Educate Yourself..!

 

Rule

the most important rule for prepositions is:

preposition + noun

This is the TestMagic list of most of the prepositions you will ever see on the TOEFL.

There are a few more prepositions in English that are not listed here, but you will probably not see them on the TOEFL since they are fairly uncommon. This list is very important-you should know at least 90% of this list. And don't forget, after every preposition, we must have a noun, and only a noun; NEVER can we have a verb after a preposition.

Be careful!!

Six (6) of these prepositions can also be subordinating conjunctions. In other words, they can be followed by a noun or by a sentence, depending on the meaning.

Huh? Can you show me some examples??

 

Sure, no problem. Look:

• After lunch, I felt sleepy.

o In this sentence, After is a preposition and is therefore followed by only one noun, lunch (no verb here!!).

• After I worked twelve hours, I felt tired.

o In this sentence, After is a subordinating conjunction and is followed by a sentence, I worked twelve hours.

• I worked until midnight.

o Here, until is a preposition and is followed by a noun, midnight. No verbs, please!!!

• I worked until I felt tired.

o In this sentence, until is a subordinating conjunction and is followed by a sentence, I felt tired.

 

List

1. aboard

2. about

3. above

4. absent

5. according to

6. across

7. after (This one can also be a subordinating conjunction . In other words, it can be followed by a noun or a sentence, depending on the meaning).

8. against

9. ahead of

10. all over

11. along

12. alongside

13. amid or amidst

14. among

15. around

16. as (This one can also be a subordinating conjunction . In other words, it can be followed by a noun or a sentence, depending on the meaning).

17. as of

18. as to

19. as + ADVERB OF TIME + as

20. as early as

21. as late as

22. as often as

23. as much as

24. as many as, etc.

25. aside

26. astride

27. at

28. away from

29. bar

30. barring

31. because of

32. before (This one can also be a subordinating conjunction . In other words, it can be followed by a noun or a sentence, depending on the meaning).

33. behind

34. below

35. beneath

36. beside

37. besides

38. between

39. beyond

40. but

41. by

42. by the time of

43. circa

44. close by

45. close to

46. concerning

47. considering

48. despite

49. down

50. due to

51. during

52. except

53. except for

54. excepting

55. excluding

56. failing

57. for (This one can also be a subordinating conjunction . In other words, it can be followed by a noun or a sentence, depending on the meaning).

58. for all (this means despite)

59. from

60. given

61. in

62. in between

63. in front of

64. in keeping with

65. in place of

66. in spite of

67. in view of

68. including

69. inside

70. instead of

71. into

72. less

73. like

74. minus

75. near

76. near to

77. next to

78. notwithstanding

79. of

80. off

81. on

82. on top of

83. onto

84. opposite

85. other than

86. out

87. out of

88. outside

89. over

90. past

91. pending

92. per

93. plus

94. regarding

95. respecting

96. round

97. save

98. saving

99. similar to

100. since (This one can also be a subordinating conjunction . In other words, it can be followed by a noun or a sentence, depending on the meaning).

101. than

102. thanks to (this means because of)

103. through

104. throughout

105. till

106. to

107. toward or towards (both forms are correct, but toward is considered slightly more formal)

108. under

109. underneath

110. unlike

111. until (This one can also be a subordinating conjunction . In other words, it can be followed by a noun or a sentence, depending on the meaning).

112. unto

113. up

114. upon

115. up to

116. versus

117. via

118. wanting

119. with

120. within

122. without