Prepositions

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• List of prepositions

Rule

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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!!

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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.
  • 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.
  • In this sentence, After is a subordinating conjunction and is followed by a sentence, I worked twelve hours.
• I worked until midnight.
  • Here, until is a preposition and is followed by a noun, midnight. No verbs, please!!!
• I worked until I felt tired.
  • In this sentence, until is a subordinating conjunction and is followed by a sentence, I felt tired.

List

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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. TestMagic List © 2002
102. than
103. thanks to (this means because of)
104. through
105. throughout
106. till
107. to
108. toward or towards (both forms are correct, but toward is considered slightly more formal)
109. under
110. underneath
111. unlike
112. 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).
113. unto
114. up
115. upon
116. up to
117. versus
118. via
119. wanting
120. with
121. within
122. without