preposition

preposition — noun

1. a small word like in, on, at, to, from, or with that goes before a noun, noun ph

1.nounB1
Definition

a small word like in, on, at, to, from, or with that goes before a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun and links it to the rest of the sentence to show ideas such as place, time, direction, or method.

Example

In the sentence 'The cat is on the table,' the word 'on' is a preposition.

classic example: preposition introduces a place phrase

Maya told her students that 'before,' 'after,' and 'during' are prepositions of time.

preposition + noun phrase showing time

Common collocations
  • preposition of place
  • preposition of time
  • preposition of direction
  • prepositional phrase
  • end a sentence with a preposition

Grammar Patterns

preposition + noun phrase

preposition + pronoun

Usage Note

Always followed by a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase as its object; cannot stand alone or take a finite clause directly. The preposition plus its object together form a 'prepositional phrase' that works as one unit in the sentence.

Common Mistakes

I am good in math.
I am good at math.
different adjectives select different prepositions; learn each pair as a chunk.
She arrived to Taipei on Monday.
She arrived in Taipei on Monday.
'arrive' takes 'in' for cities and countries, 'at' for smaller places.

Word family

  • prepositional
    adjectiveB2
  • prepositionally
    adverbC1

Common collocations

Nouns

  • preposition of place
  • preposition of time
  • preposition of direction
  • prepositional phrase
  • list of prepositions

Phrases

  • end a sentence with a preposition
  • use the wrong preposition
  • common prepositions in English

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

Borrowed into English in the late 14th century from Latin 'praepositio,' literally 'a placing before,' from 'prae' (before) plus 'positio' (a placing). The Latin term itself was a translation of the Greek grammatical term 'prothesis.' The name reflects the typical position of these words in Latin and English: standing in front of the noun they govern.