Master Preposition Usage: 100+ Examples for Exam Mastery

Introduction

Preposition usage is a cornerstone of English grammar, involving the correct application of prepositions to indicate relationships between words, such as time, place, direction, or purpose, with examples like “at,” “in,” and “with.” For students and candidates preparing for competitive exams like SSC, IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE, proficient preposition usage is vital for excelling in grammar, comprehension, and writing sections. Phrases like “on time” in “She arrived on time” demonstrate how prepositions enhance clarity. This article provides over 100 preposition usage examples with meanings, along with practical tips to improve your exam performance as of 10:32 PM IST on Tuesday, August 05, 2025.

What Is Preposition Usage?

Preposition usage refers to the proper employment of prepositions—words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other parts of a sentence—to convey relationships like location, time, or manner. Examples include “under,” “before,” and “beside,” and they are frequently evaluated in competitive exam grammar and sentence construction tasks.

100+ Examples of Preposition Usage with Meanings

Below is an extensive list of over 100 examples of preposition usage, showcasing their application and meanings to strengthen your grammar skills.

1. At 10:32 PM – Specific time (The meeting is at 10:32 PM).
2. In August – During the month (She was born in August).
3. On Tuesday – On that specific day (He works on Tuesday).
4. To the store – Toward the store (She walked to the store).
5. For an hour – Duration (He waited for an hour).
6. With friends – Accompanied by friends (I traveled with friends).
7. By the window – Near the window (She sat by the window).
8. From home – Starting from home (He called from home).
9. Of the book – Belonging to the book (The cover of the book).
10. About the topic – Concerning the topic (They discussed about the topic).
11. Under the table – Beneath the table (The dog is under the table).
12. Over the fence – Above and across the fence (He jumped over the fence).
13. Before dinner – Earlier than dinner (She arrived before dinner).
14. After the show – Later than the show (They left after the show).
15. During the day – Throughout the day (He works during the day).
16. Since 2025 – From 2025 onward (I’ve been here since 2025).
17. Until midnight – Up to midnight (Wait until midnight).
18. Till tomorrow – Up to tomorrow (Stay till tomorrow).
19. Through the park – Passing within the park (She ran through the park).
20. Across the road – From one side to another (He walked across the road).
21. Into the house – Entering the house (They went into the house).
22. Out of the car – Exiting the car (She stepped out of the car).
23. Up the stairs – Toward the higher stairs (They climbed up the stairs).
24. Down the hill – Toward the lower hill (He rolled down the hill).
25. Between us – Among two (The secret is between us).
26. Among friends – Within friends (She shared it among friends).
27. Behind the door – At the back of the door (The cat is behind the door).
28. In front of the house – Ahead of the house (He parked in front of the house).
29. Beside the lake – Next to the lake (They camped beside the lake).
30. Near the school – Close to the school (The bus stops near the school).
31. Far from the city – At a distance from the city (She lives far from the city).
32. Above the sky – Higher than the sky (The plane flew above the sky).
33. Below the sea – Lower than the sea (The submarine is below the sea).
34. Beneath the sand – Under the sand (The treasure is beneath the sand).
35. Underneath the bed – Directly under the bed (The shoes are underneath the bed).
36. Beyond the forest – Further than the forest (They explored beyond the forest).
37. Around the garden – Surrounding the garden (They walked around the garden).
38. Along the river – Following the river (He jogged along the river).
39. Toward the exit – In the direction of the exit (She moved toward the exit).
40. Away from noise – At a distance from noise (He stayed away from noise).
41. Off the path – Away from the path (The car went off the path).
42. Onto the stage – Moving to the stage (He stepped onto the stage).
43. Within the room – Inside the room (Stay within the room).
44. Without help – Lacking help (He managed without help).
45. Against the wall – In opposition to the wall (The ladder is against the wall).
46. Past the gate – Beyond the gate (She ran past the gate).
47. Except for me – Excluding me (All came except for me).
48. Including the fee – Together with the fee (The cost is including the fee).
49. Inside the bag – Within the bag (The keys are inside the bag).
50. Outside the gate – Beyond the gate (They played outside the gate).
51. Overhead the roof – Above the roof (The kite flew overhead the roof).
52. Underfoot the path – Under the path (The ground was wet underfoot the path).
53. Amid the crowd – In the middle of the crowd (He stood amid the crowd).
54. Amidst the rain – In the middle of the rain (She walked amidst the rain).
55. Aboard the train – On or into the train (They went aboard the train).
56. Ashore the coast – To the coast (The sailors came ashore the coast).
57. Alongside the road – Next to the road (The bike rode alongside the road).
58. Astride the bike – With a leg on each side (He sat astride the bike).
59. Atop the hill – On top of the hill (The flag was atop the hill).
60. Belowdecks the ship – Inside the lower part of the ship (He worked belowdecks the ship).
61. Despite the storm – In spite of the storm (They continued despite the storm).
62. Throughout the week – All through the week (Rain fell throughout the week).
63. Upon the desk – On the desk (The papers are upon the desk).
64. Via the tunnel – By way of the tunnel (He traveled via the tunnel).
65. Withal the support – In addition to the support (She succeeded withal the support).
66. Concerning the issue – About the issue (He inquired concerning the issue).
67. Regarding the matter – About the matter (She wrote regarding the matter).
68. Touching the topic – Concerning the topic (He spoke touching the topic).
69. Considering the effort – Taking into account the effort (He did well considering the effort).
70. Pending the decision – Until the decision (The plan is pending the decision).
71. Per day – For each day (The rate is $50 per day).
72. Plus the bonus – In addition to the bonus (The total is 5 plus the bonus).
73. Minus the cost – Less the cost (The amount is 10 minus the cost).
74. Times the number – Multiplied by the number (Two times the number).
75. Than before – Compared to before (She is faster than before).
76. Like the others – Similar to the others (He acts like the others).
77. Unlike yesterday – Different from yesterday (Unlike yesterday, it’s quiet).
78. As a friend – In the capacity of a friend (She helped as a friend).
79. But for rain – Except for rain (All went well but for rain).
80. Save for him – Except for him (All were ready save for him).
81. Bar the noise – Except the noise (The place is calm bar the noise).
82. Worth the effort – Having a value of the effort (It’s worth the effort).
83. Less than her – Minus compared to her (He has less than her).
84. More than expected – In addition to expected (She got more than expected).
85. Beyond the reach – Past the reach (The goal is beyond the reach).
86. Round the corner – Around the corner (The shop is round the corner).
87. About the house – Approximately the house (It’s about the house).
88. Close to the door – Near the door (The chair is close to the door).
89. Next to the chair – Beside the chair (She sat next to the chair).
90. Opposite the window – Across from the window (The desk is opposite the window).
91. Across from the table – Facing the table (He stood across from the table).
92. In between the lines – Between the lines (The meaning is in between the lines).
93. Out of the box – From within the box (He took it out of the box).
94. Into the bargain – In addition to the bargain (He offered help into the bargain).
95. In lieu of payment – In place of payment (She took goods in lieu of payment).
96. On account of delay – Because of delay (He left on account of delay).
97. Owing to weather – Due to weather (The event was owing to weather).
98. Thanks to effort – Because of effort (We won thanks to effort).
99. Due to traffic – Caused by traffic (The delay was due to traffic).
100. As per schedule – According to schedule (Arrive as per schedule).
101. In accordance with rules – In agreement with rules (Act in accordance with rules).
102. In spite of challenges – Despite challenges (He succeeded in spite of challenges).
103. Regardless of time – Without regard to time (They went regardless of time).
104. Apart from her – Besides her (Apart from her, all agreed).
105. As well as him – In addition to him (She sings as well as him).
106. In addition to work – Besides work (He brought food in addition to work).

Tips for Using Preposition Usage in Competitive Examinations

Preposition usage is a key focus in SSC, IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE exams, tested through grammar, sentence correction, and comprehension tasks. Here are essential tips to master them:

1. Learn Categories: Identify time (e.g., “in”), place (e.g., “on”), and direction (e.g., “to”) for SSC grammar.
2. Practice Placement: Use prepositions before objects (e.g., “at home”) for IELTS writing.
3. Identify in Texts: Spot preposition usage in reading passages (e.g., “under”) for GRE comprehension.
4. Avoid Errors: Ensure correct pairings (e.g., “in the evening,” not “at the evening”) for TOEFL writing.
5. Match Context: Use appropriate prepositions (e.g., “for” for duration) for SSC tests.
6. Enhance Speaking: Use prepositions (e.g., “to the park”) in IELTS/TOEFL speaking for fluency.
7. Solve Exercises: Use SSC/TOEFL workbooks with preposition fill-in-the-blanks to build accuracy.
8. Practice Writing: Include varied prepositions (e.g., “with friends”) in GRE essays.
9. Review Regularly: Create lists of examples for daily revision, aiding vocabulary growth.
10. Mock Test Practice: Take SSC/IELTS mock tests to identify weak areas in preposition usage.

Conclusion

Preposition usage is a vital skill for establishing clear relationships in sentences, essential for excelling in competitive exams like SSC, IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE, where it tests grammar and writing proficiency. By mastering the 100+ preposition usage examples provided and applying the tips above, students and candidates can confidently tackle exam challenges and enhance their language skills as of 10:32 PM IST on Tuesday, August 05, 2025. Consistent practice and a clear understanding of preposition usage will lead to exam success and improved communication abilities.

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