Correct use of some prepositions

The preposition to is used to express movement towards a place.

I went to the market.

Let’s go to the park.

I’m going to the doctor’s office this afternoon.

He walks to work.

The prepositions toward and towards can also express movement. Note that toward and towards are interchangeable and hence you can use whichever sounds better to you.

She walked toward(s) the post office.

I saw her hurrying toward(s) me.

The word toward(s) is used to indicate the direction in which somebody/something is going, facing or looking.

She was standing with her back towards the wall.

No preposition is used with the words uptown, downtown, home, outside, inside, downstairs and upstairs.

He went upstairs. (NOT He went to upstairs.)

Let’s go home. (NOT Let’s go to home.)

‘Where is Ram?’ ‘He went outside ten minutes ago.’

Prepositions of Time: for and since

Use for when you measure time. Example: for two years / two months / two hours etc.

They played cricket for two hours.

I have lived here for ten years.

Use since with a specific date or time.

I have known him since 1995.

I have been waiting for a bus since four-thirty.

Prepositions with nouns

There are several word combinations with prepositions.

Here is a list of common noun + preposition combinations.

Approval of, belief in, awareness of, concern for, grasp of, desire for, confusion about, fondness for, need for, hatred of, hope for, reason for, interest in, love of, participation in, respect for, success in, understanding of