Preposition
Preposition is a word which shows relation between two nouns, between a noun and an adjective, between a noun and a verb or between a pronoun and a verb. The word 'preposition' is thought to be derived from the idea of being positioned before.
In the examples below the words marked as bold show the relationship between the words and are the prepositions.
Preposition Examples:
- The book is on the table.
- The pen is in my hand. I was anxious for the result.
- The cow kicked off the bucket.
- I was waiting for him.
- This book is about cooking.
- The ball is behind the cupboard.
- Put the shoes under the table.
A preposition is normally comes before a noun or a pronoun to show the relationship of noun (or pronoun) to other words in the sentence. Let us see some more examples of preposition:
- The plane is flying above the clouds. (The preposition above shows the relationship between flying and clouds.)
- This is a box for clothes. (The preposition for shows the relationship between box and clothes.)
Generally prepositions are placed between words, but sometimes they are
placed at the end of sentences.
What are you laughing at?
A knife is to cut with.
I have a house to live in.
A word may act differently in different sentences. We are often unable to
determine to what part of speech it belongs until we see it in a sentence.
A word may be used as a noun in one sentence and as a verb in another. The most
important fact about a word is its function or use in a particular sentence.
Gardeners water plants but a lot of water is wasted. (verb - noun)
Don't go near the fire. (adverb)
My house is near the park. (preposition)
You can also get a comprehensive list of prepositions for using in your class work and homework.