
## What is a Preposition Checker?

<img width="100%" alt="Preposition Checker" src="/preposition-checker/preposition-checker.webp">

[**Prepositions**](https://blog.inkforall.com/types-of-prepositions) may
be short words or phrases but when used incorrectly, they could change
the context of a sentence. So, it's important that you keep an eye on
your prepositions. One way to do this is to use a **preposition finder**
like **INK's Preposition Checker** tool.

**Main Takeaways:**

- A **preposition** indicates the relationship between a noun or
  **pronoun** and other sentences.
- There are five types of **prepositions**— **preposition** of time,
  place, movement, agents, and places.
- There are specific rules for using **prepositions** in **English
  grammar**.
- **INK Preposition Checker** can help you avoid errors and increase
  your writing efficiency.

## What is a Preposition?

**Prepositions**are usually short words that indicate the relationship
between a **noun** or a **pronoun** and other terms in a sentence. In the
[**English language**](https://blog.inkforall.com/difficult-words), we
use prepositions to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases within a sentence.
Think of these words as the glue that holds sentences together, and they
do this by expressing order, time, connections, and positions.

**Example**:

- The water **in** the glass is hot.

The **preposition** "in" used in the sentence above shows the
relationship between the water and the glass.

Prepositions are an essential part of our speech and writing. They
account for the most frequently used words in all of English. These
include terms such as **of**, **to**, **for**, **with**, **at**, and
**on**, among others.

Ideally, you'll find a **preposition** in front of nouns. But, you can
also place them in front of **gerund verbs**.

**Examples**:

- I am going **to** Detroit.
- She gave a book **to** him.
- He devotes his time **to** reading.

Unlike **nouns** and **verbs**, it's impossible to add new words to
prepositions over time. That's why we refer to them as a "closed class
of words" in English.

Also, **prepositions** do not have any other form. That means they can't
be plural, inflection, or possessive.

What's more, most **prepositions** have various contextual and natural
uses, which makes them more confusing. Sometimes, these words can
function as **nouns**, **adverbs**, and
[**adjectives**](https://blog.inkforall.com/adjectives).

A **preposition finder** can help you avoid these confusions. But before
we explore the benefit of **INK Preposition Checker**, let's discuss the
**types of prepositions** first.

## What are the Types of Prepositions and Examples

### 1. Prepositions of Time

As you may have guessed, **prepositions** of time indicate when something
happened, happens, or will happen. Some examples of this **type of
preposition** include: **at**, **in**, **on**, **after**, and
**before**.

Since many **prepositions** fit into this category, it can get a little
confusing.

**Examples**:

- Charlie was born **on** July 4th, 1776.
- She was born **in** 1776.
- Jane was born **at** 5 am.
- She was born five minutes **after** her twin brother.
- She was born **before** the Great War began.

In the sentence above, five different **prepositions** indicate when
something happened. This may seem confusing at first glance, but a set
of guidelines can help decide which to use.

Consider using the **preposition** "in" if you're dealing with months,
seasons, centuries. On the other hand, days, dates, and specific holiday
days would require the **preposition** "on."

**Examples**:

- I met Logan **in** 1995
- It's hot **in** September.
- The new year is **on** January 1st
- She gave her a present **on** her birthday.

The **prepositions** "before" and "after" indicate when something
happened, will happen, or occur in relation to another thing.

- He left **before** 10 am.
- Clark comes **before** Diana in the line but **after** Bruce.

Other **prepositions**of time include **about**, **around**, **during**,
**until**, and **throughout**.

### 2. Preposition of Place

In English, we use **prepositions** of place to indicate position. To
make things a bit more confusing, the most common **prepositions of
time** — **at**, **in**, **on**— are the most common **preposition of
place**.

But, identifying **place prepositions** is not as complicated as the
time counterpart.

Here's a breakdown of the guidelines.

​1. Use the preposition "on" to refer to something with a surface.

**Example**:

- The painting hangs **on** the wall.

​2. Use the word "In" to refer to something that's inside or within
confined boundaries.

**Examples**:

- Charles is **in** Paris
- He spends his free time running **in** the park.

​3. Use the **preposition** "at" to refer to something at a specific
point.

**Examples**:

- Mr. Gump sat on the bench **at** the bus stop.
- They met **at** the airport.

Other examples of **prepositions of place** include **over**, **under**,
**outside**, **inside**, **below**, and **above**.

### 3. Preposition of Movement

**Preposition of movement** refers to how something or someone moves
from one place to another. It indicates the relationship between
location and direction.

The most common **preposition** in this category is "to," which indicates
movement towards a specific destination. Other examples of the
preposition of movement include **across**, **off**, **into**, **down**,
and **through**, to name a few.

**Examples**:

- He went **to** school every morning until he was 18.
- Jamie traveled **across** the world in his jet.
- The train passed **through** the tunnel.

### 4. Preposition of Agents

We use **prepositions of agents** to connect a **noun**and a **verb**.
In other words, this **type of preposition** establishes a causal
relationship between the doer and the action.

Common examples of the preposition of agents includes by and with. The
word "by" indicates the person acting. Meanwhile, "with" suggests an
action with a thing.

**Examples**:

- Oathbringer was written **by** Brandon Sanderson.
- She chopped the carrots **with** a knife.

### 5. Preposition of Phrases

A **preposition of phrases** or **phrasal preposition** refers to a
combination of two or more words that function as a **preposition**.
Note that this is not the same as a [**prepositional
phrase**](https://blog.inkforall.com/types-of-prepositions?pfrom=home).

Examples of words in this category include **along with**, **in
reference to**, **apart from**, **because of**, according to, **instead
of**, and **out of**.

**Examples**:

- **In spite of** his incredible skills, Alex lost the game.
- **According to** the new rule, you have to play twice.
- **Contrary to** popular opinion, Math is easy.

## Rules for Using Prepositions in English Grammar

<img width="100%" alt="Rules for using prepositions in english grammar" src="/preposition-checker/rules-for-using-prepositions-in-English-grammar.webp">

### 1. A Noun follows a Preposition

A **noun** or **pronoun**must always follow **prepositions**, never a
**verb**. In other words, a
[**verb**](https://blog.inkforall.com/linking-verbs) can't be the object
of a **preposition**, only a **noun**.

**Examples**:

- The bone was **for** the dog.

In the sentence, the noun "dog" comes after the preposition "for."

This rule may seem confusing at first. And that's because you may have
notices some words that look like **verbs** following preposition.

**Examples**:

- I like **to** ride
- These boots are **for** hiking.

However, the words "ride" and "hiking" are not acting as a verb. In the
first example, "to ride" is part of the **infinitive**.

An **infinitive**occurs when a **verb** doesn't act as a **verb**.
Instead, it acts as a **noun**, **adjective**, or **adverb**. Also, an
**infinitive** is made up of two words: to + verb.

That means "to ride" is not an action that the person is performing.
It's something that they like doing.

In the second example, "hiking" is a **gerund**. A **gerund** is a
**verb** form that functions as a noun. Here, "hiking" refers to boots'
function. No one in this sentence is performing the act of hiking.

### 2. A Preposition Must Have an Object

All **prepositions** have objects. If you use a **preposition** in a
sentence without an object, it's not a **preposition**. That's probably
an adverb.

**Examples**:

- They sat **in** the kitchen.
- There was a doorway **before** me.

In the first example, the **preposition**"in" has the object "the
kitchen."Meanwhile, in the second example, the **preposition** "before"
has the object "me."

### 3. Avoid Using Prepositions at the End of Sentences

As said earlier, **prepositions** must have objects, and a
**noun** follows them. As a result, you'll rarely find them at the end of
a sentence.

**Example**:

- The chair is where I left my phone on.

However, it's acceptable to end a sentence with a **preposition** in
specific circumstances. The **preposition** isn't extraneous under this
exception.

In other words, removing the **preposition** would change the meaning of
the sentence altogether. In the example above, the **preposition** "on"
doesn't contribute to the sentence.

**Example**:

- I turned the television on.

Removing the word "on" from the end of this sentence will change its
meaning. Instead of switching on the set, it would say you turned the
television itself.

### 4. Pair Your Prepositions Properly

Knowing which **preposition** fits into a specific sentence can be
tricky. This is especially true when you're dealing with **idioms**.

An idiom is a phrase or expression whose **figurative meaning** is
different from the **literal meaning** of the individual elements. In
other words, idioms don't exactly mean what the words say. As a result,
some pairing rules for **preposition** don't apply here.

**Examples**:

- Rey paid for his plane tickets **in advance**.
- Cristen works out **on average** four times a week.

### 5. Don't Substitute 'have' for 'of'

The idea of confusing "have" for "of" may seem absurd. But, it's not
entirely impossible.

**Incorrect**:

- I should **of** come over.

The sentence above may sound like something we say all the time, even
though that's not the case.

**Correct**:

- I should **have** come over.

The **preposition** "of" doesn't link or join any idea in the sentence.
Meanwhile, "have" is an essential helping verb.

### 6. Don't Confuse 'to' Preposition with 'to' Infinitive

Do not confuse an **infinitive particle** "to" with the
**preposition** "to". If "to" is followed immediately by a **simple
verb**, then it's part of an **infinitive**— for example, to live, to
love, to laugh. On the other hand, if "to" is followed by a **noun
construction**, it's a **preposition**.

**Example**:

- We are going **to** New York.

As simple as it sounds, differentiating a "to" **preposition** from a
"to" infinitive can still be confusing.

**Examples**:

- I used **to cook** my food.
- Now, I'm used **to cooking** for a family.

One easy way to clear this confusion is to use a preposition checker.

## Benefits of Using INK Preposition Checker

<img width="100%" alt="Benefits of using ink preposition checker" src="/preposition-checker/benefits-of-using-INK-preposition-checker.webp">

### Use a Preposition Checker to Avoid Errors

The **preposition** rules outlined above can seem confusing, even for the
most proficient writers. That's why you need a **preposition checker**
tool to help you keep up.

Along with helping you pair your **preposition** correctly, you can also
use a **preposition finder** to differentiate between 'to'
**preposition** from a 'to' **infinitive**.

### Multiple Users Can Utilize INK Preposition Checker

While you might be good at using **prepositions** in sentences, your
colleagues may not be proficient. That's where a **preposition finder**
comes in handy.

Employees using the **INK preposition checker** can quickly check their
reports and articles for errors before posting on the company blog.
What's more, you can do this in record time.

### Use a Preposition Finder to Increase Writing Efficiency

With many **prepositions** in the **English language**, knowing the right
ones to use in every sentence may be challenging. This is especially
true if you're not a **native speaker**.

**INK Preposition Checker** can spot possible errors within seconds.
That way, you'll have more time to do your **proofreading** and perform
other tasks.

### A Prepositional Phrase Checker Can Help Create Polished Content

Like other **grammar checkers**, a **preposition checker** tool can help
build your image as a polished writer.

You can avoid the common **preposition issues**, and produce your
content faster. In the end, you'll appear more professional to your
readers.

### Read More: [Easy Prepositional Phrase Guide With Examples](https://blog.inkforall.com/prepositional-phrase) 
