List of Common Prepositions

Prepositions are relationship or directional words. They link the nouns, pronouns, verbs and phrases together in a sentence. Without prepositions, it would be impossible to understand communication. For example, would you understand a sentence that read: “I want go the mall get a dress prom.” Perhaps you might be able to decipher it, but it certainly wouldn’t be too fun. The missing words in that example are prepositions (to and for to be exact) and there are plenty more prepositions where that came. The following is a list of commonly used prepositions in the English language

List of Common Prepositions

There are several hundred prepositions in the English language, all of which are used to show the relationship between ideas. One good way to remember prepositions is to think about anywhere a mouse can run. A mouse can run up, over, down, under, to and from. Those are all prepositions. While this rule doesn’t catch every preposition, it certainly can help you identify quite a few of them.

The following list of 75 prepositions can also help you to understand exactly where a preposition is, how to find them and just why they are so important.

1. Aboard: Can’t climb aboard without a preposition
2. About: Can’t make much ado about nothing without about
3. Above: Can’t go above and beyond the call of duty without the preposition above
4. Absent: Can’t be absent from school either!
5. According to: How could you site a source without ‘according to?’
6. Across: Guess you can’t sit across from anyone at Thanksgiving dinner
7. After: No more after-parties without the word after
8. Against: You’ll have to agree to everything if you can’t vote against things
9. Ahead of: No one will ever again be ahead of their time without the preposition ahead.
10. Along: You need along to signify that you are going along for the side
11. Alongside: You also need alongside to describe where you are, alongside your best friend.
12. Amid: Amid all the chaos, the preposition amid stands out.
13. Amidst: Amidst the rubble, you have the word amidst.
14. Among: The preposition among allows you to be among friends.
15. Anti: Anti-matter and anti-establishment both depend on the preposition anti
16. Around- Around is a pretty important preposition if you are around town.
17. As- As long as prepositions exist, sentences make sense.
18. as far as- As far as we’re concerned, as is a pretty important preposition
19. as well as- Knowing prepositions as well as their meanings is important.
20. At- You’ll need at to describe the time at which you’ll arrive.
21. Atop- How could you be atop a high mountain without atop
22. Before- Mind before matter is the key to learning prepositions such as before.
23. Behind- Falling behind on your prepositions, such as behind, would be bad.
24. Below- There are prepositions above and below the preposition below.
25. Between- No more secrets between you and me without the preposition between.
26. But- What would a toddler whine about if they couldn’t say ‘But mommy!’
27. By- It would be hard to get by without the preposition by
28. Considering- Considering all these great prepositions, wouldn’t you be sad if you didn’t have this list
29. Down- Without down, the famous rule of gravity that what goes up must come down wouldn’t have a lot of meaning.
30. During- We’ve added before and after to the list, during completes the trifecta
31. Except- We can’t name all the prepositions except for except!
32. Excluding- Excluding excluding would also be a terrible mistake!
33. Following: Following right along with our pattern, following is the next preposition on the list.
34. For- If it weren’t for the preposition for it would be hard for you to talk.
35. From- Prepositions such as from are far from unimportant
36. In- In case you didn’t know, in is a preposition also!
37. In addition to- In addition to is a lovely addition to the preposition list.
38. In case of- In case of emergency, you can always use a preposition to get help.
39. Inside- Now you have the inside track on prepositions!
40. Into- Without the preposition into, you couldn’t get into trouble.
41. Like- Like is, like, the most, like, overused preposition on, like, the planet.
42. mid- Mid is a good preposition to be midway through the list- of course, it isn’t quite mid way but we’re close!
43. Near- Without near, we wouldn’t be able to tell you that you are near to the end o the list
44. Next- Next is a good preposition to be the next item on the prepositions list!
45. next to- Next to the preposition, next, ‘next to’ may be the most important word
46. notwithstanding- Notwithstanding the importance of prepositions, this list is still fun
47. of- Without Of, we wouldn’t have Of Mice and Men (or, well, any other sentence or title that uses “off”)
48. Off- The name of a popular bug spray, Off! Is also a great preposition.
49. On- On the same topic, the preposition on is the opposite of the preposition off
50. on account of- On account of prepositions, such as on account of, we can communicate.
51. on behalf of- On behalf of English speaker’s everywhere, we say that prepositions are great.
52. on top of- On top of all the other wonderful prepositions, we also have ‘on top of’
53. onto- Onto the next preposition, which is onto.
54. Opposite- Is there an opposite to the preposition opposite?
55. Outside- Without prepositions, you could never think outside the box.
56. outside of- You could also never color outside of the lines.
57. Over- The preposition over is required to think things over.
58. owing to- Owing to prepositions, we are able to communicate.
59. Past- Don’t look past the preposition past.
60. Per- Per our instructions, the preposition per should be learned.
61. Plus- Plus is a preposition plus a math word!
62. prior to- Prior to learning prepositions, such as prior to, communicate was way less fun.
63. Regarding- Movies such as Regarding Henry take advantage of the preposition regarding.
64. Round- Without a preposition, such as round, you couldn’t go round the town.
65. Save- You also couldn’t Save the Wales without the preposition save
66. Since- Since you asked, since is also a preposition
67. Than- There are few prepositions greater than than
68. Through- When Alice went through the looking glass, she used a preposition.
69. Throughout- Throughout history, the preposition throughout has been used.
70. To- Without “to,” Shakespeare could not have asked his famous question- to be or not to be.
71. Until- Until you read his list, you may not have known that until was a preposition.
72. Up- Up up and away is a cry you couldn’t say without prepositions.
73. With- With or without your consent, prepositions will keep on directing sentences.
74. Within- Within the confines of many sentences, you are likely to find the preposition within.
75. Without- Without the preposition without, you’d be without a clue.