Introduction
‘Preposition’ as a part of speech that carries great importance in a sentence as it shows relationships of different words like nouns, pronouns, or verbs are related to other words in a sentence.
Example:
The bowl is on the shelf.
The metro train is passing through the tunnel.
Kinds of Prepositions
Simple Prepositions:
They include at, by, for, in, of, off, on, out, through, till, to, up, with, etc.
Compound Prepositions:
These are usually formed by prefixing a preposition (a or be) to a noun, adjective, or adverb.
These include about, across, along, amidst, among, amongst, around, before, behind, beneath, beside, between, beyond, inside, outside, underneath, within, without, etc.
Phrasal/ Group Prepositions:
These are formed by joining two or more words.
These include phrases like according to, in accordance with, in place of, agreeable to, in addition to, in reference to, along with, on behalf of, in regard to, away from, in case of, in spite of, because of, in comparison to, instead of, by dint of, etc.
Participle Prepositions:
When present participles are used without any noun or pronoun attached to them, these are called participle prepositions.
These include barring, concerning, passing, considering, during, notwithstanding, pending, regarding, respecting, touching, etc.
Functions of Various Types of Prepositions
Prepositions can be grouped based on their functions.
Prepositions of Place.
Prepositions of Time.
Prepositions of Cause/ Purpose.
Prepositions of Agency.
Prepositions of Measure/ Value.
Prepositions of Relationship.
Prepositions of Support/ Opposition.
Prepositions of Directions.
Use of Prepositions
There are many uses of Prepositions, and they are as follows.
Prepositions are used to join a noun or a pronoun with another expression or word in a sentence.
Example:
The bowl is on the shelf. (a noun/ pronoun)
He is very good at Hindi. (an adjective)
I agree with you. (A verb)
He writes well for his age. (an adverb)
I cannot make out what he says. (a clause )
Prepositions are placed before their objects (noun/ pronoun). Sometimes they have more than one object.
Example:
The doll is on the floor.
He is in the office.
The carpet is beneath the table.
Raj is hiding under the bed.
She is fond of mangoes, bananas, and apples.
Sometimes prepositions appear to have no nouns or pronouns as their object at the end of a clause or sentence.
Example:
What are you talking about? (What — question )
This is the novel that I have been looking for. ( relative clause)
I know the lady whom you were talking to. ( relative clause)
Who was the book written by? (passive)
There was no seat to sit on. (infinitive)
What a dreadful disease he is suffering from! (exclamation)
Preposition of Place is used to denote the exact point of the place.
Example:
The fruit seller sits at the corner of the street.
My grandparents live in a village.
I was playing on the terrace.
There is a shelf over the fireplace.
The dog is hiding under the table.
His marks are below average.
Preposition of Time is used to denote time or time period.
Example:
He will return at dawn.
I go to school in the morning.
I drink hot coffee on a winter morning.
We went to Jaipur during our vacation.
I am working since morning.
The workers work from morning till noon.
Prepositions for Transport and Communication and mode of payment are used when we talk about transportation and communication in a sentence.
Example:
We go to school by bus.
He talked to his friend over the telephone.
We make payments to our staff by cheque.
I want payment in cash.
He heard the news on the radio.
Participle Prepositions are made of present participles of some verbs. There are no nouns or pronouns attached to this kind of preposition.
Example:
Considering the quality, the price is not high.
Regarding your inquiry, we assure you of timely service.
Respecting what you propose, we will work on the purpose.
We use prepositions + gerund after some Verbs and Adjectives.
Example:
They absented themselves from voting.
He insisted on my going there.
He aimed at 100% score.
I am confident about my exams.
I am proud of my brother.
Solved Solutions
Q1. What are the different kinds of prepositions?
Ans. Different kinds of prepositions are simple prepositions, compound prepositions, group prepositions, and participle prepositions.
Q2. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions.
The guard knocked ____________ the door.
Suddenly the dog jumped _____________ the pool.
He was standing ____________ the pillar.
We reached the platform ____________ time.
He sat ____________ Dilip and Ramesh.
The officer presided ____________ the meeting.
The people have been waiting at the bus stop _________ 7 o’clock.
There is a bus stop ___________ front of the mall.
We will finish our homework __________ an hour.
He used to live _________ Bangalore.
Solutions:
The guard knocked at the door.
Suddenly the dog jumped into the pool.
He was standing beside the pillar.
We reached the platform on time.
He sat between Dilip and Ramesh.
The officer presided over the meeting.
The people have been waiting at the bus stop since 7 o’clock.
There is a bus stop in front of the mall.
We will finish our homework in an hour.
He used to live in Bangalore.
Q3. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions from the options given.
Early rising is beneficial ________ health.
(i) into (ii) at (iii) for (iv) to
Many people are still ignorant _________ the moon.
(i) with (ii) at (iii) for (iv) of
My sister is good ________ mathematics.
(i) to (ii) at (iii) for (iv) into
We were surprised __________ the news.
(i) to (ii) at (iii) by (iv) with
They got some success _______ their first attempt.
(i) in (ii) at (iii) for (iv) in
There is no room _________ a lot of luggage.
(i) with (ii) at (iii) to (iv) for
One is sure _______ what one sees.
(i) to (ii) of (iii) for (iv) with
You should not be rude _________ them.
(i) to (ii) at (iii) for (iv) with
They have been nice _______ me.
(i) at (ii) with (iii) for (iv) to
We should have sympathy ________ the poor.
(i) to (ii) at (iii) for (iv) with
Solutions:
Early rising is beneficial to health.
Many people are still ignorant of the moon.
My sister is good at Mathematics.
We were surprised by the news.
They got some success in their first attempt.
There is no room for a lot of luggage.
One is sure of what one sees.
You should not be rude to them.
They have been nice to me.
We should have sympathy for the poor.
