Prepositions for Class 5

What are Prepositions?

Words that indicate the relationship between nouns, pronouns, or phrases and other sentence elements are called prepositions. They typically come before a noun or pronoun but at the end of a sentence.
Common prepositions include in, on, beneath, above, beside, behind, between, among, near, with, etc. These prepositions are essential for understanding English phrases and constructing them effectively.

Uses of Various Prepositions

Prepositions are important to understand English grammar because they indicate the relationship between other words in a phrase. They often show how something is oriented or situated to another. Let's see how prepositions are used:

1. They are used to indicate the location of objects.
2. They are used to denote the timing of events.
3. They are used to indicate the direction of movement.
4. They are used to denote possession or ownership.
5. They are used in comparisons.
6. They are used to show the cause or reason for something.
7. They are used to indicate the agent responsible for an action.
8. They are used to convey a state or condition.

Types of Prepositions

1. Simple Prepositions

Simple prepositions are words that indicate the relationship between direction or place in a sentence. These are short words that help us understand our location or the relationship between one object and another. Here are some examples of simple prepositions:

1. Stacy lives in a penthouse.
2. The painting is hanging on the wall.
3. The ball is under the bed.
4. That fan is above my desk.
5. What would you choose between peanut butter or mayonnaise?
6. My car is parked outside the bank.

2. Compound Prepositions

Compound prepositions are made up of two or more words. They are used in sentences to show the relationship between persons or objects. Here are some examples of compound prepositions:

1. He stood in front of the class to give his presentation.
2. Jack likes to sit next to my best friend in class.
3. The notebook is behind the vase on the shelf.
4. The birthday cake has candles on top of it.
5. The park is near to my house, so we can play there.

3. Phrase Prepositions

Phrasal prepositions are word groups that show the relationship between two things in a sentence by acting as a single preposition in the sentence. They consist of one or more additional words and a preposition, which is a word that indicates how one word is related to another. Here are some phrasal prepositions:

1. The spider built its cobweb in the corner of the ceiling.
2. The cake had a cherry in the centre of the icing.
3. She walked across the bridge to get to the other side.
4. The keys are under the mat.
5. They went on a vacation to the beautiful island.

To Read About Preositions for Class 6: Click here

Commonly Confused Prepositions

Prepositions can be difficult to understand, therefore here is a list of a few prepositions that are frequently misunderstood.

1. In vs. On

In - We use "in" when something is enclosed or inside a space. For example, The dog is in the house.

On - We use "on" when something is on a surface. For example, The pen is on the table.

2. At vs. On

At - We use "at" to specify a specific location or point in time. For example, We will meet at the cafe.

On - We use "on" to specify days and dates. For example, We are trekking on the hills.

3. Under vs. Below

Under - We use "under" when something is covered or beneath another object. For example, My cat is hiding under the bed.

Below - We use "below" to describe something lower in position but not necessarily covered. For example, The fish swim below the surface of the water.

4. Between vs. Among

Between - We use "between" when referring to two things or people. For example, The ball is between John and Sarah.

Among - We use "among" when referring to more than two things or people. For example, Share the pastry among the three of you.

5. Beside vs. Besides

Beside - We use "beside" to indicate physical proximity or being next to something. For example, I sat beside my best friend in class.

Besides - We use "besides" to mean in addition to or as well as. For example, Besides pizza, they also serve pasta at the restaurant.

FAQs

1. What is a preposition?

Answer: A preposition is a word in a sentence that demonstrates the link between a noun or pronoun and other words. It frequently denotes place, direction, time, or manner.

2. Mention types of prepositions.

Answer: There are several types of prepositions, but the main categories include prepositions of place, time, direction and manner.

3. What are prepositions of place? Give one example.

Answer: Prepositions of place are used to show the location.
For example, The ball is between the two chairs.