Published at February 17, 2025

Course on Prepositions - TOEIC® Preparation

TOP-Students™

In English, a preposition is a word (or a group of words) that establishes a relationship between a noun (or a pronoun) and the rest of the sentence. It can indicate place, time, direction, cause, possession, agent, etc.

The book is on the table.

Most of the time, the preposition is placed before the noun or pronoun. However, in modern English, it is sometimes acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition, especially in colloquial language and certain idiomatic constructions.

What are you looking for?
This is the house in which I grew up.

1. Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place indicate where someone or something is located in space.

Preposition	Meaning	Example
in	Inside	She is in the room.
on	On a surface	The book is on the table.
at	At a specific point	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 (possible contact)	The shoes are under* the bed.*
beneath	Under (literary register)	He hid the letter beneath* his pillow.*
between	Between two elements	She sat between* her two friends.*
among	Among several elements	He was among* the crowd.*
amid	In the middle of (formal)	They remained calm amid* the chaos.*
inside	Inside	She is inside* the house.*
outside	Outside	He waited outside* the building.*
near	Near	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	Next to	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	Before (order or time)	She arrived before* noon.*
underneath	Under (more hidden)	The keys were underneath* the papers.*
opposite	Opposite	The restaurant is opposite* the cinema.*
within	Within limits	The package will arrive within* two days.*
without	Without	He left without* his keys.*
against	Against a surface	She leaned against* the wall.*
alongside	Parallel to, along	The ship sailed alongside* the coast.*

« In » - « on » - « at »

« In » is used to talk about a closed space or a geographical area. It highlights a place inside a defined surface.
- She is in the kitchen.
- They live in France.
- The keys are in my pocket.
« On » is used to talk about a flat surface or a surface perceived as such. It often indicates contact with the surface.
- The book is on the table.
- He sat on the bench.
- Her picture is on the wall.
« At » is used to designate a specific point in space. It marks a specific location without emphasizing inside or surface.
- I will meet you at the bus stop.
- She is at the entrance.
- Let’s meet at the restaurant.

Nuances between « in », « on », « at »

« At » focuses on the precise point, an exact location (e.g., at school, at home)
« In » refers to a closed place or a larger area (e.g., in the room, in the house)
« On » emphasizes the surface contact or the position on a plane (e.g., on the table, on the floor)

Special cases: In the car / On the bus / On the train

We say « in » for the car, as it is a more confined and personal space.
- I’m in the car.
We say « on » for the bus, train, plane, boat, as one can move inside and there is the idea of public transport.
- She is on the bus.

« Above » - « over »

« Above » and « Over » can both mean « above », but:

« Above » is generally used without the notion of direct contact between the two objects, or the notion of covering of the object above on the object below.
- The painting hangs above the fireplace.
« Over » can indicate a movement above something or the act of covering something.
- He put a blanket over the baby.

« Below » - « under » - « beneath »

« Below », « under », and « beneath » mean « below », but:

« Under » is the most common to indicate that something is below 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 text or diagram
- The temperature is below zero.
« Beneath » is more literary or more formal, and can also have a figurative connotation (e.g., beneath one's dignity)
- He hid the letter beneath his pillow.

« Between » - « among » - « amid »

« Between » means that something is located between two things.
- I'm standing between my two best friends.
« Among » means that something is located in the middle of a group of more than two elements, without a precise notion of being physically surrounded.
- She found a letter among the papers on her desk.
« Amid » means that something is surrounded or immersed in something (usually a situation, an atmosphere). It is mainly used in a formal or literary register.
- They stayed calm amid the chaos.

« Across » - « Through » - « Along »

« Across » indicates the act of crossing something from one side to the other.
- They walked across the street.
« Through » emphasizes a movement inside a confined space or a mass.
- We drove through the tunnel.
« Along » indicates a movement or position following a line or border.
- She walked along the river.

2. Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time indicate when an event occurs, its duration, or its frequency.

Preposition	Meaning	Example
in	Used for months, years, centuries, parts of the day	We met in July.
on	Used for days, specific dates, and events	The meeting is on Monday.
at	Used for hours and precise moments	I will see you at 5 PM.
by	Before a specific moment (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	Until a specific moment	She stayed until* midnight.*
till	Until a specific moment (more informal)	I'll wait till* you arrive.*
since	Since a specific point in time	I have lived here since* 2010.*
for	For a given duration	They traveled for* two months.*
during	During a specific period	It rained during* the night.*
within	Within a given period	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	Period between two moments	The event takes place between* 3 PM and 5 PM.*
around	Approximately at that moment	He arrived around* noon.*
about	Approximately at that moment	The class starts about* 10 AM.*
past	After a precise hour	It's past* midnight.*
up to	Until a given moment	The offer is valid up to* the end of the month.*
as of	From a given moment	The policy applies as of* next year.*
throughout	During an entire period	The song played throughout* the concert.*
over	During a given period	He stayed over* the weekend.*
ahead of	Before a given moment (more formal)	We must plan ahead of* the deadline.*

« In » - « on » - « at »

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

Nuances 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 limit moment.
- Finish this report by Friday.
- I'll be there by 6 PM.
« Before » indicates that something happens earlier than another event or moment.
- We must leave before sunset.
- Finish your homework before dinner.
« Until » indicates the continuity of an action or state until a specific moment.
- I stayed at the office until 7 PM.
- He waited till midnight.
« 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 » indicates 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 lasts until the present.
- I have lived here since 2010.
- She has been waiting since this morning.

3. Prepositions of Direction or Movement

These prepositions describe where one moves or how a movement occurs.

Preposition	Meaning	Example
across	From one side to the other	He walked across* the street.*
through	Through a closed space	The train passed through* the tunnel.*
along	Along	We walked along* the beach.*
onto	Onto a surface	He jumped onto* the table.*
into	Into an interior space	She went into* the room.*
out of	Out of	He got out of* the car.*
from	Origin of a movement	He came from* London.*
towards	Towards	She ran towards* the exit.*
to	To a destination	We are going to Paris.
off	Off a surface	She fell off* the chair.*
up	Up	He climbed up the ladder.
down	Down	She walked down* the stairs.*
beyond	Beyond	The town is beyond* the hills.*
past	Past	She walked past* the bank.*
around	Around	They traveled around* the world.*

« To » - « into » - « onto »

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

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

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

In / To + country

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

« Around » - « About »

« Around » or « about » can indicate a circular or approximate movement around a place.
- He wandered around the park.
- They walked about the city, exploring the streets.

4. Other Common Prepositions and Their Uses

Preposition	Meaning	Example
with	Indicates accompaniment, use of a tool, or manner	She wrote with* a pen.* / I went to the party with* my friends.*
without	Indicates absence of something	He left without* his phone.*
by	Used to indicate the agent of an action (passive), a means of transport, or a nearby location	The book was written by Shakespeare. / We traveled by car.
about	Indicates the subject of a discussion or an approximation	We talked about* the new project.* / There were about* 50 people in the room.*
like	Introduces a comparison	She runs like* a cheetah.*
as	Indicates a function, role, or comparison	He works as a teacher. / Do it as I showed you.
except	Excludes an element	Everyone came except* John.*
apart from	Can mean "except" or "in addition to" depending on context	Apart from* English, he speaks Spanish.*
instead of	Indicates an alternative	Take tea instead of* coffee.*
according to	Indicates the source of information	According to the news, it's going to rain.
because of	Indicates the 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	Also used to indicate cause (more formal register)	The match was canceled owing to* heavy rain.*
thanks to	Indicates a positive cause	We succeeded thanks to* your help.*
in spite of	Indicates opposition	He finished the race in spite of* his injury.*
despite	Synonym of "in spite of"	She won despite* the difficulties.*
instead	Indicates a replacement (without "of")	I didn't take the bus. I walked instead.
unlike	Indicates a difference	Unlike his brother, he loves sports.
contrary to	Indicates opposition to a belief or expectation	Contrary to popular belief, bats are not blind.
regarding	Introduces the subject of a document or discussion	I have a question regarding* your proposal.*
concerning	Synonym of "regarding"	He called me concerning* the contract.*
apart	Indicates separation	They live far apart* from each other.*
toward(s)	Indicates an intention or abstract direction	His attitude towards* work has changed.*
beyond	Indicates a limit exceeded (figurative or spatial)	This problem is beyond* my understanding.*
against	Indicates opposition or physical contact	They are against* the new policy.* / She leaned against* the wall.*
per	Indicates frequency or proportion	He earns $20 per* hour.*
via	Indicates an intermediary or passage through a point	We traveled to Italy via* Paris.*
as for	Introduces a different subject in conversation	As for the budget, we need to cut costs.
as well as	Indicates an addition	She speaks French as well as* Spanish.*
rather than	Indicates a preference	I would stay home rather than* go out.*
except for	Indicates an exception	The report is complete except for* a few details.*

« With » - « Without »

« With » indicates accompaniment, the use of a tool, the manner in which something is done.
- I went to the party with my friends.
- She cut the bread with a knife.
« Without » indicates 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 author.
- This book was written by J.K. Rowling.
« by » indicates the method or tool for performing 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 say "pass by"
- We walked by the park on our way home.

« About »

« About » can mean « about » or « approximately ».

We talked about the new movie.
There were about fifty people at the party.

« Like » - « As »

« Like » allows for comparing 2 things or 2 situations.

He runs like a cheetah.

« As » can have several meanings. One common usage is « as »

I work as a teacher.

Nuance between « like » and « as »

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

« as » often introduces a clause (as if, as though)
« like » is often 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 » can be used to exclude or include, depending on the context.

Apart from Monday, I'm free all week.
Apart from that little issue, everything went fine.

5. Special Cases and Traps

« At night » vs. « in the night »

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

I usually sleep at night.

We use « in the night » to say during the night, often to talk about a specific event that happens during the night.

It started raining in the night.

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

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

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 more used in American English

This result is different than I thought.

« Home » (often) without preposition:

When we want to say that we go home, we generally say go home without a preposition.

✅ I'm going home. ❌ I'm going to home.

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

To ask for something, the preposition for is necessary.

She asked for advice.

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

« Look at »

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 study a problem in detail ».

We need to look into this matter.

« Listen to » and « hear »

« Listen to » : we listen attentively to a sound.

I'm listening to music.

« Hear » : we perceive a sound without the notion of active concentration.

I can't hear you properly.

« Wait for » and « wait on »

« Wait for someone/something »

I'm waiting for the train.

« Wait on someone » : to serve someone. This expression is mainly used in the context of catering, but its usage is quite rare

He waited on tables during the summer.

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

« Agree with someone »

I agree with you.

« Agree on a topic »

We agreed on the best course of action.

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

He agreed to help us.

« Depend on » vs. « Depend of »

In English, we say depend on

✅ It depends on the weather. ❌ 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.

Incorrect omission or 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 are among the key points evaluated during the TOEIC®. To improve your score, it is essential to:

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

Other courses

Here are other grammar courses for TOEIC®:

🔗 Complete course to prepare for TOEIC®
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