A preposition is a word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relation with the other words of the sentence. It is always followed by a noun or pronoun and is never followed by a verb.

Examples:
• The book is on the table.
• She walked through the park.
• We will meet at night.
• He is coming from his office.

Prepositions can be categorized into several types based on their structure. The main types include:

1. Simple Prepositions
2. Compound Prepositions
3. Participle Prepositions
4. Phrase (or Group) Prepositions
5. Double Prepositions

Simple Prepositions are single-word prepositions used to show a relationship between nouns, pronouns, or other parts of a sentence.

Common examples include: at, by, for, from, in, of, off, on, out, through, till, to, up, with.

Examples:
• The girl is in the playground.
• They are going to New Delhi.
• She arrived with her boyfriend.

Compound Prepositions are typically formed by adding a prefix to a word (e.g., 'a' + 'round' = around; 'be' + 'side' = beside) and function as a single preposition.

Common examples include: about, above, across, along, among, around, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, inside, outside, within, without.

Examples:
• She sat beside her father.
• The dog hid behind the sofa.
• Inside the box, there was a gift.
• The cat ran around the tree.

Participle Prepositions are participles (verb forms, typically ending in -ing or -ed) that function as prepositions.

Common examples include: concerning, considering, during, excluding, following, including, pending, regarding.

Examples:
• Concerning the budget, we need to make some cuts.
• Following the instructions, we completed the project.
• Regarding your request, it has been approved.

Phrase Prepositions (or group prepositions) are groups of words that function as a single preposition.

Common examples include: according to, along with, because of, by means of, for the sake of, in addition to, in front of, in place of, in spite of, instead of, on behalf of, with reference to, with regard to.

Examples:
• The girl played in front of the house.
• In spite of the difficulties, she succeeded.
• According to the weather forecast, it will rain tomorrow.

Double Prepositions are formed by combining two simple prepositions to function as a single unit.

Common examples include: from among, from behind, from beneath, into, onto, out of, throughout, upon, from within.

Examples:
• She walked into the room.
• The cat jumped onto the table.
• He emerged from behind the curtain.
• The sound came from within the house.

Prepositions of time are used to indicate when something happens, happened, or will happen. Common prepositions of time include:at, on, in, during, for, since, and by.

The preposition at is used to refer to specific points in time, including:

• Precise times: at 4 o'clock, at 2 PM, at noon
• Parts of the day: at night, at dawn, at sunset
• Holidays (without 'Day'): at Christmas, at Diwali
• Specific expressions: at the moment, at the weekend

Examples:
• The party starts at 7 PM.
• I will see you at lunchtime.

The preposition on is used to refer to specific days and dates, including:

• Days of the week: on Monday, on Saturday
• Specific dates: on June 2nd, on the 15th of May
• Specific days and holidays (with 'Day'): on New Year's Day, on my birthday

Examples:
• We will go shopping on Saturday.
• Her birthday is on the 15th of May.

The preposition in is used for non-specific times during a day, month, season, or year, including:

• Months: in January, in July
• Seasons: in the spring, in winter
• Years and Centuries: in 2024, in the 21st century
• Parts of the day: in the morning, in the evening
• Longer periods: in the past, in the future

Examples:
• The event is in June.
• He was born in 1996.

The preposition during is used to refer to a period of time throughout which an event occurs.

Examples:
• She stayed with us during the winter.
• He was very quiet during the meeting.
• It rained heavily during the night.

The preposition for is used to indicate a duration or period of time.

Examples:
• He has worked here for ten years.
• She studied for two hours.

The preposition since is used to refer to a specific point in the past when an action began.

Examples:
• They have been friends since childhood.
• The shop has been open since 9 AM.

The preposition by is used to indicate a deadline or the latest time something will happen.

Examples:
• The notes must be submitted by Monday.
• She will be home by 8 PM.

Prepositions of place are used to show the location or position of something. Common examples include:at, behind, beside, between, in, near, on, and under.

The preposition on is used to indicate a position on a surface.

Examples:
• The book is on the table.
• She sat on the chair.
• There is a picture on the wall.

The preposition in is used to indicate a location inside an enclosed space or a larger area.

Examples:
• The cat is in the box.
• They are waiting in the car.
• The children are playing in the park.

➤ At is used for:

1. Indicating a specific point or location: (e.g., at the door, at the corner, at home)

Example:- (1) I will meet you _at_ the park. (2) She is standing _at_ the door. (3) The children are playing _at_ the park.

➤ Under is used for:

1. Indicating something is below another object: (e.g., under the table, under the bridge)

Example:- (1) The cat is sleeping _under_ the chair. (2) The dog is sleeping _under_ the car. (3) The keys are _under_ the mat.

➤ Beside is used for:

1. Indicating something is next to another object: (e.g., beside the river, beside the chair)

Example:- (1) The lamp is _beside_ the sofa. (2) She is sitting _beside_ her friend.

➤ Behind is used for:

1. Indicating something is at the back of another object: (e.g., behind the door, behind the car)

Example:- (1) The bike is _behind_ the garage. (2) He is standing _behind_ the curtain.

➤ Between is used for:

1. Indicating something is in the middle of two objects: (e.g., between the trees, between the houses)

Example:- (1) The cat is _between_ the two chairs. (2) The shop is _between_ the bank and the post office.

➤ Near is used for:

1. Indicating proximity or closeness to another object: (e.g., near the park, near the school)

Example:- (1) She lives _near_ the bank. (2) The school is _near_ the post office.

➤ Among is used for:

1. Surrounded by a group of three or more things: (e.g., among the flowers, among the crowd)

Example:- (1) She searched for her keys _among_ the clutter on her desk. (2) The rare bird was spotted _among_ a flock of common pigeons.

These prepositions show the direction or movement of something. Common prepositions of direction/movement include:To, Into, Out of, Onto, Through, Over, Under etc.

➤ To is used for:

1. Indicating movement toward a specific destination.

Example:- (1) We are going _to_ the park. (2) She walked _to_ the temple.

➤ Into is used for:

1. Indicating movement from outside to a point inside (entering a place).

Example:- (1) She walked _into_ the home. (2) She ran _into_ the school.

➤ Out of is used for:

1. Indicating movement from inside to a point outside (exiting a place).

Example:- (1) The cat ran _out of_ the home. (2) She ran _out of_ the school.

➤ Onto is used for:

1. Indicating movement to a surface.

Example:- (1) The cat ran _onto_ the sofa. (2) The bird flew _onto_ the branch.