My previous post was a list of common prepositions. You can review it here, or watch the YouTube video here.
Today’s post builds off of that post. Today, I will give you example sentences using each preposition so that you can understand how to use prepositions in real life English.
Let’s begin 🙂
Goals of this post
- You will see English sentences correctly using the common prepositions by a native speaker.
- You will have a reference and understand correctly how and where to use these prepositions.
Common Prepositions Used in a Sentence
About
Tell me about yourself.
I heard about what happened to James on the news.
There are deer just trotting about!
John: Jeff is ok, and Steve is ok.
Gary: What about Bob?
This blog post is about prepositions.
Above
He acts like the job is above him.
Make sure your head stays above water.
Above all else, stay calm.
The neighbors were complaining about the noises above.
The hotel went over and above our expectations; the service was incredible.
Across
The restaurant is across the street.
How do we get across the river?
It was hard to get my point across during the heated debate.
She was the prettiest lady he’s ever come across.
My wife tried to talk to me from across the room.
After
After eating dinner, we had dessert.
The dog chased after the cat.
I went to math class after English class.
In the English alphabet, “z” comes after “a”.
It seems that some fat is healthy after all.
Against
I leaned the ladder against the fence.
When the wind blows against the tide, it’s hard to catch fish.
He voted against the new gun laws.
In the Superbowl, it was the Broncos against the Panthers.
Among
I was the best golfer among the people of my group.
Among kimchi, rice, and beans, he likes kimchi the most.
It’s always great to be among friends.
We divided the cake among ourselves.
Oh no! There is a criminal among us.
Around
I will get there sometime around midnight.
Robert hangs around some people who aren’t very nice.
What is he doing around here? Isn’t he supposed be in in New York City?
There around 30 people in my English class.
I am going for a walk around the block.
At
Let’s Skype at 3PM on Saturday.
I met my girlfriend at a concert.
The girl is looking at us.
At least you can make money with your sales skills.
He lives at the corner of 33rd Street and 5th Avenue.
Before
I trained before I ran a marathon.
Let’s get on the road before it gets too dark.
Before your eyes is the most beautiful jewel in the world.
He knelt down before the king.
Do you remember what life was like before cell phones?
Behind
Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.
You better keep studying or you will fall behind schedule.
What do you think is behind the closed door?
I looked behind the shed for the ladder, but I couldn’t find it.
We are three months behind on our rent.
Beside
Stand beside me, I want to see how tall you are.
Many couples sleep beside each other.
I laid the hammer beside the ladder.
What’s that over there beside the house?
Sit beside each other for the photo, please.
Between
I sat between Jim and Pam.
It was hard to choose between the red shirt or the blue shirt.
The post office is between the pizza place and the laundromat.
It is hard to tell the difference between the two twins.
Between me and you, I don’t like Jessica.
By
I want to get there by 9:00AM.
Do you have a cigarette by any chance?
We escaped by the grace of God.
Come join us by the bay.
We have to go to the airport by train.
Down
Slow down!
People in Philadelphia say “down the shore” when talking about traveling to the beach.
Can you please turn the volume down.
Go down the ladder slowly.
There is a lot of crime down in this area.
During
The rude man talked during the whole movie!
He got injured during training.
Many Muslims fast during Ramadan.
Please keep your seat belts on during takeoff and landing.
Please call back during regular business hours.
Except
I caught all the Pokemon except for one!
Everyone is here except for Jeremy.
I work every day this week except Saturday.
The car works except when I go too fast.
John likes every kind of food except broccoli.
For
Please pray for me!
What are you doing for your birthday?
What is this thing for?
Is the cooler for the party tonight?
I will do anything for you.
From
The park is closed from dusk till dawn.
Who is this card from?
Where are you from?
We examined it from front to back.
The monster came from the closet.
In
I put the scissors back in the drawer.
She is truly one in a million.
The car is in the garage.
I will be there in five minutes.
In conclusion, eating healthy is important.
Near
The college is near the hospital.
I searched for the dog near and far.
I live near the baseball stadium.
The bullet hit me near the eye.
The temperature is near freezing.
Of
The car is made of wood.
Of all the people in the world, you are my favorite.
He was the best of the Class of 2009.
I am a big fan of Lionel Messi.
What kind of music do you listen to?
Off
His house is right off the highway.
Please turn the radio off.
The question caught him off guard.
The picture fell off the wall.
The ship sunk 30 miles off the coast of New Jersey.
On
Please turn the fan on.
While we are on the topic of politics, let’s talk about Donald Trump.
He lives on a dirt road.
I am on a low carbohydrate diet.
Please don’t jump on the bed.
Over
Come over after dinner!
Can you flip the burgers over.
“Please turn over your papers,” the teacher said.
I chose the red dress over the pink one.
Jess drove over glass and got a flat tire.
Through
They have gone through many difficult times.
The train went through the tunnel.
Through it all, we’ve remained close friends.
Put the rope through the loop to make a new knot.
I can see right through that window into the kitchen.
To
I moved to San Francisco last week.
Let’s run from here to there and back.
I came to say goodbye.
How did you come to that conclusion?
Are you going to the July 4th parade?
Toward
The car was heading right toward us, so we jumped out of the way.
The movie gets sad toward the end.
To storm is moving up the East Coast, toward Washington, D.C.
The lifeguard pulled the kids toward safety.
Do you lean more toward Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?
Under
Does the ice cream shop have anything sweet that’s under 200 calories?
The troll lives under the bridge.
She was under the size limit and therefore could not go on the roller coaster.
The pen is under the table.
I made it home in under an hour.
Up
The coffee is up in the cabinet.
What time did you get up this morning?
The dog jumped up on the table.
The plane went up in the sky.
Up in the mountains, there are lots of animals.
With
Who did you come with?
I love cookies with milk.
The toy came with batteries.
The gift was given with love.
I am going to make a picture frame with that wood over there.
Conclusion
There you have it 🙂 A list of example sentences for common prepositions.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment below, or you can also contact me.
Don’t forget to check out my Youtube Channel where I will be updating videos often!
Very helpful examples! I´ll use them with my students.
Thank you, Ryan.
Cecilia (from Argentina)
Hola Cecilia,
Thanks for the comment, I hope they help your students 🙂
Ryan
Hi Ryan,
I like your English lessons very much . I learn from these lessons many things. I can understand them very well what you have sent me . Thanks for helping me.
With a great day ,
Amita
Hi Amita,
Thanks for the comment and I am glad to help you!
Ryan
Thank you! very helpful for me!
No problem, Jeonghoon! I am glad they help you 🙂
Thanks a lot for your explanations. They probably wil help me a lot….bye
You’re welcome, Stella!
There are lots of preposision in English. And I was always confused how to use in a right sotuation. Thank you for this nice posting. It was very helpful 🙂
Glad you liked it Daniella!
Great job Ryan I never understood the usage of some prepositions but from now on I am going to using them every day thank you so much Ryan
You are welcome, David!