Most of the following prepositions can be used for both space and movement depending on the meaning of the rest of the sentence.
Above, across, against, along, alongside, among, around, at, away from, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, by (the edge/side of), down, far(away) from, from, as(far)as, in, in back of, in front of, inside of, in the middle of, into, near, next to, off, on, opposite, out, out of, outside, over, past, round, through, throughout, to, towards, underneath, up.
Do not put of after another preposition unless the dictionary shows it. Do not, for example, write off of or behind of. When the of can be used or left out, leave it out.
Many preposition forms can be used as adverbs, but not all of them can. Some of the adverb forms must have another preposition added: Away and far are adverbs, but away from and fa r from are prepositions.
Shirley is waiting outside the door.(Prepositional phrase used adverbially).
Shirley is waiting outside. (adverb).
The prepositional phrase gives more information that the single-word adverb.
Some adverbs are very similar to but not exactly the same as related prepositions.
The taxi was waiting near the hotel. (prepositional phrase)
The taxi was waiting nearby. (adverb)
Learn the set phrases with prepositions of space.
Harriet lives in Denver.(a city)
In Colorado.(a state or province).
On Green Avenue (street without a number)
At 261 Green Avenue(street with a number)
In room 261 or Apartment 210-A(specific room or apartment)
Harriet’s friends live in Canada(country)
At or away from home
On a farm
In a dormitory, apartment, house, student hostel
In poverty, wealth, a city, a suburb, a town, a village
In the South, West(section or region)
The plane landed in Chicago
At O’Hare Airport.
At the Chicago Airport.
Harriet lives at 261 Green Avenue, Denver, Colorado.
The plane landed at O’Hare Airport, Chicago.
We are going to visit our cousin in Denver.
He is in college
At the University
We are going across the Rocky Mountains
Across the Mississippi River
Across the desert
Their house is located on the beach.
On the ocean.
At the shore
In the mountains
On the river, bank, bay, lake
In the deserts.
On the plains.
Note: When you do not put a preposition between different pieces of information about place, use a comma.
Use between to show a location that has two points of reference, but use among to show a location that has more than two points of reference.
Our house is between the house of the Andersons and the house of the Simpsons.
My car is parked among hundreds in the parking lot, between Joe’s car and Cliff’s car.
Use to show directions in some phrases.
Perpendicular to horizontal to the north, south, west, east, next to
But: north, south, east, west.
Note: Compound compass directions made of two words are written as one word and always begin with north or south. Precise definitions for navigation are usually given in degrees.
Northwest, northeast, southeast, southwest, east by northeast, west southwest
Do not capitalize points of the compass when they mean direction.
Prepositions that show space and movement often introduce essential information that tells which one. These phrases are adjective phrases and follow the noun or pronoun they modify.
The buses in the city run every ten minutes.
The houses on the bay were damaged by the hurricane.
Prepositions of Time
After, as late as, before, during, for (+period of time), in, on, prior to, since (+point of time), to, till, until, up to, upon.
Most prepositions of time cannot be used as single-word adverbs in the way that prepositions of space and movement can. After, before, since and until can introduce dependent adverb clauses.
Since can be used as a single-word adverb.
The dogs chased the cat, and the cat has not been seen since.
During, for and since have special uses. During and for are followed by a period of time. During means while the event is in progress. For marks the length of time or an appointed time.
This tree has been here for two hundred years.
Ted will wait for ten minutes; then he will leave.
He waited for an hour.
But: Pat has an appointment for 3:00.
During the 1960s many nations of Africa became independent.
We sat on the grass during the concert in the park. (during the time of the concert).
Since marks the beginning of a period of time. It can be used with a point in time and mean from that time until now. As a preposition since is usually used with the present perfect or the present perfect continuous/progressive tense in the main clause.
Pat has been waiting since 2.30.
Since 1960 many nations of Africa have become independent.
We have been sitting on the grass since 5:00 waiting for the concert to start.
Since finding a new roommate, Martha has been happier.
