Prepositions
Published in Writing Tips on 11/9/2006
A preposition is a word that links a noun or noun equivalent to another word in the sentence to show the relationship between them. Prepositions include:
around between inside on till upon
above as by into onto to with
across at despite like out under within
after before during near over unlike without
against behind for next pass until
along below from of since unto
among beside in off through up
Prepositions should always appear as part of a prepositional phrase which starts with the preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun.
She placed the diploma in the envelope. (In is the preposition; In the envelope is the prepositional phrase showing the relationship between the verb placed and envelope.)
The empire found itself poised on the brink of civil war. (Both on and of function in this sentence as prepositions.) Other examples:
The cat sat behind the gilded mirror.
The angry student muttered sarcastically under his breath.
The knight errant galloped toward the distressed damsel.
You might remember your middle-school English teacher telling you it was never acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition. Like most grammar rules, this is not always true. For example:
The teacher urged the students to chime in. This sentence works because of the way in which the preposition and the verb work together to express an idea.
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