📌 What is a Preposition?
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation to another word in the sentence. It indicates time, place, direction, manner, or cause. Prepositions are among the most frequently tested topics in BCS, Bank, and all competitive exams.
💡 The Golden Rule
A preposition is always followed by a noun/pronoun (object), never by a verb in base form.
- ✅ He is fond of reading. (gerund = noun)
- ❌ He is fond of read. (base verb — wrong!)
- ✅ I am looking forward to meeting you. (NOT: to meet)
📌 Prepositions of Time
| Preposition | Usage | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | Specific time, festival | at 5 PM, at noon, at night, at Eid |
| on | Day, date, specific day | on Monday, on 15th August, on my birthday |
| in | Month, year, season, century, part of day | in January, in 2026, in summer, in the morning |
| since | Point of time (with perfect tense) | since 2010, since morning |
| for | Duration of time | for two hours, for a long time |
| by | Deadline (not later than) | by 5 PM, by tomorrow |
| during | Throughout a period | during the exam, during summer |
| within | Inside a time limit | within 3 days, within an hour |
| till / until | Up to a point in time | until Monday, till evening |
💡 at / on / in — Quick Rule
- AT → specific TIME (at 6 AM, at midnight, at dawn)
- ON → specific DAY/DATE (on Friday, on 25th March, on Eid day)
- IN → longer PERIOD (in June, in 2025, in the evening, in the 21st century)
💡 Exam Alert — Since vs For
- Since = from a point of time (since 2010, since morning, since January)
- For = for a period/duration (for 5 years, for three hours, for a week)
- Both are used with perfect tenses: "I have lived here since 2010" / "I have lived here for 16 years."
🧠 Since vs For Memory Trick
Since = Specific point → since Monday, since 1971
For = For how long? → for 3 days, for 2 hours
📌 Prepositions of Place
| Preposition | Usage | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | Specific point/location | at the bus stop, at the door, at home |
| on | Surface | on the table, on the wall, on the floor |
| in | Enclosed space/area | in the room, in Bangladesh, in the box |
| between | Between two things | between A and B |
| among | Among more than two | among the students |
| above / over | Higher than | above the clouds, over the bridge |
| below / under | Lower than | below the surface, under the table |
| beside | Next to | beside the river, beside me |
| behind | At the back of | behind the building, behind the door |
| in front of | Before (position) | in front of the school |
| opposite | Facing | opposite the bank, opposite my house |
📌 Confusing Preposition Pairs
These pairs are exam favourites. Know the exact difference!
| Pair | Difference | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| between vs among | between = 2 items; among = 3+ items | between you and me; among the crowd |
| beside vs besides | beside = next to; besides = in addition to | Sit beside me. Besides English, he knows French. |
| above vs over | above = higher (no contact); over = directly above / covering | The picture is above the sofa. Spread a cloth over the table. |
| below vs under | below = lower level; under = directly beneath / covered by | The temperature fell below zero. The cat is under the bed. |
| in vs into | in = inside (static); into = movement towards inside | She is in the room. She walked into the room. |
| on vs upon | upon = more formal; also used for "depending on" | Once upon a time. The book is on the shelf. |
| since vs from | since = perfect tense; from = any tense | I have been here since Monday. The shop opens from 9 AM. |
| by vs with | by = agent (doer); with = instrument (tool) | The letter was written by him with a pen. |
📝 Beside vs Besides in Exam Questions
❌ "Besides me, no one was sitting." (meaning: next to me) → ✅ "Beside me, no one was sitting."
✅ "Besides math, I study science." (meaning: in addition to)
📌 Appropriate Prepositions (Most Asked in Exams)
Fixed word + preposition combinations that you must memorize. These appear in almost every competitive exam.
A – D
| Word + Preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| Abstain from | Abstain from smoking. |
| Accuse of | He was accused of theft. |
| Accustomed to | I am accustomed to hard work. |
| Agree with (a person) | I agree with you. |
| Agree to (a proposal) | He agreed to the plan. |
| Angry with (a person) | She is angry with me. |
| Angry at (a thing) | He is angry at the result. |
| Anxious about | I am anxious about the result. |
| Apply for (a post) | I applied for the job. |
| Apply to (authority) | Apply to the principal. |
| Ashamed of | He is ashamed of his behaviour. |
| Believe in | I believe in honesty. |
| Blind to (faults) | He is blind to his own faults. |
| Comply with | You must comply with the rules. |
| Confident of | She is confident of success. |
| Consist of | The team consists of 11 players. |
| Cope with | He cannot cope with the pressure. |
| Depend on | It depends on the weather. |
| Deprive of | He was deprived of his rights. |
| Differ from | My opinion differs from yours. |
| Die of (disease) | He died of cancer. |
| Die from (external cause) | He died from injuries. |
| Dispose of | Dispose of the waste properly. |
E – K
| Word + Preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| Engaged in (work) | He is engaged in research. |
| Engaged to (person) | She is engaged to Rahim. |
| Entitled to | You are entitled to a refund. |
| Envious of | Don't be envious of others. |
| Excel in | She excels in mathematics. |
| Familiar with | I am familiar with this topic. |
| Famous for | Cox's Bazar is famous for its beach. |
| Fond of | She is fond of music. |
| Good at | She is good at math. |
| Grateful to (person) / for (thing) | I am grateful to you for your help. |
| Guilty of | He is guilty of murder. |
| Interested in | I am interested in science. |
| Jealous of | Don't be jealous of her success. |
| Keen on | He is keen on sports. |
| Key to | Practice is the key to success. |
L – Z
| Word + Preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| Lack of | There is a lack of food. |
| Listen to | Listen to me carefully. |
| Long for | She longs for her homeland. |
| Look at | Look at the board. |
| Look after | She looks after her parents. |
| Look for | I am looking for my keys. |
| Married to | She is married to him. (NOT: married with) |
| Object to | I object to this proposal. |
| Prefer A to B | I prefer tea to coffee. |
| Preside over | He presided over the meeting. |
| Prevent from | Rain prevented me from going. |
| Provide with | They provided us with food. |
| Rely on | You can rely on me. |
| Satisfied with | I am satisfied with the result. |
| Succeed in | She succeeded in the exam. |
| Suffer from | He suffers from asthma. |
| Superior to | This product is superior to that. (NOT: than) |
| Wait for | Wait for me. |
⚠️ Exam Alert — Than vs To
These adjectives use "to" instead of "than" for comparison — a classic exam trap:
- superior to, inferior to, senior to, junior to, prior to, prefer…to
- ❌ He is senior than me. → ✅ He is senior to me.
- ❌ I prefer tea than coffee. → ✅ I prefer tea to coffee.
📌 Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase is a group of words beginning with a preposition that functions as a single unit. These are heavily tested in exams.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in spite of | despite | In spite of rain, we went out. |
| on behalf of | representing | He spoke on behalf of the team. |
| in addition to | besides / as well as | In addition to English, she knows French. |
| in order to | so as to / for the purpose of | He works hard in order to succeed. |
| on account of | because of | The match was cancelled on account of rain. |
| in favour of | supporting | Most people voted in favour of the bill. |
| by means of | through / using | He succeeded by means of hard work. |
| in lieu of | instead of | He took cash in lieu of a gift. |
| in case of | if there is / in the event of | In case of fire, use the stairs. |
| with regard to | concerning / about | With regard to your application... |
| at the cost of | sacrificing | He succeeded at the cost of his health. |
| in charge of | responsible for | She is in charge of the project. |
📌 Phrasal Verbs (Most Important)
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a preposition or adverb that creates a new meaning different from the original verb. These are the most commonly tested topic in BCS & Bank exams.
Essential Phrasal Verbs A – G
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| break down | stop working / collapse | The car broke down on the highway. |
| break out | start suddenly (war, fire) | War broke out in 1971. |
| break into | enter by force | Thieves broke into the house. |
| bring up | raise (a child) / mention | She was brought up by her aunt. |
| bring about | cause to happen | The new policy brought about change. |
| call off | cancel | The meeting was called off. |
| call on | visit / request | I called on my uncle yesterday. |
| carry on | continue | Carry on with your work. |
| carry out | execute / perform | They carried out the plan. |
| come across | find by chance | I came across an old photo. |
| come about | happen | How did this situation come about? |
| cut down | reduce | You should cut down on sugar. |
| do away with | abolish / eliminate | They did away with the old rules. |
| fall out | quarrel | The two friends fell out over money. |
| find out | discover | I found out the truth. |
| get along with | have good relations | She gets along with everyone. |
| get over | recover from | He got over his illness quickly. |
| give up | surrender / stop trying | Never give up hope. |
| give in | yield / surrender | He finally gave in to pressure. |
| go through | experience / examine | She went through a hard time. |
Essential Phrasal Verbs L – Z
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| look after | take care of | She looks after her parents. |
| look into | investigate | Police are looking into the matter. |
| look forward to | anticipate eagerly | I look forward to meeting you. |
| look down upon | despise / disrespect | Don't look down upon the poor. |
| make up | compose / invent / reconcile | She made up a story. |
| make out | understand / distinguish | I can't make out what he said. |
| pass away | die (polite) | His father passed away last year. |
| put off | postpone | The exam was put off by a week. |
| put on | wear / switch on | Put on your jacket. Put on the light. |
| put out | extinguish | The firemen put out the fire. |
| put up with | tolerate | I can't put up with this noise. |
| run out of | exhaust supply | We ran out of sugar. |
| run over | hit with a vehicle | A bus ran over the dog. |
| set up | establish | He set up a new business. |
| set out | begin a journey | They set out at dawn. |
| take after | resemble (parent) | She takes after her mother. |
| take off | remove / (plane) ascend | The plane took off at 3 PM. |
| take over | assume control | She took over the company. |
| turn down | reject | They turned down my proposal. |
| turn up | arrive / appear | He didn't turn up for the meeting. |
📌 Phrasal Verbs by Base Verb
Grouping phrasal verbs by their base verb makes them easier to memorize. Exams often test multiple phrasal verbs from the same verb.
LOOK
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| look at | direct eyes towards |
| look for | search for |
| look after | take care of |
| look into | investigate |
| look up | search in a book/dictionary |
| look forward to | eagerly await |
| look down upon | despise |
| look over | examine briefly |
TAKE
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take after | resemble |
| take off | remove / ascend (plane) |
| take over | assume control |
| take up | start (hobby/activity) |
| take in | understand / deceive |
| take down | write down / dismantle |
GIVE / PUT / TURN
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| give up | stop trying / surrender |
| give in | yield / submit |
| give away | distribute free / reveal secret |
| put off | postpone |
| put on | wear |
| put out | extinguish |
| put up with | tolerate |
| turn down | reject |
| turn up | arrive / appear |
| turn off | switch off |
| turn into | become / transform |
🧠 Phrasal Verb Tip
Many questions simply ask the meaning or fill-in-the-blank. Focus on the top 40 phrasal verbs — they cover 90% of exam questions. Group them by base verb (look, take, put, give, turn, break, come, get) for easier revision!
📌 Common Exam Mistakes
⚠️ Avoid These Traps
- ❌ "He is married with her." → ✅ "He is married to her."
- ❌ "She is good in English." → ✅ "She is good at English."
- ❌ "He is senior than me." → ✅ "He is senior to me."
- ❌ "I have been here since two hours." → ✅ "I have been here for two hours." (duration = for)
- ❌ "I am looking forward to meet you." → ✅ "...looking forward to meeting you." (to = preposition, needs gerund)
- ❌ "Besides me sat a man." (beside the speaker) → ✅ "Beside me sat a man."
- ❌ "He arrived to Dhaka." → ✅ "He arrived in Dhaka." (arrive in = city/country)
- ❌ "He consists in that." → ✅ "The team consists of 11 players."