Published at August 22, 2024

Prepositions Before or After a Noun in English - TOEIC® Preparation

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a teacher explaining prepositions before or after a noun in English for TOEIC® preparation

In English, some nouns are followed or preceded by specific prepositions to express a particular relationship or connection between the noun and the rest of the sentence.

The most common prepositions used before or after nouns are "of", "on", "for", "with", "to", "about", "in", and "at". To know which preposition to use, one of the most effective methods is to memorize the following lists.

Knowing these lists can really help you score points easily on the TOEIC®, as you will find many questions on this topic (especially in the reading section).

1. Form

There are general but not universal rules for choosing which preposition to use:

1. AT / IN / ON : Prepositions of place

AT : Used for a specific point or place.
- « She is at the bus stop. »
IN : Used for an enclosed space or a larger area like a city, country, etc.
- « He lives in Paris. »
ON : Used for a surface or for places related to events or movements.
- « The book is on the table. »

2. FOR / TO: Prepositions of intention or purpose

FOR: Used to indicate the purpose or reason for an action.
- "This gift is for you."
TO: Used to express movement or direction, but also to indicate purpose after certain verbs like "go", "come", etc.
- "She went to the store."

3. IN / OF: Prepositions to express variations (increase or decrease)

IN / OF: These two prepositions are used after a noun to talk about an increase or decrease.
- IN is relatively generic: "There was a rise in temperature."
- OF is often followed by a "number" (an amount, a value).

4. WITH / WITHOUT: Prepositions of accompaniment or exclusion

WITH: Indicates accompaniment, the use of a tool, or an association.
- "He came with his friend."
WITHOUT: Indicates absence or exclusion.
- "She left without her phone."

5. ABOUT / OF: Prepositions of subject or possession

ABOUT: Used to indicate the subject of discussion, thought, or emotion.
- "They talked about the new project."
OF: Used to indicate possession or a specific relationship between two elements.
- "The color of the sky."

6. BY / WITH: Prepositions of means

BY: Used to indicate the agent of an action or the means of transport.
- "The book was written by the author."
- "She traveled by car."
WITH: Used to indicate the tool or object used to accomplish an action.
- "He cut the paper with scissors."

7. FROM / TO: Prepositions of origin and destination

FROM: Indicates the starting point, origin, or source.
- "She is from Italy."
TO: Indicates the destination or endpoint.
- "They are going to the park."

2. List of nouns preceded by a preposition (to memorize)

Preposition + noun
at a distance
at a good price
at a loss
at a profit/loss
at cost price
at fault
at risk
at short notice
at the helm
at your convenience
by accident
by airmail/email
by all means
by car/bus
by chance
by cheque/credit card
by coincidence
by hand
by law
by mistake
by post
by return
by the book
by the terms of
for a change
for good
for lunch
for sale
for the time being
in a hurry
in accordance with
in advance
in bulk
in charge of
in collaboration with
in compliance with
in debt
in general
in light of
in my opinion
in person
in response to
in stock
in the end
in the loop
in writing
on application
on behalf of
on business
on foot
on hold
on holiday
on loan
on order
on purpose
on sale
on the agenda
on the market
on the same page
on the whole
on time
out of date
out of order
out of stock
out of the blue
to my mind
under contract
under control
under pressure
under review
with reference to

3. List of nouns followed by a preposition (to memorize)

Preposition + noun
access to
advantage of
advice on
alternative to
application for
attention to
basis for
benefit of
cause of
cheque for
connection with/to
cost of
demand for
difference between
effect on
example of
experience of/in
fall in/of
increase/decrease in/of
interest in
invitation to
key to
lack of
matter with
need for
opinion of
order for
participation in
preparation for
price of
reason for
reply to
request for
response to
rise in/of
solution for
solution to
tax on
transition to
trouble with
understanding of

Conclusion

Questions about prepositions are very common in the TOEIC®.

Even though it may seem complicated to memorize these lists, it is worth it because you can earn TOEIC® points quite easily.

We know it can be hard to memorize all this, which is why we are working on games to help you memorize these lists. If you want to try these games, click the button to join the platform below!

In the meantime, if you are looking for other lists like this, feel free to check out these other articles: