Prepositions

If you ever needed to know what an English preposition is, find your answer on this page and with WhiteSmoke writing software.  The complete preposition list goes on (and on and on...), but get a good introduction to the subject and some preposition exercise with us.  Below, you will learn how to define preposition from a preposition lesson.  You will also see examples of preposition usage for correct English grammar and writing.  When you practice prepositions and use WhiteSmoke online writing software, you will improve your English writing quickly and easily.

To better understand what a preposition is, look at the most basic preposition definition: a word that shows the relationship between one word in a sentence to another word.  Prepositions do four things, so there are four types of prepositions.  The first type is a preposition of location (sometimes called preposition of place), which tells where something is in relation to something else.  Examples of these prepositions include inside, outside, under, and near.  Here's a sentence that uses a few of the preposition words: The dog sitting inside the car was too near the open window, so the wind made him cold!

The second kind of preposition is a preposition of direction, and it tells where something is going.  Examples of these prepositions include to, through, past, and beside.  Take a look at this sentence from a popular tune, which is actually a direction preposition song when you think about it! Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go.

Continuing through our preposition lesson, know that the third type of preposition is a preposition of time, which tells when something happens.  The words during, until, before, and after are examples of these prepositions.  A sentence that uses some prepositions of time: I hated my job until yesterday, but during a meeting my boss gave me a raise, so now I've changed my thinking.

Finally, the fourth type of preposition describes relationships between a noun or pronoun and another word in a sentence.  Some pronouns of this type are with and by.  You can see a use of this kind of preposition in this sentence: Mark went to the senior prom with Sally, and their limo was driven by the President of the USA.

This preposition list might seem like a lot to handle when you write, but with the best English writing software, writing in any style and with all elements of English grammar is easy.  You can use the most common prepositions in your documents with precision when you have WhiteSmoke with you.  You can also check all of the other parts of your writing easily.  In just one click, use our accurate spell check and English grammar check functions.  Correct your punctuation, too, for all types of documents - legal, business, medical, or creative.  Raise the level of quality and clarity in all of your writing now, by using WhiteSmoke, the all-in-one writing solution.