List of the 50 most Common Prepositions in English

In this post, we will take a look at some of the most commonly used prepositions in English, and examples of how they are used in sentences

We commonly use prepositions to show a relationship in space or time or a logical relationship between two or more people, places, or things.

Prepositions are most commonly followed by a noun phrase or pronoun as you can see in the following examples:

• The last time I saw him he was walking down the road.
• I’ll meet you in the cafe opposite the cinema.
• It was difficult to sleep during the flight.
• It was the worst storm since the 1980s.
• Give that to me.

Understanding prepositions are essential for clear and effective communication when you are learning a second language.

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Most Common Prepositions with Examples

There are over 100 prepositions in English. The most common prepositions are:

Preposition	Example
about	Tell me a story about your childhood
above	The waves came up above her head
across	I  live across the street
after	I quit my job after one week.
against	We are against discrimination
along	My dog ran along the track with me
among	We are among the only four survivors
around	It costs around 50 Dollars
at	I have a blind date at the Coffee House
before	The church was built before the temple
behind	She is standing behind that tree
below	Please do not write below this line.
beneath	He found a penny beneath the couch
beside	She sat beside Marie
between	It is between the boxes and the sofa
by	It is a letter written by John
down	I walked down the street
during	She slept during the flight to France
except	She bought presents for everybody, except for me
for	I bought a present for Emily
from	We are from a foreign country
in	We are in the car parked outside
in front of	I live in front of the supermarket
inside	The keys are inside one of those boxes
instead of	I bought apples instead of pears
into	he entered into the woods
like	This is a story like no other
near	The hospital is near the gas station
of	I want a small piece of cake
off	The cat jumped off the counter
on	She always keeps her purse on the desk
onto	The baby climbed onto the table.
out of	I was unable to get out of the appointment.
outside	We are outside your house
over	He loved to sit over the rooftop
past	They took a walk past the park
since	I don’t play soccer since 2005
through	The car went through the tunnel
to	The flight is going to India
toward	Move toward the door
under	The car is under the car
underneath	There was a tunnel running underneath the city.
until	I will stay until the show is over
up	It is up to us to find the answer
upon	The decision was based on two considerations
with	I am with my friends at school
within	I will be there within a few minutes
without	I am running without the proper equipment
According to	According to Science, Evolution is true

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