After the rain	Around the clock	Beneath the surface
Against the wall	At the airport	Beside the river
Along the river	Before the deadline	Between the sheets
Among the flowers	Behind the door	Beyond the pale
Around the world	Below the surface	By the pool
At the beach	Beneath the trees	Down the hall
Before the storm	Beside the point	During the night
Behind the door	Between the lines	Except for you
Below the surface	Beyond the horizon	For the time being
Beneath the trees	By the fireplace	From the beginning
Beside the point	Down the road	In the afternoon
Between the lines	During the day	Inside the box
Beyond the horizon	Except for me	Into the unknown
By the fireplace	For the record	Near the park
Down the road	From the heart	Next to the beach
During the day	In the morning	On the edge
Except for me	Inside the house	Out of the question
For the record	Into the woods	Outside the door
From the heart	Near the ocean	Over the edge
In the morning	Next to me	Past the deadline
Inside the house	On the corner	Through the door
Into the woods	Out of the blue	Throughout the year
Near the ocean	Outside the box	To the right
Next to me	Over the rainbow	Toward the sun
On the corner	Past the point	Under the radar
Out of the blue	Through the window	Until later
Outside the box	Throughout the day	Up the river
Over the rainbow	To the left	With a sigh
Past the point	Toward the future	Without a care
Through the window	Under the bridge	Across the desert
Throughout the day	Until tomorrow	After the show
To the left	Up the stairs	Against the odds
Toward the future	With a smile	Along the path
Under the bridge	Without a doubt	Among the ruins
Until tomorrow	Above the water	Around the bend
Up the stairs	Across the ocean	At the bar
With a smile	After the party	Before the exam
Without a doubt	Against the clock	Behind the wheel
Above the water	Along the path	Below the knee
Across the ocean	Among the ruins	Beneath the waves
After the party	Around the bend	Between the cracks
Against the clock	At the bar	Beyond compare
Along the path	Before the exam	By the sea
Among the ruins	Behind the wheel	Down the river
Around the bend	Below the knee	During the summer
At the bar	Beneath the waves	Except for them
Before the exam	Between the cracks	For the moment
Behind the wheel	Beyond compare

Interactive Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

at the corner
in the area
on the table
under the bridge
over the hill
across the street
behind the building
in front of the store
next to the river
between the trees

The children love to play hide and seek _____________.
You will find my favorite café _____________ from the bookstore.
We left the picnic basket _____________ for our lunch in the park.
The old oak tree stands tall _____________ of Elm Street and Pine Avenue.
During the flood, many people found shelter _____________.
The sun sets _____________, painting the sky with vibrant colors.
We parked our car _____________ because it was full inside the parking lot.
The fisherman cast his line _____________, hoping to catch some trout.
The artist set up her easel _____________, capturing the bustling city life.
The new sculpture was installed _____________, attracting many curious onlookers.

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct prepositional phrase to complete each sentence:

1. The old mansion is located _________.

A) in the area
B) on the hill
C) by the sea
D) at the corner

2. The cat is hiding _________ the couch.

A) under
B) over
C) beside
D) between

3. The books are stacked neatly _________ the shelf.

A) in
B) on
C) at
D) by

4. You can see the stars clearly _________ the city lights.

A) above
B) beyond
C) across
D) through

5. The bakery is right _________ the flower shop.

A) next to
B) in front of
C) behind
D) near

6. The children are playing soccer _________ the schoolyard.

A) in
B) at
C) over
D) by

7. The painting hangs _________ the fireplace.

A) above
B) within
C) against
D) through

8. We found a quiet picnic spot _________ two large oak trees.

A) between
B) beside
C) near
D) against

9. The new statue will be placed _________ the city park.

A) in
B) on
C) at
D) over

10. The tourists took photos _________ the famous monument.

A) in front of
B) next to
C) over
D) within

Answers:

C) by the sea
A) under
B) on
B) beyond
A) next to
A) in
A) above
A) between
A) in
A) in front of

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common prepositions used in prepositional phrases?

Some common prepositions used in prepositional phrases include:

at
by
for
from
in
of
on
to
with

How can I use prepositional phrases to combine sentences?

Prepositional phrases can be used to combine two sentences into one by adding information about the relationship between the two ideas. For example, “I went to the store. I bought some milk.” can be combined into “I went to the store and bought some milk.”

What are some examples of prepositional phrases used as nouns?

Some examples of prepositional phrases used as nouns include:

“In the park” (subject of the sentence: “In the park is where we will have our picnic.”)
“On the table” (object of the sentence: “Put the book on the table.”)
“With a smile” (object of the preposition: “She greeted me with a smile.”

How do I identify prepositional phrases in a sentence?

To identify a prepositional phrase in a sentence, look for a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence “The cat is on the mat”, “on the mat” is a prepositional phrase.

What are the five types of prepositional phrases?

The five types of prepositional phrases are:

Adjective phrase
Adverb phrase
Noun phrase
Prepositional phrase acting as a subject
Prepositional phrase acting as an object

Some common prepositions used in prepositional phrases include:

from

with

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How can I use prepositional phrases to combine sentences?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

Prepositional phrases can be used to combine two sentences into one by adding information about the relationship between the two ideas. For example, \"I went to the store. I bought some milk.\" can be combined into \"I went to the store and bought some milk.\"

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What are some examples of prepositional phrases used as nouns?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

Some examples of prepositional phrases used as nouns include:

\"In the park\" (subject of the sentence: \"In the park is where we will have our picnic.\")

\"On the table\" (object of the sentence: \"Put the book on the table.\")

\"With a smile\" (object of the preposition: \"She greeted me with a smile.\")

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can you provide a list of 100 prepositional phrases?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

Sure! Here are 100 prepositional phrases:

Above the clouds

Across the street

After the rain

Against the wall

Along the river

Among the flowers

Around the world

At the beach

Before the storm

Behind the door

Below the surface

Beneath the trees

Beside the point

Between the lines

Beyond the horizon

By the fireplace

Down the road

During the day

Except for me

For the record

From the heart

In the morning

Inside the house

Into the woods

Near the ocean

Next to me

On the corner

Out of the blue

Outside the box

Over the rainbow

Past the point

Through the window

Throughout the day

To the left

Toward the future

Under the bridge

Until tomorrow

Up the stairs

With a smile

Without a doubt

Above the water

Across the ocean

After the party

Against the clock

Along the beach

Among the stars

Around the clock

At the airport

Before the deadline

Behind the scenes

Below the belt

Beneath the surface

Beside the river

Between the sheets

Beyond the pale

By the pool

Down the hall

During the night

Except for you

For the time being

From the beginning

In the afternoon

Inside the box

Into the unknown

Near the park

Next to the beach

On the edge

Out of the question

Outside the door

Over the edge

Past the deadline

Through the door

Throughout the year

To the right

Toward the sun

Under the radar

Until later

Up the river

With a sigh

Without a care

Above the clouds

Across the desert

After the show

Against the odds

Along the path

Among the ruins

Around the bend

At the bar

Before the exam

Behind the wheel

Below the knee

Beneath the waves

Beside the point

Between the cracks

Beyond compare

By the sea

Down the river

During the summer

Except for them

For the moment

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I identify prepositional phrases in a sentence?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

To identify a prepositional phrase in a sentence, look for a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence \"The cat is on the mat\", \"on the mat\" is a prepositional phrase.

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What are the five types of prepositional phrases?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

The five types of prepositional phrases are:

Adjective phrase

Adverb phrase

Noun phrase

Prepositional phrase acting as a subject

Prepositional phrase acting as an object

"}}]}

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Understanding Prepositional Phrases

Definition and Importance

Components of Prepositional Phrases

Examples of Prepositional Phrases

Common Prepositional Phrases

Prepositions for Time

Prepositions for Place

Prepositions for Direction

Prepositions for Manner

Using Prepositional Phrases in English

In Sentences

In Paragraphs

List of Prepositional Phrases

Interactive Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Frequently Asked Questions

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