What is Preposition: Meaning, Definition, Types, Examples and Worksheets (Class 1 to 10)

Do you often feel confused between in, on and at? You are not alone. Prepositions are small words, but they do a big job in English. They tell us where something is, when something happens, and how things are linked to each other.

In this guide, you will learn the preposition meaning in very simple words. You will also see the definition of preposition with easy examples, the main types of preposition, preposition of time and preposition of place, a list of all preposition words, and a preposition worksheet for class 1 to 10 with answers.

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What Is Preposition? (Preposition Meaning)

A preposition is a word that shows how a noun or a pronoun is connected to another word in a sentence. It often answers questions like where?, when? and how?

Look at these two sentences:

The cat is on the chair.
The cat is under the chair.

The only change is the small word on and under. But the meaning changes fully.

Preposition meaning in simple words: The word “preposition” comes from “pre” (before) and “position” (place). A preposition usually stands before a noun or pronoun and shows its position, time or direction.

Read More: Top 10 Future skills

Preposition Definition and Examples

Definition of preposition: A preposition is a word that is placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation with another word in the sentence.

The noun or pronoun that comes after the preposition is called its object. A preposition and its object together make a prepositional phrase.

Sentence	Preposition	What it shows
The book is on the table.	on	place
We reach school at 8 o’clock.	at	time
She walked into the room.	into	direction
He writes with a pen.	with	tool or manner
This gift is for you.	for	purpose

Four simple rules to remember

A preposition comes before a noun or a pronoun.
A pronoun after a preposition takes the object form. We say “with me”, not “with I”.
A verb after a preposition takes the -ing form. We say “good at singing”, not “good at sing”.
In casual speech, a sentence can end with a preposition: “Who are you talking to?”

Preposition Words: Some Common Examples

There are about 150 preposition words in English, but you use a small group of them every day. Here are the most common ones:

in, on, at, to, from, of, for, with, by, about, under, over, between, among, through, during, before, after, since, until.

Types of Preposition

There are two easy ways to group prepositions. The first way is by form (how the preposition is built). The second way is by meaning (what it shows).

Types of preposition by form

Type	Meaning	Examples
Simple preposition	One small word	in, on, at, by, for, with, from
Double preposition	Two prepositions joined	into, onto, upon, out of, from behind
Compound preposition	Made with a prefix like a- or be-	about, above, across, along, among, before, behind, below, beside, between, beyond
Phrase preposition	A group of words used as one preposition	because of, in front of, in spite of, on behalf of, according to
Participle preposition	Ends in -ing or -ed	during, regarding, concerning, including, considering

Types of preposition by meaning

Preposition of time: at, on, in, before, after, since, for, during
Preposition of place: at, in, on, under, over, near, behind, between
Preposition of direction (movement): to, into, onto, towards, through, across, along
Preposition of manner or instrument: by, with, like, in
Preposition of cause or purpose: for, because of, due to
Preposition of agent: by (“The song was sung by Riya.”)

Preposition of Time

A preposition of time tells us when something happens.

Preposition	Use it for	Examples
at	exact time, and some special times	at 6 o’clock, at noon, at night, at midnight
on	days and dates	on Monday, on 15 August, on my birthday
in	months, years, seasons, long periods, parts of a day	in winter, in July, in the morning, in 2026

Other useful prepositions of time:

since (from a starting point): eg., I have lived here since 2019.
for (how long):eg., She has studied for two hours.
during (inside a period): eg., We stayed indoors during the storm.
before / after: eg., Wash your hands before lunch and after play.
by (not later than): eg., Please submit the form by Friday.
until / till (up to a time): eg., Wait here until 5 pm.

Quick tip: Think of a funnel. Use in for the big periods (years, months), on for the middle ones (days, dates), and at for the smallest ones (exact time).

Preposition of Place

A preposition of place tells us where a person or thing is located.

in means inside something: The keys are in the bag.
on means touching the top or surface: The book is on the desk.
at means a point or a spot: She is waiting at the bus stop.
under / below means lower than something: The ball is under the table.
over / above means higher than something: A lamp hangs over the table.
between means in the middle of two: The shop is between the school and the hospital.
among means in a group of many: He was standing among the crowd.
near / beside / next to means close by: My house is near the park.
behind / in front of means at the back or the front: The garden is behind the house.

All Preposition Words List

Here is a list of all preposition words that students use most often. Learn a few each day.

Group	Preposition words
A–B	Among, beneath, across, behind, beyond, at, beside, above, along, between, against, below, around, before, about, by, after.
D–N	despite, down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near
O–T	of, off, on, onto, opposite, out, outside, over, past, since, through, throughout, till, to, towards
U–W	Without, up, underneath, with, until, upon, within, under.
Phrase prepositions	according to, because of, due to, in front of, in spite of, instead of, on account of, out of, next to

Preposition Worksheet for Class 1 to 10

Use this preposition worksheet for class 1 to 10 to practise at home or in class. Each part is made for a different level. Try all the questions first, then check the answers below.

Part 1: Class 1 and 2 (fill in: in, on, under, by, at)

The cat is sleeping ___ the table.
The pencil is ___ the bag.
A bird is sitting ___ the branch.
I go to school ___ bus.
The moon is ___ the sky.

Part 2: Class 3 and 4 (fill in the blanks)

She was born ___ 2014.
The class starts ___ 8 o’clock.
We have a test ___ Monday.
The dog jumped ___ the wall.
I have lived here ___ 2020.
He is sitting ___ his two friends.

Part 3: Class 5 and 6 (fill in the blanks)

The teacher shared the sweets ___ the four children.
She has been waiting ___ two hours.
He walked ___ the road to reach the shop.
The cat jumped ___ the box.
Please finish the work ___ 5 pm.
We stayed at home ___ the heavy rain.

Part 4: Class 7 and 8 (preposition after a word)

He is good ___ maths.
She is afraid ___ dogs.
I am fond ___ music.
They are interested ___ science.
He was absent ___ school yesterday.
This book is different ___ that one.

Part 5: Class 9 and 10 (correct the mistake)

He is married with a doctor.
She is angry on me.
I prefer tea than coffee.
He has been working here from 2019.
The principal congratulated him for his success.
They discussed about the plan.

Preposition Exercise: Answer Key

Part	Answers
Part 1	1. under, 2. in, 3. on, 4. by, 5. in
Part 2	1. in, 2. at, 3. on, 4. over, 5. since, 6. between
Part 3	1. among, 2. for, 3. across (or along), 4. into, 5. by, 6. because of (or during)
Part 4	1. at, 2. of, 3. of, 4. in, 5. from, 6. from
Part 5	1. married to, 2. angry with, 3. prefer tea to coffee, 4. working here since 2019, 5. congratulated him on, 6. discussed the plan (no “about”)

Common Mistakes With Prepositions

Wrong: I am agree with you. Right: I agree with you.
Wrong: She is good in singing. Right: She is good at singing.
Wrong: He reached to the station. Right: He reached the station.
Wrong: I will meet you in Monday. Right: I will meet you on Monday.
Wrong: The cat is sitting in the roof. Right: The cat is sitting on the roof.

Easy Tips to Learn Prepositions

Learn them in phrases, not alone. Remember “good at”, “afraid of” and “interested in” as one unit.
Use pictures. Draw a box and a ball, then place the ball in, on, under and behind the box.
Read every day. Stories and news show you how real writers use prepositions.
Practise with a short exercise every day, even for ten minutes.
Keep a small notebook for new preposition words and write one sentence for each.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a preposition of time?

A preposition of time tells us when something happens. The main ones are at (exact time), on (days and dates) and in (months, years and seasons).

Is "to" always a preposition?

No. In “I go to school”, to is a preposition. In “I want to learn”, to is part of the verb and is not a preposition.