Prepositions
Elementary School
Definition
A word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word, often indicating place, time, or direction, such as "in," "on," "under," or "before." For example, "the cat is under the table." Prepositions begin phrases that add detail.
Worked examples
"The book is on the shelf."
The preposition 'on' shows the relationship between 'book' and 'shelf' by indicating place.
"We will leave before noon."
The preposition 'before' shows the relationship between 'leave' and 'noon' by indicating time.
"The bird flew through the open window."
The preposition 'through' shows direction and movement in relation to 'window.'
Common mistakes
- "Where is the party at?" (ending with a preposition) → "Where is the party?" Avoid ending sentences with prepositions in formal writing; the preposition is unnecessary here.
- "different than" or "bored of" → "different from" and "bored with" Certain words pair with specific prepositions; learning these idioms takes practice.
- confusing 'in' (inside something) with 'into' (movement toward inside) → "She walked into the room" vs. "She is in the room" 'Into' shows movement or direction; 'in' shows location or position.
Where you'll use it next
You'll use prepositions to build prepositional phrases that add detail in all writing tasks, analyze sentence structure in grammar units, and recognize their role in idioms and precise expression in advanced composition.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026