The 4 kinds of prepositions look to identify the prepositions as, simple, compound, phrasal and participial and how they function as adjectives and adverbs in English sentences.

Prepositions of Place: at, in, on

Here is a list of commonly used prepositions: above, across, against, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, by, down, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, to, toward, under, upon, with and within.

Some examples of common prepositions used in sentences are:

• He sat on the chair.
• There is some milk in the fridge.
• She was hiding under the table.
• The cat jumped off the counter.
• He drove over the bridge.
• She lost her ring at the beach.
• The book belongs to Anthony.
• They were sitting by the tree.

A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object. Some examples of prepositions are words like “in,” “at,” “on,” “of,” and “to.”

Any one could fit, depending on the intended meaning. In the sentence The book is on the table, the word on is a preposition and the word table is called the object of the preposition, or the noun that on refers to. The phrase on the table is called a prepositional phrase, telling where the book is located.

There is sometimes confusion over the words “to” and “too.” The word “to” has two uses. The one covered on this page is its use as a preposition. All the uses of “too” and “to” are shown in the lesson the difference between “to” and “too. Using “to” as a preposition is extremely common.

Because is a preposition that is sometimes used with no complement, sometimes (in the new usage that the ADS has just recognized) with an noun phrase complement, sometimes (much more commonly) with an of-PP complement , and sometimes with a clause.

Just like many words in the English language, the word ”very” also serves a double function. It can be used as an adverb or an adjective depending on the context. This word is categorized as an adverb if it is used to modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb in a particular sentence.

It’s not an error to end a sentence with a preposition, but it is a little less formal. In emails, text messages, and notes to friends, it’s perfectly fine. But if you’re writing a research paper or submitting a business proposal and you want to sound very formal, avoid ending sentences with prepositions.

Of is a preposition that indicates relationships between other words, such as belonging, things made of other things, things that contain other things, or a point of reckoning. Off is usually used as an adverb or a preposition.

We use since as a preposition, a conjunction and an adverb to refer to a time, and as a conjunction to introduce a reason. … We use since to refer back to a previous point in time. We use since as a preposition with a date, a time or a noun phrase: …

Since can be used in the following ways:

1. as a preposition (followed by a noun): Everything has changed so much since last spring.
2. as an adverb (without a following noun): She left home in 1993 and hasn’t been seen since.
3. as a conjunction (connecting two clauses): Paul’s had several different jobs since he left school.

The word like exhibits several different grammatical properties. It can be used as a preposition, a conjunction, an adjective or an adverb.

Behind can be used in the following ways: as a preposition (followed by a noun): The car behind us was flashing its lights. as an adverb (without a following noun): I stayed behind to look after the children.

Long is an adjective or an adverb.

In spite of and despite are prepositional expressions. In spite of and despite have a similar meaning to although or even though. They express a contrast between two things.

• Like can be used in the following ways:
• as a preposition (followed by a noun): He looks like his father.
• as a conjunction (connecting two clauses): She looked like she was about to cry.
• as an adverb: I said, like, you can’t do this to me.
• as an adjective, especially in the phrase ‘of like mind’

We often use as and since clauses at the beginning of the sentence. We use a comma after the as- or since- clause: Since everything can be done from home with computers and telephones, there’s no need to dress up for work any more. As everyone already knows each other, there’s no need for introductions.

As a preposition ‘over’ is used when crossing from one side to the other, usually when going up and then down: ‘She drove her car over the hill. ‘

ahead (adverb) ahead of (preposition)

ahead preposition uses If someone is ahead of you, they are directly in front of you. If someone is moving ahead of you, they are in front of you and moving in the same direction.

As a preposition, along means ‘in a line next to something long and thin’, e.g. a road, a path: There were lots of shops along the main street. I saw three different boats along the bank of the river.

: in or to a place at the back of or to the rear of (someone or something) : losing to (someone or something) in a race or competition. : in a less advanced position than (someone or something) : not happening or proceeding as quickly as (someone or something) behind.