40f Prepositions

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or a pronoun to form a phrase that modifies another word in the sentence. The prepositional phrase functions as an adjective or an adverb.

An example reads, The winding road to the summit travels past craters from an extinct volcano. The words, ‘to,’ ‘past,’ and ‘from’ are marked as prepositions.

To the summit functions as an adjective modifying the noun road; past craters functions as an adverb modifying the verb travels; from an extinct volcano functions as an adjective modifying the noun craters. (For more on prepositional phrases, see 42a.)

English has a limited number of prepositions. The most common are included in the following list.

about below from outside underneath
above beside in over unlike
across besides inside past until
after between into plus unto
against beyond like round up
along but near since upon
among by next than with
around despite of through within
as down off throughout without
at during on to
before except onto toward
behind for out under

Some prepositions are more than one word long. Along with, as well as, in addition to, next to, and rather than are examples.