CHAPTER 6
PREPOSITIONS
The preposition is classified as a part of speech in traditional grammar. Prepositions and conjunctions, on
the other hand, are distinct from other parts of speech. The distinction is that (1) each consists of a small
group of words without formal characteristic endings, such as -s (books), -er (taller), -ly (quickly), -ed
(wanted), and (2) each signals syntactic structure that functions as one of the other parts of speech. For these
reasons, modern linguists consider prepositions to be structural words rather than parts of speech. In
Indonesian, the preposition is known as kata depan.
Types of Prepositions
Physical Relationships
Time
One point of time
on
I was born on Thursday. (On used with the days)
I was born on September 5. (On used with months and dates.)
I was born on September 5, 1970. (On used with months, dates, and years.)
at
I saw him at night. (At used with a part of the day that is considered a point.)
The movie begins at two o’clock. (At used with clocks.)
in
They will come in July. (In is used with the months.)
They will come in July 2022. (In is used with months and years.)
They will come in 2022. (In is used with years.)
They will come in the morning. (In used with part of the day.)
They will come in the spring. (In used with seasons.)
Extended time
since
They have lived here since 2010. (Since indicates the beginning time, which is the past
time. The end point is the present time.)
by
Hand in your assignment by Friday. (By means no more than.)
from-to
I will be there from two o'clock to five o'clock. (From indicates the starting point, and to
indicates the end point.)
until/ till
I will be there until Friday. (Until indicates the end point.)
for
She waited for one hour. (For shows the amount of time.)
during
He stayed at home during the week. (During indicates an inseparable amount of time
overall.)
in (within)
I will be there in an hour from now. (In indicates the amount of time before the event.)
Sequence of time
before
I will return the book before Thursday. (Before indicates the event that precedes the called
time.)
after
I will return the book after Thursday. (After shows the events that follow the time called.)
Place
Position
The point itself
in
Put the book in the drawer. (In indicates the existence of something or a person in a place
that has sides that surround it.)
He lives in Jakarta. (In indicates the existence of something or a person in a vast place such
as a country or city.)
on
Put the book on the table. (On indicates the existence of something or a person in a place
that is a flat plane, such as table surfaces, floors, walls, ceilings, or streets.)
He lives on Jalan Proklamasi. (On indicates the existence of something or someone on a
street without a number.)
at
He is at school. (At emphasizes proximity to a place in general.)
He lives at 45 Jalan Proklamasi. (At indicates the existence of something or someone on a
street with a number.)
Higher or lower than a point
Higher than a point
over
He ran away and jumped over the fence. (Over indicates a generally higher existence than
what is mentioned.)
above
They live on the floor above us. (Above indicates a directly higher existence than what is
mentioned.)
Lower than a point
under
A subway runs under this street. (Under indicates a generally lower existence than what is
mentioned.)
below
They live on the floor below us. (Below indicates a directly lower existence than what is
mentioned.)
beneath
A beggar is lying beneath a tree. (Beneath states that something is directly below what is
mentioned, but there is still distance.)
underneath
He put the money underneath the rug. (Underneath states that something is directly below
the mentioned, such as to hide.)
Neighboring the point
near
They live near Pelita Bangsa University. (Near has the most common meaning of
closeness.)
next to
The hospital is next to the park. (Next to indicates the position of something or someone
from the mentioned where nothing or no one interrupts between the two.)
between
The teacher is sitting between my mother and me. (Between has meaning on each side of
the person or something.)
among
She sat among all her children. (Among means more than two people or inanimate objects
positioned around a point.)
Direction
to
The boy sometimes walks to school. (To indicates the move to a point.)
from
The boy sometimes walks from school. (From indicates the move from a point.)
toward(s)
She walked toward the door. (Toward emphasizes the direction of movement.)
into
She ran into the house. (Into indicates the move to a place that is considered to have
encompassing sides.)
out of
She ran out of the house. (Out of shows the displacement of a place that is considered to
have encompassing sides.)
up
She climbed up the stairs. (Up shows from lower places to higher places.)
down
She climbed down the stairs. (Down shows from higher place to lower place.)
around
They walked around the stadium. (Around Indicates the displacement of a place by the
movement of forming a circle.)
through
They walked through the park. (Through means entering from one side to the opposite side
and then exiting from that side.)
