Prepositions

Prepositions — Exam Weightage Split

Academic (≈40%)

Basic positional/directional prepositions used in normal sentence construction — in, into, on, onto, etc.

Competitive (≈60%)

Error-spotting focused: (1) Verbs that take NO preposition, (2) Verbs with a FIXED preposition, (3) Verbs that take DIFFERENT prepositions depending on meaning/object.

Competitive Prepositions = No Preposition + Fixed Preposition + Different Preposition

⚡ QUICK RECALL For SSC/BPSC/BSSC error-spotting questions, the trap is almost always an extra unnecessary preposition added after certain verbs (enter into, discuss about, attack on, etc.) — these verbs are already complete without a preposition.

Words That Take NO Preposition

These verbs are transitive and already carry the meaning of the preposition inside them — adding a preposition after them is a common error.

1. Enter (NOT enter into) = come into

She entered into my room quietly.

✔ She entered my room quietly. / She came into my room quietly.

2. Return (NOT return back) = come back

My beloved friend returned back from U.S.A.

✔ My beloved friend returned from U.S.A. / came back from U.S.A.

3. Investigate (NOT investigate into) = enquire into

The detective investigated into the murder case.

✔ The detective investigated the murder case. / enquired into the murder case.

4. Despite (NOT despite of) = in spite of

Despite of being well-off, she is greedy.

✔ Despite being well-off, she is greedy. / In spite of being well-off, she is greedy.

5. Comprise (NOT comprise of) = consist of

This class comprises of 50 students.

✔ This class comprises 50 students. / consists of 50 students.

6. Describe (NOT describe about)

The poet described about the beauty of the landscape.

✔ The poet described the beauty of the landscape.

7. Discuss (NOT discuss about)

The students discussed about the problem with their teacher.

✔ The students discussed the problem with their teacher.

8. Explain (NOT explain of/about)

The teacher explained about the question.

✔ The teacher explained the question.

9. Attack (NOT attack on/upon)

The tiger attacked on me.

✔ The tiger attacked me.

10. Emphasize (NOT emphasize on)

Our mathematics teacher emphasizes on the need for a lot of practice.

✔ Our mathematics teacher emphasizes the need for a lot of practice.

11. Cope (NOT cope up) with = to manage

Will you be able to cope up with the new job?

✔ Will you be able to cope with the new job?

12. Order (NOT order for) = ask for

He ordered for a cup of tea.

✔ He ordered a cup of tea. / He asked for a cup of tea.

13. Resemble (NOT resemble with/to)

She resembles with her mother.

✔ She resembles her mother.

14. Ridicule (NOT ridicule to/with)

Structure: Ridicule + somebody/something

✔ Some girls ridiculed him. / He ridiculed her wife.

15. Approach (NOT approach to)

The train is approaching to Delhi.

✔ The train is approaching Delhi.

16. Marry (NOT marry with/to in Active)

Active: Marry + [no preposition]. Passive: Be + V3 + married + to.

✔ Rahul married Pooja. / Pooja was married to Rahul.

Verbs Needing "TO" Before the Object (a related trap)

Advise / Ask / Beg / Encourage / Invite / Tell

Structure: verb + somebody + to do something (NO "to" before "somebody")

I advised to him to give up smoking.

✔ I advised him to give up smoking. / I told you to do it.

Propose / Report / Say / Suggest + to + somebody

Structure: verb + to + somebody + that-clause (here "to" IS required)

He proposed us that we should go to the cinema.

✔ He proposed to us that we should go to the cinema. / She reported to me that two files were missing.

⚠ EXAM TRAP "Advise/Ask/Tell + somebody" never takes "to" before the person, but "Propose/Report/Say/Suggest + to + somebody" ALWAYS needs "to". Examiners flip these two groups against each other to test if you've memorized the difference.

Words With Different Prepositions (Meaning-Based)

These verbs/adjectives change preposition depending on whether the object is a person, thing, place, or abstract idea.

1. Argue

with a person / over some matter

Don't argue with your seniors over this simple matter.

2. Attend

on someone = take care / to a thing = take care

You must attend on your old parents. Could you please attend to my bike for a minute?

3. Apologise

to a person / for something

The actor must apologize to his fans for his rude behaviour.

4. Accountable

to a person / for something

I am not accountable to you for my coming late.

5. Angry

at a thing / with a person

My mom is not angry with me but at my mobile.

6. Anxious

for one's safety / about the result

My father is anxious for me about the result of my exam.

7. Burst

into laughter/tears / upon a city (= to attack)

She burst into laughter at my joke. The American air forces burst upon the cities of Syria.

8. Blind

in one/left/right eye / with both eyes / to somebody's faults

She is blind in one eye. I am not blind to your faults.

9. Care

of a thing / for someone

You must care for your old parents. Will you take care of my bag for a minute?

10. Complain

to somebody / against somebody / of-about something

She complained to the principal against the peon about his carelessness.

11. Concur

with a person / in opinion

She concurred with me in my opinion.

12. Congratulate

a person (no prep.) / on success-achievement

I congratulated him on his success.

13. Call

on a person / at a place

I call on the doctor at the hospital every month.

14. Dash

against a wall/something / over anything

The truck dashed over a running dog and a little later dashed against the wall.

15. Deal

with a problem/person / in something

I don't know how to deal with this problem. My father deals in drugs.

16. Die

of a disease / from a wound-overeating-food poisoning / in battle-accident / for country-belief

She died of cancer but her friend died from overeating. The soldier died in the battlefield for his country.

17. Differ

with a person / from something

He differs with you in this opinion. This book is different from that book.

18. Enter

into a new business/relationship/agreement/era / [a place — no preposition]

She entered the room. My younger brother has entered into a new business this year.

19. Engaged

in some work / to a person

Lately, I have been engaged in this new project. They got engaged to each other pretty fast.

20. Familiar

with somebody/facts / to a language

I am familiar with Madhuri Dixit. I am familiar to Urdu language.

21. Fall

among robbers / in love with a person / on the enemy

Razia fell among robbers on the way back home. Tarun sir has fallen in love with his students.

22. Gratitude

for a thing / to a person

I have shown gratitude to him for his kind work.

23. Jump

at an offer / to a conclusion

She jumped at this lucrative offer. Don't jump to any conclusion without observing the facts.

24. Lead

to some place / into something

This path will lead to success. These habits will lead us into a good personality.

25. Lean

against the wall / on someone / to a certain opinion

Don't lean against the wall. We are not leaning on you for this big project.

26. Live

for something / by sincere labour / on water-bread-fruit-vegetable / within one's means

We should live for country and die for country. In Navratras, people live on fruit and vegetables.

27. Meet

a person [no preposition] / with an accident

He met with an accident on his way back home. I am going to meet my best friend today.

28. Part

with something / from someone

I can part from my girlfriend but not with my phone.

29. Proceed

with a business / on a principle

If I don't get the job in govt sector, I will proceed with my family business.

30. Reconcile

to a situation / with an opponent

I have reconciled with my opponent. He reconciled to his loss-making investments.

31. Talk

to/with a person / of-about an event/something

The teacher is talking to my mother about my future.

32. Thankful

to a person / for something

The state is thankful to the government for new reforms.

33. Trade

with a person / in something

I will not trade with you in gold anymore.

34. Wait

at a bus stop/place/table / for a person/thing

She is waiting at the platform for the train.

⚠ EXAM TRAP Same verb + different preposition = completely different meaning: "die of a disease" vs "die from a wound" vs "die for country" — mixing these up is a top error-spotting trap. Also: "Meet a person" takes NO preposition, but "meet WITH an accident" always needs "with".

⚡ QUICK RECALL Angry AT a thing, Angry WITH a person. Blind IN one eye, Blind WITH both eyes, Blind TO faults. Die OF disease, FROM wound/overeating, IN battle, FOR country.

To / Towards

To = denotes destination | Towards = denotes direction of

They are going to the station. (destination)
They are going towards the station. (direction)

To / For (Motion Verbs)

Go / Get / Come / Return + TO a place | Send somebody / Send something + TO | Leave / Start + FOR a place

I am going to the post office to send this parcel to the city municipal corporation.
I think it will be better if we organize the party tonight because she is going to Paris tomorrow.

Home — Noun vs Adverb

"To" is NEVER used directly before "home" → ✘ to home

Exception: if a possessive adjective (my, our, your, his, her, its, their) comes before "home", "to" CAN be used → To + Poss. Adj + home ✔

Use of "Home"	Function	Example
Home alone (bare)	Adverb — no preposition	She is walking home slowly.
Home as noun (needs prep. before it)	Noun	Poss. Adj + home; also "homes" as plural noun

⚠ EXAM TRAP "I went to home" is always wrong. "I went home" (adverb) is correct. But "The teacher came to my home" is correct because "my" (possessive adjective) precedes "home", making it a noun object of the preposition "to".

In / Into (Position vs Motion)

In = position (state of rest) | Into = motion (movement from outside to inside)

There is another plate in the kitchen. (position)
I ran into the drawing room when I heard the baby cry. (motion)
I do not have a penny in my pocket. (position)
The frustrated lover jumped into the river. (motion)

On / Onto (Position vs Motion)

On = position (state of rest, surface contact) | Onto = motion (movement onto a surface)

There is a first aid kit on top of the shelf. (position)
I have kept a book onto the shelf. (motion)
The dog is sitting on the sofa. (position)
The cat climbed onto the pillow. (motion)

At / In = Time

At = the smallest / a fixed point of the day (dawn, dusk, twilight, sunrise, sunset, midnight) | In = used before named parts of the day (morning, evening, afternoon)

I love taking a walk at dawn.
The meeting starts at 7 in the morning.

At Night / In the Night

At night = during any/every night (general) | In the night = during one particular night (specific)

I often work late at night. / I love eating ice cream at night. (general)
I had to get up to receive my parents in the night. / He could not sleep in the night because of pressure of the match. (specific night)

At / In = Place

At = small places | In = large places

I live at Rohini in Delhi.
She lives at Bapu Nagar in Jaipur.

AT (small)	IN (large)
Village, town, sector, colony	City, state, country, continent

The museum is in the city.
They live at 10 Park Road.

⚠ EXAM TRAP Numbered street addresses ("10 Park Road") take "AT" even though a street/road name is involved — treated as a small/specific point, not a large area.

Up / Down, Above / Below, Over / Under

Up/Down = to/at the higher or lower level

He went up the stairs to see his new room.
The kids ran down the footpath along the park.

Above/Below = to/at a higher or lower level THAN something (comparison)

His monthly income is above 10k. / below 10k.
This work is below my dignity.
The temperature has been above normal for the past couple of weeks.

Over/Under = to/at a higher or lower level than something, but implying surface-touching, vertical relationship, or nearness (also used for motion)

Please put the blanket over the baby.
She is sitting under the tree.
You are under the CCTV surveillance.
The plane flew over the clouds. (motion)
She drove her car over the hill. (motion)

⚠ EXAM TRAP "Above/Below" = pure comparison of level, no contact implied. "Over/Under" = implies contact, covering, or vertical proximity, and can also show motion. "The Simpsons live on the first floor above the shop" is wrong — should be "over the shop" since it's directly above with contact/proximity.

Before / In Front Of

Before = used for a PERSON | In front of = used for a THING

I was standing before him in the queue.
She appeared before the magistrate.
All this happened before my eyes. (fixed phrase with "eyes")
There is a park in front of my office.
I have parked my car in front of the house.

⚡ QUICK RECALL When the sense is "queue/position order", BOTH "before" and "in front of" can be used for a person: "Rahul was behind Kiran but in front of (before) Raj."

Between / Among / Amid

Between = used for only TWO persons or things | Among = used for MORE THAN TWO persons/things | Amid = used for UNCOUNTABLE nouns

There are no similarities between you and me.
The property was divided among the three sisters.
I am looking for an important document amid trash.

⚠ EXAM TRAP "Between" CAN also be used for more than two persons/things when expressing a RECIPROCAL relationship (mutual, one-to-one connection among all parties) — e.g. "There is a multilateral agreement between the three countries." This is an exception that examiners frequently test.

"And" is the conjunction used with Between → Between ___ and ___

I am available between 12pm and 4pm for consultations and visits.
Weight of the baby is between 10kg and 15kg.

Among / Amongst

Generally no difference between "among" and "amongst". But: Amongst + word beginning with a vowel sound.

Among/amongst the college girls. / Among/amongst the schools.
Amongst us, amongst our friends. (vowel sound follows)

Along / Across / Against

Along = in the same line of

There is a park along the road.
Go along this path and you will reach the place.

Across = on the opposite side / from one side to another

There is an old fort across the river.
She lives one block away across the street.
There is a bridge across the River. / Let us swim across the river.
He ran across the road when he saw a dog.

Against = opposing something/somebody / in the opposite direction / pressing on

The rebels protested against the new act promulgated by the government.
One should not go against one's ethics and morals.
He challenged her to swim against the current.
The airplane flew against the wind and crashed.
You can lean against the wall if you don't feel like standing.

Across / Through, Beside / Besides, Round / Around / About

Across = movement over a surface, side to side | Through = movement from one end to the other, passing inside/within something

Nobody has swam across this river. / He went across the road to talk to his friend.
The train passes through a dense forest. / The thief came into the room through the window.

Beside = at the side of | Besides = in addition to something

She came and sat beside me. (at the side of)
Besides the Gita, I have read the Bible. (in addition to)

Round / Around / About

Round → The Earth moves round the sun. / They are sitting round the table. / He walked round the bus and looked at the damaged parts.
Around/About = approximately → There are around/about fifty girls in the class. / Please come here around/about four o'clock.
Around/About = here and there, in different parts of → Why are those people running around/about? / Stop going around/about and start some work.

Practice — Correct the Preposition Error

#	Sentence	Correction
1	Can you please return this book in the library?	to
2	I was not invited to the inaugural party.	No Error
3	You will come at the station to receive you.	to
4	I am sending the remaining amount at your office.	to
5	He has gone in the town to run some errands for me.	to
6	Send the peon to the bank for submitting the documents.	No Error
7	We shall start on the journey tomorrow.	for
8	I will leave for work tomorrow morning.	No Error
9	I went to home after the class.	(remove "to" — adverb)
10	The kids should go to home after the lunch.	(remove "to" — adverb)
11	The teacher came to my home yesterday.	No Error (possessive adj. + home)
12	It's getting late, you should go to your home.	No Error (possessive adj. + home)
13	I think everyone had come [missing "to"] their home for the pre-party rituals...	insert "to" before "their home"
14	The office party was so boring last night that I decided to skip it and went to homo to spend time with my cat.	home
15	While I was waiting for the mailman to arrive with my joining letter, my mother drove the car in the garage.	into (motion)
16	The neighbours came to see what's going on into the house because the sound of the explosion was so loud.	No Error
17	The book is onto the table. Just go straight and turn left, you will find the owner of the bookshop, ask him to wrap it for you.	on (position)
18	The host walked on the stage and welcomed us. He was very polite and generous. He also organised the function pretty well.	No Error
19	They left the camp early at the morning, to have a peaceful hike and enjoy the solitude.	in
20	They attacked the enemy positions in down.	at
21	If you want to cook pasta tonight we have to shop in the supermarket on the way home to get some ingredients.	at
22	I have to take an afternoon nap today because I have to receive some relatives at the night.	in
23	Holidaying at France is easy if you speak French. So it is better if you learn some basic phrases for an eventful trip.	in
24	The plan was hastily devised after the collapse of an agreement among the White House and the pharmaceutical industry to lower Medicare drug costs.	between (only two parties)
25	There was already a sizable gap amongst her wagon and the one in front of her yet the other driver accused her of scratching his car.	between (only two things)
26	The cost should be shared equally between the three of you.	among (more than two)
27	An agreement was reached between the five companies.	No Error (reciprocal relationship exception)
28	The college will not accept candidates with test scores over 60. It is better that you have a backup option so that you don't have a drop year.	below
29	The Simpsons live on the first floor above the shop. They are very friendly people with a great sense of humour, you should meet them.	over

⚡ QUICK RECALL "N.E." (No Error) sentences are deliberately mixed into error-spotting sets — don't assume every sentence has a mistake. Learn the correct forms so well that a correct sentence "sounds right" without needing to force a correction.

Master Table — Prepositions (Quick Revision)

A. No Preposition Verbs

Verb	Correct Meaning/Use
Enter	= come into (no "into" after enter)
Return	= come back (no "back" after return)
Investigate	= enquire into (no "into" after investigate)
Despite	= in spite of (no "of" after despite)
Comprise	= consist of (no "of" after comprise)
Describe	no "about"; Structure: Describe + something + to/for + somebody
Discuss	no "about"; Structure: Discuss + something + with + somebody
Explain	no "of/about"; Structure: Explain + something + to + somebody
Attack	no "on/upon"; Structure: Attack + somebody/something + with + something
Emphasize	no "on"
Cope with	no "up"; = to manage
Order	no "for"; = ask for; Structure: Order + somebody + to do something
Resemble	no "with/to"; Structure: Resemble + somebody/something
Ridicule	no "to/with"; Structure: Ridicule + somebody/something
Approach	no "to"; Structure: Approach + place/something
Advise/Ask/Beg/Encourage/Invite/Tell	no "to" before object; + somebody + to do something
Propose/Report/Say/Suggest	needs "to" before somebody + that-clause
Marry	Active: no preposition; Passive: be + V3 + married + to

B. Different Preposition Verbs (Key Set)

Word	Prepositions & Use
Argue	with a person / over a matter
Attend	on someone (take care) / to a thing (take care)
Apologise	to a person / for something
Accountable	to a person / for something
Angry	at a thing / with a person
Anxious	for one's safety / about the result
Burst	into laughter/tears / upon a city (attack)
Blind	in one eye / with both eyes / to faults
Care	of a thing / for someone
Complain	to somebody / against somebody / of-about something
Concur	with a person / in opinion
Congratulate	(no prep. before person) / on success
Call	on a person / at a place
Dash	against a wall / over anything
Deal	with a problem/person / in something
Die	of disease / from wound-overeating / in battle-accident / for country-belief
Differ	with a person / from something
Enter	into a business/relationship/era / [place – no prep.]
Engaged	in work / to a person
Familiar	with somebody/facts / to a language
Fall	among robbers / in love with / on the enemy
Gratitude	for a thing / to a person
Jump	at an offer / to a conclusion
Lead	to a place / into something
Lean	against the wall / on someone / to an opinion
Live	for something / by labour / on food / within means
Meet	(person – no prep.) / with an accident
Part	with something / from someone
Proceed	with a business / on a principle
Reconcile	to a situation / with an opponent
Talk	to/with a person / of-about something
Thankful	to a person / for something
Trade	with a person / in something
Wait	at a place / for a person/thing

C. Academic Prepositions (Key Pairs)

Pair	Rule
To / Towards	To = destination; Towards = direction of
To / For	Go/Get/Come/Return + to a place; Leave/Start + for a place
Home	No "to" before home (adverb); "to" allowed if possessive adjective precedes home
In / Into	In = position; Into = motion
On / Onto	On = position; Onto = motion
At / In (time)	At = fixed point (dawn, midnight); In = named part of day (morning, evening)
At night / In the night	At night = general/every night; In the night = one specific night
At / In (place)	At = small places (village, town, colony); In = large places (city, state, country)
Up / Down	To/at higher or lower level
Above / Below	To/at higher/lower level THAN something (comparison, no contact)
Over / Under	Higher/lower level with surface-touch/vertical proximity; also used for motion
Before / In front of	Before = for a person; In front of = for a thing (both usable for queue/order sense)
Between / Among / Amid	Between = 2 (or reciprocal relation among more); Among = more than 2; Amid = uncountable nouns
Among / Amongst	No real difference; Amongst preferred before vowel sound
Along	In the same line of
Across	On the opposite side / from one side to another
Against	Opposing / opposite direction / pressing on
Across / Through	Across = side to side over a surface; Through = end to end, passing within
Beside / Besides	Beside = at the side of; Besides = in addition to
Round / Around / About	Round = circular movement; Around/About = approximately, or here-and-there

Academic (≈40%)

Competitive (≈60%)

1. Enter (NOT enter into) = come into

2. Return (NOT return back) = come back

3. Investigate (NOT investigate into) = enquire into

4. Despite (NOT despite of) = in spite of

5. Comprise (NOT comprise of) = consist of

6. Describe (NOT describe about)

7. Discuss (NOT discuss about)

8. Explain (NOT explain of/about)

9. Attack (NOT attack on/upon)

10. Emphasize (NOT emphasize on)

11. Cope (NOT cope up) with = to manage

12. Order (NOT order for) = ask for

13. Resemble (NOT resemble with/to)

14. Ridicule (NOT ridicule to/with)

15. Approach (NOT approach to)

16. Marry (NOT marry with/to in Active)

Advise / Ask / Beg / Encourage / Invite / Tell

Propose / Report / Say / Suggest + to + somebody

1. Argue

2. Attend

3. Apologise

4. Accountable

5. Angry

6. Anxious

7. Burst

8. Blind

9. Care

10. Complain

11. Concur

12. Congratulate

13. Call

14. Dash

15. Deal

16. Die

17. Differ

18. Enter

19. Engaged

20. Familiar

21. Fall

22. Gratitude

23. Jump

24. Lead

25. Lean

26. Live

27. Meet

28. Part

29. Proceed

30. Reconcile

31. Talk

32. Thankful

33. Trade

34. Wait