Complex prepositions

Judith Kpakpo

A complex preposition is a word group (such as “along with” or “on account of”) that functions like an ordinary one-word prep osition.

Complex prepositions can be divided into two groups:

two-word units (a word + a simple preposition), such as apart from (also known as compound prepositions)
three-word units (a simple preposition + a noun + a simple preposition), such as by means of (also known as phrasal prepositions)

See Examples and Observations below. Also see:

Examples of Complex Prepositions in English

according to
ahead of
along with
apart from
as for
as well as
aside from
away from
because of
but for
by means of
by virtue of
by way of
close to
contrary to
due to
except for
far from
for lack of
in accordance with
in addition to
in back of
in between
in (the) case of
in charge of
in exchange for
in front of
in light of
in line with
in place of
in (the) process of
in regard to
inside of
in spite of
instead of
in view of
near to
next to
on account of
on behalf of
on top of
out of
outside of
owing to
prior to
subsequent to
such as
thanks to
together with
up against
up to
up until
with respect to

Examples of Complex Prepositions in Sentences

“Up until Pearl Harbor, half of the 48 states had laws making it illegal to employ a married woman.”
(Bill Bryson, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Broadway Books, 2006)
“Her name is Miss Mey. She owns all the land for miles around, as well as the house in which we live.”
(Alice Walker, “Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self,” 1983)
“To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”
(George Orwell, “In Front of Your Nose.” Tribune, March 22, 1946)
“But our deeds are like children that are born to us; they live and act apart from our own will. Nay, children may be strangled, but deeds never: they have an indestructible life both in and out of our consciousness.”
(George Eliot, Romola, 1862-1863)
“To ensure that it was not for lack of appetite that the spider had rejected the moth, I offered the spider an edible scarab beetle, which it promptly took.”
(Thomas Eisner, For Love of Insects. Harvard University Press, 2003)
“Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.”
(Charles Kuralt, On the Road With Charles Kuralt. Putnam, 1985)
“In addition to my other numerous acquaintances, I have one more intimate confidant. My depression is the most faithful mistress I have known. No wonder, then, that I return the love.”
(Soren Kierkegaard, Either/Or, 1843; translated 1987)
“Man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments.”
(John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath. Viking, 1939)

Observations:

“As opposed to simple prepositions, compound prepositions are two or three words in length. . . .

Juan’s car is parked in front of the store.

Notice how the compound preposition in front of describes the relationship between Juan’s car and the store.

Uga sat next to Marta at the pep rally.

In the above sentence, the compound preposition next to describes where Uga sat in relation to Marta.

We were late because of the heavy traffic.

In this last example, the compound preposition because of shows the relationship between the lateness and the heavy traffic.” (Jeffrey Strausser and Jose Paniza, Painless English For Speakers of Other Languages. Barron’s, 2007)

Preposition of Place

What is a preposition of place?

A preposition of place is a preposition which is used to refer to a place where something or someone is located. There are only three prepositions of place, however they can be used to discuss an almost endless number of places.

At – A preposition of place which is used to discuss a certain point
In – A preposition of place which is used to discuss an enclosed space
On – A preposition of time which is used to discuss a surface

Prepositions of place allow you to be very specific when talking about where action takes place in stories or when discussing important details for communication purposes.

Examples of Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place give you the ability to tell others where something is located. In the following examples, the prepositions of place have been italicized for ease of identification.

Jessie waited for Jim at the corner.

The mall is located at the intersection of Main Street and Third Avenue.

We spent a quiet evening at home.

I’m growing tomatoes in my garden.

Marie was born in Paris, France.

I was so tired that I took a nap in the car.

Please place the bouquet on the table.

I really wish you would stop throwing your dirty clothes on the floor.

What’s on the menu this evening?

Preposition of Time

What is a preposition of time?

A preposition of time is a preposition that allows you to discuss a specific time period such as a date on the calendar, one of the days of the week, or the actual time something takes place. Prepositions of time are the same words as prepositions of place, however they are used in a different way. You can easily distinguish these prepositions, as they always discuss times rather than places.

At – This preposition of time is used to discuss clock times, holidays and festivals, and other very specific time frames including exceptions, such as “at night.”
In – This preposition of time is used to discuss months, seasons, years, centuries, general times of day, and longer periods of time such as “in the past.”
On – This preposition of time is used to discuss certain days of the week or portions of days of the week, specific dates, and special days such as “on New Year’s Day.”

Prepositions of time allow you to tell your readers when things are taking place. They are vital parts of speech to use in stories, as well as when writing simple communications, reports, and other items.

Examples of Prepositions of Time

There may only be three prepositions of time, but the ways in which you can use them are almost endless. In the following examples, the prepositions of time have been italicized for ease of identification.

My birthday falls in January.

Birds often migrate in spring and autumn.

My great-grandmother was born in 1906.

Breakfast is a meal which is generally eaten in the morning.

My parents grew up in the 1960s.

My vacation ends on Monday.

We’re going bowling on Friday night.

My brother John was born on September 3^rd.

We always have a huge celebration on New Year’s Eve.

Meet me at 7:30.

The town is always well-decorated at Christmastime.

Now that my grandfather is older, he no longer drives at night.