The Parts of Speech System

Lesson 6: Prepositions — Showing Relationship

Lesson: 6 of 9      Level: 🔵 Beginner

1. Lesson Overview

Prepositions are small words that do an enormous job. They show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence — telling us where something is, when something happens, how something is done, and why. Without prepositions, sentences would lose the precise connections that make meaning clear.

Consider the difference between the scientist worked the laboratory, the scientist worked in the laboratory, and the scientist worked outside the laboratory. The noun and verb remain the same — but the preposition changes the meaning entirely.

This lesson introduces the preposition — what it is, how it works, and the main categories it falls into. The use of dependent prepositions with adjectives, verbs, and nouns is explored in greater depth in Module 16.

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Define a preposition and identify prepositions in sentences
• Distinguish between the main types of prepositions in English
• Understand how prepositions function within a sentence
• Recognise and correct common errors in preposition usage

2. Core Content

A. Defining a Preposition

A preposition is a word — or group of words — that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another element in the sentence. The noun or pronoun that follows a preposition is called the object of the preposition, and together they form a prepositional phrase.

Consider the following sentences:

The summit of Mount Everest rises 8,849 metres above sea level. Beneath the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet, liquid lakes have been discovered.

In the first sentence, of connects summit to Mount Everest, and above shows the relationship between the summit and sea level. In the second, beneath and of both show spatial relationships. Each preposition anchors its noun to the rest of the sentence.

B. Types of Prepositions

Prepositions of place

Prepositions of place show where something is located or positioned.

For example:

The International Space Station orbits at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometres above the Earth. Deep beneath the ocean floor, hydrothermal vents support ecosystems that receive no sunlight.

In the first sentence, at and above both show location. In the second, beneath and of define the precise spatial relationship between the vents and the ocean floor.

Prepositions of time

Prepositions of time show when something happens or for how long.

For example:

Neil Armstrong landed on the moon on 20th July 1969. The global average temperature has risen by approximately 1.2°C since the pre-industrial era.

In the first sentence, on is used with a specific date. In the second, since marks the starting point of a period that continues to the present — a use closely associated with the present perfect tense.

Prepositions of movement and direction

Prepositions of movement show where something or someone is going.

For example:

Every year, millions of wildebeest migrate across the Serengeti in search of fresh grazing. Rainwater seeps through layers of rock before emerging as a spring at the valley floor.

In the first sentence, across shows movement over a wide area. In the second, through describes movement within a medium, and at locates the point of emergence.

Prepositions of manner, reason, and purpose

These prepositions explain how, why, or for what purpose something happens.

For example:

The ozone layer was depleted largely because of the widespread use of chlorofluorocarbons. Without fresh water, no known form of life can survive.

In the first sentence, because of introduces the reason for the depletion. In the second, without expresses the condition or absence that makes survival impossible.

Complex prepositions

A complex preposition is a group of two or three words that functions as a single preposition.

For example:

In spite of extreme cold and limited resources, the Antarctic expedition was completed successfully. According to the latest satellite data, the Amazon rainforest lost approximately 11,000 square kilometres of tree cover last year.

In the first sentence, in spite of introduces a contrast between difficult conditions and a successful outcome. In the second, according to attributes the information to a specific source.

C. The Prepositional Phrase

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and its object — the noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that follows it. Prepositional phrases can function as adjectives or adverbs within a sentence.

For example:

The rings of Saturn are composed of ice and rock particles. Penguins in Antarctica huddle together for warmth during blizzards.

In the first sentence, of Saturn is a prepositional phrase functioning as an adjective — it modifies rings. In the second, in Antarctica and for warmth and during blizzards are all prepositional phrases functioning as adverbs, telling us where, why, and when the penguins huddle.

D. Dependent Prepositions

Many adjectives, verbs, and nouns in English are followed by a fixed preposition. These are called dependent prepositions because the choice of preposition depends on the word it follows rather than on meaning alone.

For example:

The destruction of coral reefs has a significant effect on marine biodiversity. Rising temperatures are contributing to the accelerated melting of glaciers worldwide.

In the first sentence, on is the dependent preposition that follows effect. In the second, to follows contributing. These pairings must be learnt as fixed combinations. Module 16 explores dependent prepositions in full detail.

3. Usage in Context

4. Common Errors and Corrections

5. Lesson Mastery

After completing this lesson, you should now be able to:

✅ Define a preposition and identify prepositions in sentences

✅ Distinguish between the main types of prepositions in English

✅ Understand how prepositions function within a sentence

✅ Recognise and correct common errors in preposition usage