Guide to English Prepositions – TOEIC® Preparation

In English, a preposition designates a term (or set of terms) that creates a link between a noun (or pronoun) and the other elements of the sentence. It allows expression of location, time, orientation, reason, possession, agency, and many other relationships.

The book is on the table. (The preposition on establishes a connection between book and table to specify position.)

Generally, the preposition directly precedes the noun or the pronoun. However, contemporary English sometimes allows a sentence to end with a preposition, particularly in informal register and certain idiomatic expressions.

What are you looking for? (common phrasing, accepts a final preposition)
This is the house in which I grew up. (more formal construction, avoids ending the sentence with a preposition)

1. Spatial Prepositions

Spatial prepositions specify where a person or object is located in space.

Preposition	Meaning	Illustration
in	In an enclosed space	She is in the room.
on	On a flat surface	The book is on the table.
at	At a precise location	We met at the bus stop.
above	Above (without contact)	The painting is above the fireplace.
over	Above (with covering)	She put a blanket over the baby.
below	Below (without contact)	The temperature is below zero.
under	Under (contact possible)	The shoes are under the bed.
beneath	Under (literary register)	He hid the letter beneath his pillow.
between	Between two entities	She sat between her two friends.
among	In the middle of several	He was among the crowd.
amid	In the heart of (formal register)	They remained calm amid the chaos.
inside	On the inside	She is inside the house.
outside	On the outside	He waited outside the building.
near	Close to	The school is near the park.
next to	Next to	She sat next to me.
beside	Next to (synonym)	He placed his bag beside the chair.
by	Near	The house is by the river.
adjacent to	Adjacent to	The café is adjacent to the bookstore.
behind	Behind	The car is behind the truck.
in front of	In front of	He stood in front of the mirror.
before	In front of (order or time)	She arrived before noon.
underneath	Underneath (more hidden)	The keys were underneath the papers.
opposite	Opposite	The restaurant is opposite the cinema.
within	Within the limits of	The package will arrive within two days.
without	Without	He left without his keys.
against	Against a surface	She leaned against the wall.
alongside	Alongside, parallel to	The ship sailed alongside the coast.

« In » - « on » - « at »

« In » is used to designate a delimited space or a geographical area. It underlines a position inside a defined perimeter.
- She is in the kitchen.
- They live in France.
- The keys are in my pocket.
« On » applies to a flat surface or perceived as such. It generally suggests contact with this surface.
- The book is on the table.
- He sat on the bench.
- Her picture is on the wall.
« At » is used to identify a specific point in space. It signals an exact location without emphasizing the interior or the surface.
- I will meet you at the bus stop.
- She is at the entrance.
- Let's meet at the restaurant.

Distinctions between « in », « on », « at »

« At » targets the precise point, an exact address (e.g., at school, at home)
« In » evokes an enclosed space or an extended area (e.g., in the room, in the house)
« On » emphasizes the contact surface or flat position (e.g., on the table, on the floor)

Particularities: In the car / On the bus / On the train

We use « in » for the car, because it is a restricted and private compartment.
- I'm in the car.
We prefer « on » for the bus, train, plane, boat, because one can move inside and there is the notion of collective transport.
- She is on the bus.

« Above » - « over »

« Above » and « Over » both translate to « au-dessus de » (above), but:

« Above » is generally used without direct contact between objects, or without overlap of the upper object over the lower object.
- The painting hangs above the fireplace. (absence of contact, simply located above)
« Over » can indicate movement across something or the action of covering something.
- He put a blanket over the baby. (the blanket envelops the baby)

« Below » - « under » - « beneath »

« Below », « under » and « beneath » all mean « en dessous de » (underneath), but:

« Under » is the most frequent to indicate that an element is situated beneath another
- The cat is under the table.
« Below » is mainly used when there is a certain vertical distance or to mark a lower position in a document or diagram
- The temperature is below zero.
« Beneath » belongs to a more literary or formal register, and can also carry a figurative dimension (e.g., beneath one's dignity)
- He hid the letter beneath his pillow.

« Between » - « among » - « amid »

« Between » indicates that something is placed between two elements.
- I'm standing between my two best friends.
« Among » means that an element is situated within a group of more than two elements, without a precise notion of physical encirclement.
- She found a letter among the papers on her desk.
« Amid » expresses the fact of being surrounded or immersed in something (usually a situation, an atmosphere). It mainly belongs to the formal or literary register.
- They stayed calm amid the chaos.

« Across » - « Through » - « Along »

« Across » describes the act of crossing something by passing from one edge to another.
- They walked across the street.
« Through » insists on movement within an enclosed space or a mass.
- We drove through the tunnel.
« Along » designates movement or position along a line or edge.
- She walked along the river.

2. Temporal Prepositions

Temporal prepositions specify when an event occurs, its duration, or its frequency.

Preposition	Meaning	Illustration
in	For months, years, centuries, times of the day	We met in July.
on	For days, precise dates and events	The meeting is on Monday.
at	For precise hours and moments	I will see you at 5 PM.
by	Before a deadline	Finish the report by Friday.
before	Before a given moment	I arrived before noon.
after	After a given moment	Let's meet after lunch.
until	Up to a precise moment	She stayed until midnight.
till	Up to a moment (more informal)	I'll wait till you arrive.
since	From a point in time	I have lived here since 2010.
for	For a duration	They traveled for two months.
during	During a period	It rained during the night.
within	Within a time frame	The package will arrive within 24 hours.
from	Start of a period	We worked from 9 AM to 5 PM.
to	End of a period	The shop is open from Monday to Friday.
between	Interval between two moments	The event takes place between 3 PM and 5 PM.
around	Approximately	He arrived around noon.
about	Approximately	The class starts about 10 AM.
past	After an hour	It's past midnight.
up to	Up to a moment	The offer is valid up to the end of the month.
as of	Starting from	The policy applies as of next year.
throughout	During an entire period	The song played throughout the concert.
over	During a period	He stayed over the weekend.
ahead of	Before (more formal)	We must plan ahead of the deadline.

« In » - « on » - « at »

« In » is generally used for extended periods (months, years, seasons, times of day).
- in May, in 2025, in the morning
- He was born in 1990.
- It often rains in winter.
« On » is reserved for days and specific dates.
- on Monday, on December 5th
- My birthday is on July 10th.
- We will meet on Christmas Day.
« At » designates a precise instant.
- at 5:00 PM, at sunrise, at midday
- Let's meet at noon.
- We usually have dinner at 7 PM.

Subtleties between « in », « on » and « at »

In the morning / in the afternoon / in the evening but at night (idiomatic exception).
At the weekend (British English), on the weekend (American English).

« By » - « before » - « until » - « from ... to »

« By » indicates a deadline, a time limit.
- Finish this report by Friday. (Friday at the latest)
- I'll be there by 6 PM. (by 6 o'clock at the latest)
« Before » signals that something occurs prior to another event or time.
- We must leave before sunset.
- Finish your homework before dinner.
« Until » marks the continuity of an action or state up to a precise moment.
- I stayed at the office until 7 PM.
- He waited till midnight. (more informal use for until)
« From ... to » indicates the start and end of a period.
- I work from 9 AM to 5 PM.
- They were on vacation from Monday to Thursday.

« During » - « for » - « since »

« During » highlights the period during which an event occurs, without specifying the exact duration.
- He called me during the meeting.
- It rained during the night.
« For » expresses a duration.
- They studied for three hours.
- We lived in London for five years.
« Since » is used to indicate a starting point in the past and an action or situation that continues up to the present.
- I have lived here since 2010.
- She has been waiting since this morning.

3. Movement or Direction Prepositions

These prepositions describe the destination towards which one is heading or the manner in which a movement occurs.

Preposition	Meaning	Illustration
across	From one side to the other	He walked across the street.
through	Through an enclosed space	The train passed through the tunnel.
along	Along	We walked along the beach.
onto	Towards a surface	He jumped onto the table.
into	Towards an interior space	She went into the room.
out of	To exit from	He got out of the car.
from	Origin of a movement	He came from London.
towards	In the direction of	She ran towards the exit.
to	Towards a destination	We are going to Paris.
off	To detach from a surface	She fell off the chair.
up	To go up	He climbed up the ladder.
down	To go down	She walked down the stairs.
beyond	Beyond	The town is beyond the hills.
past	To pass in front of	She walked past the bank.
around	Around	They traveled around the world.

« To » - « into » - « onto »

« To » expresses direction or destination.
- I'm going to the store.
- He walked to the bus stop.
« Into » highlights the idea that someone or something enters a place or another object.
- She poured the tea into the cup.
« Onto » designates movement towards a surface.
- He jumped onto the table.

Confusions between « in »/« into » or « on »/« onto »

« In » (static) vs. « into » (movement inwards).
- (static position) : She is in the room.
- (movement inwards) : She walked into the room.
« On » (static) vs. « Onto » (upward movement).
- (static position) : He stands on the stage.
- (upward movement) : He jumps onto the stage.

In / To + Country

We generally use « in » to indicate that one is in a country.
- He lives in Spain.
We use « to » to express movement towards a country or a city.
- He moved to Spain last year.

« Around » - « About »

« Around » or « about » can denote circular movement or approximate movement around a place.
- He wandered around the park.
- They walked about the city, exploring the streets. (more literary use or regional variant)

4. Other Frequent Prepositions and Their Uses

Preposition	Meaning	Illustration
with	Accompaniment, use of a tool, manner	She wrote with a pen. / I went to the party with my friends.
without	Absence of something	He left without his phone.
by	Agent of an action (passive), means of transport, proximity	The book was written by Shakespeare. / We traveled by car.
about	Subject of a discussion or approximation	We talked about the new project. / There were about 50 people in the room.
like	Comparison	She runs like a cheetah.
as	Function, role, comparison	He works as a teacher. / Do it as I showed you.
except	Exclusion of an element	Everyone came except John.
apart from	"Aside from" or "in addition to" depending on the context	Apart from English, he speaks Spanish.
instead of	Alternative	Take tea instead of coffee.
according to	Source of information	According to the news, it's going to rain.
because of	Cause of an event	The flight was delayed because of the storm.
due to	More formal form of "because of"	The delay was due to technical issues.
owing to	Cause (formal register)	The match was canceled owing to heavy rain.
thanks to	Positive cause	We succeeded thanks to your help.
in spite of	Opposition	He finished the race in spite of his injury.
despite	Synonym of "in spite of"	She won despite the difficulties.
instead	Replacement (without "of")	I didn't take the bus. I walked instead.
unlike	Difference	Unlike his brother, he loves sports.
contrary to	Opposition regarding a belief	Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind.
regarding	Subject of a document or discussion	I have a question regarding your proposal.
concerning	Synonym of "regarding"	He called me concerning the contract.
apart	Separation	They live far apart from each other.
toward(s)	Abstract intention or direction	His attitude towards work has changed.
beyond	Exceeded limit (figurative or spatial)	This problem is beyond my understanding.
against	Opposition or physical contact	They are against the new policy. / She leaned against the wall.
per	Frequency or proportion	He earns $20 per hour.
via	Intermediate or passage through a point	We traveled to Italy via Paris.
as for	Introduces a different subject	As for the budget, we need to cut costs.
as well as	Addition	She speaks French as well as Spanish.
rather than	Preference	I would stay home rather than go out.
except for	Exception	The report is complete except for a few details.

« With » - « Without »

« With » denotes accompaniment, the use of a tool, the manner of doing something.
- I went to the party with my friends.
- She cut the bread with a knife.
« Without » expresses the absence of someone or something.
- He left without saying goodbye.
- I can't live without music.

« By »

« By » has several meanings depending on the context:

In the passive voice, « by » introduces the agent.
- This book was written by J.K. Rowling.
« By » designates the method or tool used to accomplish an action.
- We traveled by car / by train / by plane.
« By » indicates a location (near, next to)
- My house is by the river.
« By » to express "passing by"
- We walked by the park on our way home.

« About »

« About » can mean "on the subject of" or "approximately".

We talked about the new movie. (topic of conversation)
There were about fifty people at the party. (approximation)

« Like » - « As »

« Like » allows comparison between two elements or two situations.

He runs like a cheetah.

« As » can have several meanings. One common usage is "in the capacity of"

I work as a teacher. (in the capacity of a teacher)

Distinction between « like » and « as »

« Like » and « as » can sometimes be interchangeable to express comparison, but:

« as » often introduces a clause (as if, as though)
« like » is generally followed by a direct noun or pronoun.

« Except » - « Apart from »

« Except » marks the exclusion of an element.

Everyone passed the exam except John.

« Apart from » means "aside from, apart from", and can be used to exclude or include, depending on context.

Apart from Monday, I'm free all week. (excluding Monday)
Apart from that little issue, everything went fine. (implies "aside from this small problem")

5. Special Cases and Common Pitfalls

« At night » vs. « in the night »

We use « at night » to talk about night in general (time of day).

I usually sleep at night.

We use « in the night » to mean during the night, often to refer to a specific event that occurred during the night.

It started raining in the night. (emphasizes a specific moment during the night)

« Different from » - « different to » - « different than »

« Different from » is the most common and often considered standard form.

His style is different from mine.

« Different to » is mainly used in British English

This country is different to what I expected.

« Different than » is used more often in American English

This result is different than I thought.

« Home » (often) without a preposition

When expressing the idea of returning home, we generally say go home without a preposition.

lexible I'm going home.

extless I'm going to home.

« Ask for something » (and not « ask something »)

To ask for something, the preposition for is essential.

She asked for advice.

« Look at » - « look for » - « look after » - « look into »

« Look at » means "to gaze at something".

Look at that beautiful sunset.

« Look for » means "to search for something".

I'm looking for my keys.

« Look after » means "to take care of".

She looks after her younger siblings.

« Look into » means "to examine", "to investigate a problem deeply".

We need to look into this matter.

« Listen to » and « hear »

« Listen to » corresponds to « écouter » (to listen). One actively listens to a sound.

I'm listening to music.

« Hear » rather means "to perceive a sound". One perceives a sound without the notion of active attention.

I can't hear you properly.

« Wait for » and « wait on »

« Wait for someone/something » means "to wait for someone/something".

I'm waiting for the train.

« Wait on someone » means "to serve someone". This expression is mainly used in the restaurant context, but its usage is quite rare

He waited on tables during the summer. (to work as a waiter)

« Agree with » - « Agree on » - « Agree to »

« Agree with someone » means "to be in agreement" with a person, an opinion.

I agree with you.

« Agree on a topic » means "to reach an agreement" on a specific subject.

We agreed on the best course of action.

« Agree to something » means "to consent", "to give one's assent" to a proposal.

He agreed to help us.

« Depend on » vs. « Depend of »

In English, we say depend on

extless It depends of the weather.

« Belong to »

To indicate possession, we use « belong to »

This book belongs to me.

Composition with « made of » - « made from » - « made out of » - « made with »

« Made of » is used when the material has not been transformed (wood remains wood).

This table is made of wood.

« Made from » is used when the original material is no longer recognizable.

Wine is made from grapes.

« Made out of » emphasizes the transformation of one object into another.

This sculpture was made out of scrap metal.

« Made with » mentions a main ingredient or component (often for food).

This cake is made with chocolate.

Omission or incorrect addition of to

Some verbs require the preposition to

listen to, belong to, object to

Other verbs do not require the preposition to

attack someone, not attack to someone

Differences between British and American English

On the weekend (US) vs. At the weekend (UK).
Different than (US) vs. Different from/to (UK).

Conclusion

Prepositions constitute one of the essential points evaluated during the TOEIC®. To optimize one's score, it is crucial to:

Master their main functions (place, time, movement, etc.) in order to avoid errors in comprehension or grammar questions.
Pay particular attention to nuances of meaning and idiomatic constructions (e.g., look at, look for, etc.), which frequently appear in the Reading and Listening sections.
Familiarize oneself with exceptions and regional variations (British vs. American English), as the TOEIC® regularly features texts and audio clips reflecting different registers of English.

Other Resources

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