Master Prepositional Phrases: 100+ Examples for Exam Brilliance

Introduction

Prepositional phrases are essential building blocks of English grammar, consisting of a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun (and sometimes modifiers) that add detail about time, place, or manner, such as “in the morning” or “with great effort.” For students and candidates preparing for competitive exams like SSC, IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE, mastering prepositional phrases is key to excelling in grammar, comprehension, and writing sections. These phrases, like “under the table” in “The cat slept under the table,” enhance sentence richness. This article offers over 100 prepositional phrases examples with meanings, along with practical tips to boost your exam performance.

What Are Prepositional Phrases?

Prepositional phrases are groups of words beginning with a preposition and ending with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase, providing additional information about location, time, direction, or purpose. Examples include “after the game” and “beside the river,” and they are often tested in competitive exam grammar and sentence structure tasks.

100+ Examples of Prepositional Phrases with Meanings

Below is an extensive list of over 100 prepositional phrases, showcasing their use and meanings to strengthen your grammar skills.

1. In the morning – During the morning (She jogs in the morning).
2. On the table – On the surface of the table (The book is on the table).
3. At the park – At the location of the park (They met at the park).
4. To the city – Toward the city (He traveled to the city).
5. For a reason – For a specific cause (She apologized for a reason).
6. With my friends – Accompanied by friends (I went with my friends).
7. By the river – Near the river (The house is by the river).
8. From the start – Beginning from the start (He worked from the start).
9. Of the book – Belonging to the book (The title of the book).
10. About the plan – Concerning the plan (We talked about the plan).
11. Under the bed – Beneath the bed (The cat is under the bed).
12. Over the bridge – Above and across the bridge (They drove over the bridge).
13. Before the meeting – Earlier than the meeting (She arrived before the meeting).
14. After the rain – Later than the rain (They played after the rain).
15. During the night – Throughout the night (He worked during the night).
16. Since last year – From last year onward (I’ve known him since last year).
17. Until tomorrow – Up to tomorrow (Wait until tomorrow).
18. Till the end – Up to the finish (They stayed till the end).
19. Through the forest – Passing within the forest (She walked through the forest).
20. Across the street – From one side to another (He ran across the street).
21. Into the room – Entering the room (They went into the room).
22. Out of the house – Exiting the house (She stepped out of the house).
23. Up the hill – Toward the higher hill (They climbed up the hill).
24. Down the stairs – Toward the lower stairs (He slid down the stairs).
25. Between the trees – Among two trees (The path is between the trees).
26. Among the crowd – Within the crowd (She moved among the crowd).
27. Behind the building – At the back of the building (The car is behind the building).
28. In front of the school – Ahead of the school (He waited in front of the school).
29. Beside the river – Next to the river (They camped beside the river).
30. Near the station – Close to the station (The hotel is near the station).
31. Far from home – At a distance from home (She lives far from home).
32. Above the clouds – Higher than the clouds (The plane flew above the clouds).
33. Below the surface – Lower than the surface (The fish swam below the surface).
34. Beneath the ground – Under the ground (The treasure is beneath the ground).
35. Underneath the chair – Directly under the chair (The toy is underneath the chair).
36. Beyond the horizon – Further than the horizon (They sailed beyond the horizon).
37. Around the corner – Surrounding the corner (The shop is around the corner).
38. Along the coast – Following the coast (They walked along the coast).
39. Toward the exit – In the direction of the exit (She headed toward the exit).
40. Away from danger – At a distance from danger (He ran away from danger).
41. Off the road – Away from the road (The car veered off the road).
42. Onto the roof – Moving to the roof (He climbed onto the roof).
43. Within the limit – Inside the limit (Stay within the limit).
44. Without a doubt – Lacking doubt (He agreed without a doubt).
45. Against the wall – In opposition to the wall (The ladder leaned against the wall).
46. Past the gate – Beyond the gate (She ran past the gate).
47. Except for him – Excluding him (Everyone came except for him).
48. Including the tax – Together with the tax (The price is including the tax).
49. Inside the box – Within the box (The gift is inside the box).
50. Outside the house – Beyond the house (They played outside the house).
51. Overhead the sky – Above the sky (The birds flew overhead the sky).
52. Underfoot the grass – Under the grass (The ground was wet underfoot the grass).
53. Amid the chaos – In the middle of the chaos (They stood amid the chaos).
54. Amidst the storm – In the middle of the storm (He walked amidst the storm).
55. Aboard the ship – On or into the ship (They went aboard the ship).
56. Ashore the beach – To the beach shore (The sailors came ashore the beach).
57. Alongside the train – Next to the train (The car drove alongside the train).
58. Astride the horse – With a leg on each side (He sat astride the horse).
59. Atop the mountain – On top of the mountain (The flag was atop the mountain).
60. Belowdecks the vessel – Inside the lower part of the vessel (He worked belowdecks the vessel).
61. Despite the odds – In spite of the odds (She succeeded despite the odds).
62. Throughout the day – All through the day (Rain fell throughout the day).
63. Upon the table – On the table (The book was upon the table).
64. Via the highway – By way of the highway (He traveled via the highway).
65. Withal the effort – In addition to the effort (She was kind withal the effort).
66. Concerning the issue – About the issue (He asked concerning the issue).
67. Regarding the plan – About the plan (She wrote regarding the plan).
68. Touching the matter – Concerning the matter (He spoke touching the matter).
69. Considering the time – Taking into account the time (He did well considering the time).
70. Pending approval – Until approval (The decision is pending approval).
71. Per person – For each person (The cost is $10 per person).
72. Plus the extras – In addition to the extras (The total is 5 plus the extras).
73. Minus the tax – Less the tax (The amount is 10 minus the tax).
74. Times the effort – Multiplied by the effort (Two times the effort).
75. Than the others – Compared to the others (She is taller than the others).
76. Like the wind – Similar to the wind (He runs like the wind).
77. Unlike the rest – Different from the rest (Unlike the rest, he stayed).
78. As a leader – In the capacity of a leader (She works as a leader).
79. But for you – Except for you (All came but for you).
80. Save for one – Except for one (All were present save for one).
81. Bar the door – Except the door (The room is full bar the door).
82. Worth the price – Having a value of the price (It’s worth the price).
83. Less than me – Minus compared to me (He has less than me).
84. More than enough – In addition to enough (She has more than enough).
85. Beyond the limit – Past the limit (The story goes beyond the limit).
86. Round the table – Around the table (They sat round the table).
87. About the corner – Approximately the corner (It’s about the corner).
88. Close to home – Near home (The park is close to home).
89. Next to the bed – Beside the bed (She sat next to the bed).
90. Opposite the store – Across from the store (The bank is opposite the store).
91. Across from the park – Facing the park (He stood across from the park).
92. In between the cars – Between the cars (The dog is in between the cars).
93. Out of the window – From within the window (He looked out of the window).
94. Into the bargain – In addition to the bargain (He helped into the bargain).
95. In lieu of cash – In place of cash (She took goods in lieu of cash).
96. On account of rain – Because of rain (He left on account of rain).
97. Owing to delay – Due to delay (The meeting was owing to delay).
98. Thanks to her – Because of her (We won thanks to her).
99. Due to weather – Caused by weather (The cancellation was due to weather).
100. As per rules – According to rules (Do it as per rules).
101. In accordance with law – In agreement with law (Act in accordance with law).
102. In spite of trouble – Despite trouble (He continued in spite of trouble).
103. Regardless of cost – Without regard to cost (They went regardless of cost).
104. Apart from him – Besides him (Apart from him, all came).
105. As well as her – In addition to her (He sings as well as her).
106. In addition to work – Besides work (He brought food in addition to work).

Tips for Using Prepositional Phrases in Competitive Examinations

Prepositional phrases are 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 Structure: Identify phrases with a preposition and object (e.g., “in the morning”) for SSC grammar.
2. Practice Placement: Use at the beginning, middle, or end (e.g., “With care, she worked”) for IELTS writing.
3. Identify in Texts: Spot prepositional phrases in reading passages (e.g., “under the bed”) for GRE comprehension.
4. Avoid Errors: Ensure correct pairing (e.g., “on the table,” not “at the table”) for TOEFL writing.
5. Match Context: Use appropriate phrases (e.g., “for a reason” for purpose) for SSC tests.
6. Enhance Speaking: Use prepositional phrases (e.g., “to the park”) in IELTS/TOEFL speaking for clarity.
7. Solve Exercises: Use SSC/TOEFL workbooks with phrase fill-in-the-blanks to build accuracy.
8. Practice Writing: Include varied phrases (e.g., “after the game”) 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 phrase usage.

Conclusion

Prepositional phrases are a vital skill for adding detail and context to sentences, essential for excelling in competitive exams like SSC, IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE, where they test grammar and writing proficiency. By mastering the 100+ prepositional phrases examples provided and applying the tips above, students and candidates can confidently tackle exam challenges and enhance their language skills. Consistent practice and a clear understanding of prepositional phrases will lead to exam success and improved communication abilities.

Also Read: Master Prepositions of Movement: 100+ Examples for Exam Victory

Master Adverbial Phrases: 100+ Examples for Exam Triumph