Let us study the sentence below. Read it carefully, then read through the discussion that follows.
“A man of wealth rode by our house.”
What does the group of words “of wealth” modify?
It modifies the noun, “man“.
What element is this group of words?
It is an adjective element.
Why?
Because it modifies a noun.
What does the group of words “by our house” modify?
It modifies the verb “rode“: it tells where he rode.
What element is it?
It is an adverbial element.
Why?
Because it modifies a verb.
Look now at the word “of” in the sentence. The word “of” connects the noun “wealth” to the noun “man.”
Next, look at the word “by” in the sentence. The word “by” connects the noun “house” with the verb “rode.”
The words “of” and “by” are said to show the relations between the words which they connect, and are called Prepositions.
The nouns which follow them are called their Objects.
A Preposition is a word used to show the relation between its object and some other word.
List of the Principal Prepositions
Below, you will find a list of English prepositions. It is recommended that students take time to look them up in a quality dictionary and write the definitions for familiarity and use.
- a
- at
- aboard
- about
- above
- according to
- across
- after
- against
- along
- amid, amidst
- among, amongst
- around
- as to
- athwart
- before
- behind
- beneath
- beside, besides
- between
- betwixt
- beyond
- but
- by
- down
- during
- ere
- except
- for
- from
- in, into
- of
- off
- on
- over
- past
- round
- save
- since
- till, until
- through
- throughout
- to
- toward, towards
- under
- unto
- up
- upon
- with
- within
- without
Study Questions
- What is a preposition?
- What is the object of a preposition?
- Name as many of the principal prepositions as you can.
