FAQ: frequently asked preposition list questions

What are the 150 English prepositions?
It is not possible to produce a definitive list of English prepositions. That means that nobody can create a list of prepositions and say: “Here are all the prepositions in the English language – no more and no fewer.” Why? Because complex prepositions can theoretically be added to the language at any time. But in general, and of practical value to people learning English, we can say that there are 94 one-word prepositions (which are unlikely to change or be added to) and 56 complex prepositions (which may possibly be added to as the language evolves). This makes a total of 150 prepositions which represents all the prototypical prepositions currently found in a good English dictionary. Examples of one-word prepositions are before, into and on. Examples of complex prepositions (phrases of two or more words that function like one-word prepositions) are according to, but for and in spite of. Lists of 250 or even more prepositions can be found on the internet, but these lists are usually misclassifying adverbs like beforehand, home and northwards as so-called “intransitive prepositions”.

What are the 10 most common English prepositions?
The ten most common prepositions are: of, in, to, for, with, on, at, from, by, about

What are the 20 most common English prepositions?
In addition to the previous list, here are ten more common prepositions: as, into, like, through, after, over, between, out, against, during

How many English prepositions are there?
For all practical purposes we can say that there are 150 prepositions divided between:

• 94 one-word prepositions such as before, into, on (which are unlikely to change or be added to)
• 56 complex prepositions such as according to, but for, in spite of (which may possibly be added to as the language evolves)

What are 50 examples of prepositions in a sentence?
Here are 50 examples of prepositions in sentences:

1. The cat is on the table.
2. I live in a house.
3. She walked through the park.
4. He hid behind the tree.
5. The book is under the bed.
6. They sat beside each other.
7. The ball rolled across the floor.
8. The keys are in your bag.
9. I’ll meet you at the library.
10. The bird flew above the clouds.
11. The pencil is in your hand.
12. She walked along the beach.
13. He put the gift inside the box.
14. We’ll have a picnic by the river.
15. The cat jumped onto the chair.
16. The fish swim below the surface.
17. The flowers are in front of the house.
18. The car is parked near the building.
19. He lives next to the school.
20. The butterfly landed on the flower.
21. The sun sets behind the mountains.
22. She’s standing between two friends.
23. The paper is on top of the desk.
24. We went inside the cave.
25. The airplane flew over the city.
26. They’ll arrive after lunch.
27. The painting is hanging on the wall.
28. The ball bounced off the wall.
29. The pizza is for you.
30. The dog ran around the yard.
31. She’s looking at the stars.
32. He fell down the stairs.
33. The cookies are in the jar.
34. We’ll go to the movies.
35. The spider crawled up the wall.
36. The bookshelf is full of books.
37. They’re playing in the park.
38. The keys are inside the drawer.
39. The picture is behind the sofa.
40. The plane landed safely on the runway.
41. The store is across the street.
42. He’s waiting by the door.
43. The cat jumped off the table.
44. She’ll be home by 6 o’clock.
45. The car is parked in the garage.
46. The bus stopped at the station.
47. The pizza was delivered to our house.
48. The birds are flying above the trees.
49. The toy is on the shelf.
50. We’ll meet you at the restaurant.

What are the 8 types of preposition?
There aren’t specific “types” of prepositions, but prepositions can be categorized based on their usage. Some common categories include:

• prepositions of time (before, after)
• prepositions of place (in, on)
• prepositions of direction (to, from)

Do I need to memorize all prepositions?
It’s helpful to familiarize yourself with common prepositions, but you don’t need to memorize every preposition. Learning prepositions in context and practising their usage through reading and conversation is more effective than rote memorization.

What are the common rules of prepositions?
Some common rules for using prepositions include:

• Use in for months and years (in January, in 2023).
• Use on for days and dates (on Monday, on May 1st).
• Use at for specific times (at 3 o’clock, at noon).
• Use to for indicating direction (I’m going to the store).
• Use with to show accompaniment (She went with her friends).

Prepositions can also indicate location, possession and more, so it’s essential to learn their various uses in different contexts.