Read the following sentences:

They were playing in the garden.

He is very fond of his daughter.

She sat on the chair.

In sentence 1, the preposition in shows the relation between the verb playing and the noun garden. In sentence 2, the preposition of shows the relation between the adjective kind and the noun daughter. In sentence 3, the preposition on shows the relation between the verb sat and the noun chair.

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation to some other word in the sentence. Examples are: in, to, with, by, on, from, of, out, across, above etc.

Position of prepositions

The word pre means before. A preposition is usually placed before a noun or pronoun, but sometimes it comes after the word it governs.

Cases when the preposition is placed at the end

A preposition is placed at the end of a sentence when its object is the relative pronoun that.

This is the song that I am very fond of.

We normally put the preposition at the end of a sentence, when its object is an interrogative pronoun.

Who are you talking about?

Phrase prepositions

Phrase prepositions are word groups which function as prepositions. Examples are: in front of, on behalf of, with regard to, in order to, by means of, in spite of.

Relations shown by prepositions

Prepositions show various kinds of relations. The most important among them are:

Place

She sat in a chair.

He ran across the field.

She stood behind him.

Time

We met on a wet Friday.

Wait till tomorrow.

She stayed for a month.

She came at 4 o’clock.

Method and manner

The letter came by post.

He killed the mosquito with a swatter.

They fought with courage.

We can succeed only by hard work.

Reason and purpose

She trembled with rage.

He died of typhoid.

Exercise is good for health.

They fought for freedom.

Possession

Delhi is the capital of India.

I saw a girl with green eyes.

He is a man of principles.

Direction and purpose

He fell into the pit.

She walked towards the door.

He climbed up the stairs.

The earth rotates round the sun.