Definition: Preposition shows the time, space, location, direction or logical relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Prepositions that usually stand in front of nouns show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word in the rest of the sentence.

 List of Prepositions: 

About (সম্পর্কে), Above (উপরে), Across (জুড়ে), After (পরে), Against (বিরুদ্ধে), Along (বরাবর), Among (মধ্যে), Around (প্রায়), At (প্রতি), Before (আগে), Behind (পেছন), Below (নিচে), Beside (পাশে), Between (মধ্যে), Beyond (বাহিরে), By (দ্বারা), Except (ছাড়া), For (জন্য), From (থেকে), In (মধ্যে), Like (মত), Near (কাছাকাছি), Of (এর), Off (দূরে/হইতে), On (উপর), Onto (সম্মুখের দিকে), Out of (বাহিরে), Outside (বাহিরে), Over (উপর), Regarding (বিষয়ে), Since (থেকে), Than (চেয়ে), Through (মাধ্যমে), Till (পর্যন্ত), To (প্রতি), Toward (দিকে), Towards (দিকে), Throughout (সর্বত্রব্যাপী), Under (নীচে), Underneath (অধীনে), Unlike (অসদৃশ), Until (যতক্ষণ না পর্যন্ত), Up (উপর), Upon (উপর), With (সঙ্গে), Within (মধ্যে), Without (ছাড়া)

 Look at the following chart

1. Place/position	at, about, above, across, against, among, before, behind, below, between, by, down, in, inside, of, on, over, under, upon, with, within, near
2. Time	at, after, before, by, during, from, for, in, on, since, till, until, within, throughout
3. Direction/movement	at , away, from, across, down, for, from, into, off, over, out of, round, to, towards, up
4. Agency/instrument	at, by, with, through, from
5. Reason/purpose	for, from, of, through, to, with
6. Possession	of, with
7.Standard/rate /value/speed	at, by
8. Other	except, as/like, without, than, unlike

Classification of Preposition

Classification	Example
1. Simple Preposition	in, on, at, about, over, under, off, of, for, to etc.
2. Double Preposition	within (with+in), into (in+to) outside of, out of, from behind, from beneath
3. Compound Preposition	across=on+cross, behind=by+hind, without=with+out, within =with+in, inside=in+side, beneath=by+neath, outside=out+side, into=in+to, along = on+long, by+side=beside,  by+fore =before, by+tween=between, by+ yond =beyond, on+by+out=about,  etc.
4. Phrase Preposition	in front of, because of, by means of, with regard to, on behalf of, instead of, on account of, in opposition to, for the sake of etc.
5. participle Preposition	according, regarding, concerning, notwithstanding, pending, considering
6. Disguised Preposition	It is 10 O’ clock. (O’ = of), I go a hunting. (a = on), He was standing a side of her. (on=a),  She comes here once a/per week. (on =a/per)

Rules of Preposition

On
Usage	Example
days of the week/dates	on Monday, on the 14th June
attached	the picture on the wall
for a place with a river	London lies on the Thames.
being on a surface	on the table
for a certain side (left, right)	on the left
for a floor in a house	on the first floor
for public transport, TV, radio	on the bus/plane , on TV/ radio
walking or riding on horseback	on foot, on horseback
entering a public transport	get on the bus
to indicate a part of the body	on my shoulder/cheek/finger
to indicate the state of something	this store is on sale, on fire

 

In
big place	In Dhaka
picture, world	in the picture, in the world
months / seasons	in August / in winter
time of day	in the morning
year	in 2006
after a certain period of time	in an hour
entering a car/Taxi	get in the car
room, building, street, town, country	in the kitchen, in London
book, paper etc.	in the book
car, taxi	in the car, in a taxi

 

At
for night	at night
for weekend	at the weekend
a certain point of time	at half past nine
to indicate a place	at Mirpur, at the park, at the stadium
meaning next to, by an object	at the door, at the station
for table	at the table
for events	at a concert, at the party
places to do something typical	at the cinema, at school, at work
for age	She learned Russian at 45.

 

To
telling the time	ten to six (5:50)
movement to person or building	go to the cinema
movement to a place or country	go to London/ Ireland
for bed	go to bed

By
in the sense of at the latest	I will be back by 6 o’clock.
up to a certain time	By 11 o’clock, I read five pages.
who made it	a book by Mark Twain
rise or fall of something, travelling	prices risen by 10 percent by car, by bus

 

Over
covered by something else	put a jacket over your shirt
meaning more than	over 16 years of age
getting to the other side	walk over the bridge
overcoming an obstacle	climb over the wall

 

Above
who/ what does it belong to	a page of the book
what does it show	the picture of a palace
race	He comes of respectable family.
to	It is the car of my uncle.
instrument	The house is made of brick.
lack	He is devoid of courtesy.
cause	He died of heart attack.

Some confusing preposition

1. রাস্তার নামসহ বাসার নম্বরের আগে at ব্যবহূত হয় কিন্তু শুধু রাস্তার নাম বোঝালে  in ব্যবহূত হয়।

যেমন: We live at 89 Mirpur Road, Dhaka. They opened an office at 29 Central Road. We live in Mirpur Road, Dhaka. They have opened an office in Central Road.

2. বাড়ির সামনে বা পেছনে বোঝালে at বসে কিন্তু যান বাহনের সামনে বা পেছনে বোঝালে  in  ব্যবহূত হয়। 

যেমন: There is a garden at the front of our house and a pond at the back of our house. Please sit in the front of the car; don’t sit in the back.

3. শুধু রাত বোঝালে at ব্যবহূত হয়। কিন্তু গভীর রাত বোঝালে  in ব্যবহূত হয়।

যেমন: We work by day but sleep at night. I woke up in the night.

4. স্থায়ী কোনো কাজের সঙ্গে যুক্ত থাকা বোঝাতে at এবং স্থায়ী কোনো কাজের সঙ্গে যুক্ত  থাকা বোঝাতে in ব্যবহূত হয়।

যেমন: They are at work now. Boys are at play now. He is in army. She is in politics.

5. খামার বোঝালে on এবং কারখানা বোঝালে তার  আগে  in  ব্যবহূত হয়।

যেমন: He works on a farm; but his brother works in a factory.

6. হাতল বিহীন চেয়ার বোঝালে on এবং হাতল বিশিষ্ট চেয়ার হলে তার আগে in ব্যবহূত 

হয়।

যেমন: Don’t sit on that chair, it is broken. Please sit in this armchair, Comilla stands on the Dhaka- Chittagong Highway. We live in Rankin Street in Dhaka.

7. ঘরের কোণ বোঝালে in বসে কিন্তু রাস্তার কোণ  বোঝালে on/at ব্যবহূত হয়। 

যেমন: There is a television in the corner of our drawing room. There is a tea-stall at / on the corner of the street.

8. তাপমাত্রা ও উচ্চতার ক্ষেত্রে above ব্যবহূত হয়। আবার বয়স বোঝালে over ব্যবহূত হয়।

যেমন: The temperature is three degree above zero.The summit of Everest is about 8000 metres above the sea level. My grandfather is now over eighty. She has been here over two hours.

9.নদী, সীমানা, রাস্তা, ইত্যাদি অন্য পাশে বোঝাতে across/ over ব্যবহূত হয়।

যেমন: It is just across/over the border. It was coming towards me across/ over the bridge.

10. নির্দিষ্ট সময়ে শুরু বোঝালে Since বসে কিন্তু সময়ের  সমষ্টি বোঝালে  for বসে। since ব্যবহূত হয় শুধু Perfect Tense-এর ক্ষেত্রে। কিন্তু from ব্যবহৃত হয় সব Tense-এর ক্ষেত্রে। 

He has been there since Friday last. I will be at home from tomorrow. I haven’t seen you for a long time. I haven’t seen you since September. I Just want to sit down for five minutes. I have known her since January, 1980. He has been here since Friday last. I have been waiting here since 6 o’clock. I was waiting here from 6 o’clock. He was fond of music from his childhood.

Exercises on Preposition

1. He came–7 o’clock. 2. He will start–the lunch. 3. They came–Monday. 4. Mehenaj will return–dinner. 5. It has been raining–a week. 6. It has been raining–Monday. 7. He will come–7 o’clock. 8. Rifa will come–8 o’ clock. 9. Kamrul is–home. 10. I am–my class. 11. He has no roof–his head. 12. There is an umbrella–my head. 13. There is a cap–his head. 14. The thief stood–the judge. 15. He is sitting–a tree. 16. He stood–the station. 17. A beggar is standing–the door. 18. He is above me—rank. 19. He climbed–a tree. 20. He is going–school. 21. He fired–the enemy. 22. He is kind–the poor. 23. There is unity–the boys. 24. There is a village–the hills. 25. There is friendship–Kamal and Jamil. 26. Switzerland lies–France and Germany. 27. He is going–market. 28. She was going to hospital–treatment. 29. They are coming–school. 30. I had a phone call–my cousin. 31. Translate–English. 32. Love turned–hatred. 33. Ice melts–water. 34. Speak clearly–the microphone. 35. He bought a pen–Mohan. 36. He has started–Chittagong. 37. He died–his country. 38. He lives–others. 39. It is a poem–Nazrul. 40. This road runs–Dhaka to Sylhet. 41. I borrowed a book–the library. 42. Leaves are falling–the tree. 43. He is–duty now. 44. He is away–home. 45. The dog jumped–the chair. 46. This chair is made–wood. 47. Steel is made–iron. 48. We make butter–milk. 49. He came here–car. 50. This play was written–Minhaj. 51. He speaks–English. 52. The house was destroyed–fire. 53. We see–our eyes. 54. We can’t see–eyes. 55. My uncle died–cholera. 56. He died –loss of blood. 57. He is trembling–fear. 58. He will suffer–his bad habits. 59. Rice sells–taka 25 a kilo. 60. It is ten–my watch. 61. She is rather tall–her age. 62. She is good at figure. 63. My mother is good–cooking. 64. He is clever–games. 65. I played–my friends. 66. He came–his umbrella. 67. I stand–my friend. 68. He is–the judgment. 69. I am reading a book–English grammar. 70. I told him–my school. 71. Write a paragraph–your school. 72. He is careless–his health. 73. Rihat came home–nine o’clock. 74. The birds start chirping–dawn. 75. I usually get up–6 o’clock. 76. He goes to school–10 am. 77. I could not sleep–midnight. 78. He will come–8:30 pm. 79. I will see you–the end of January. 80. My father will go to London–the beginning of March. 81. Please phone me–lunch time. 82. He will come there–dinner time. 83. He lives–Dhanmondi. 84. I arrived–Kamalapur station–7 o’clock. 85. He waited–the bus stop for over twenty minutes. 86. There were many people–the party. 87. The principal delivered his speech–the meeting. 88. He met Rahat–the concert. 89. He was shocked–his father’s sudden death. 90. He was upset–his failure in the examination. 91. I was delighted–my son’s success. 92. He was alarmed–the news. 93. Rima is good–Mathematics. 94. Lotus is good–typing. 95. He left school–the age of 15. 96. Rice sells–taka 30 a kilo. 97. I was born–March. 98. Our house was built–the 19th century. 99. He learnt driving–three months. 100. He will leave–home in a few hours.

Answer: