What Are Prepositions?: WASSCE English Language

The book is on the table. The book is under the table. The book is near the table. Three sentences with one tiny word changed, and each gives a completely different picture. The words on, under, near are prepositions — small words that show the relationship between a noun and something else in the sentence.

Prepositions are short — usually one or two syllables — but they do heavy work. They show position, direction, time, manner, agency, and cause. They are also one of the most error-prone areas of English for West African students, because Sierra Leonean Krio and the local languages use prepositions differently from standard English. WAEC tests these errors directly in nearly every paper.

This lesson opens the Prepositions topic. We define what a preposition is, show what kinds of relationships they express, give the tests for spotting one, and introduce the prepositional phrase.

Definition

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in the sentence. Prepositions usually come before a noun and answer questions like where? when? how? why? in what way?

Common prepositions: in, on, at, by, for, to, from, with, of, about, under, over, between, among, through, across, against, before, after, since, during, until, despite, into, out of, near, behind, in front of.

What relationships prepositions show

Every preposition expresses some kind of relationship. The main types are:

1. Place — where?

The book is on the table.
Aminata lives in Freetown.
The dog is under the chair.
Foday stood near the window.
We met at the market.

2. Time — when?

We will meet on Monday.
The lesson starts at 8 a.m.
Aminata was born in 2008.
Foday arrived before the bell.
They left after the wedding.

3. Direction or movement — where to / from?

Aminata walked to the market.
The bus came from Bo.
He climbed up the tree.
The ball rolled into the room.
Mariama jumped over the fence.

4. Manner — how?

Aminata answered with a smile.
He wrote in pencil.
We travelled by bus.
She spoke without hesitation.

5. Cause or reason — why?

We left because of the rain.
Aminata smiled at the joke.
He was punished for lateness.

6. Possession or relationship — of what?

The colour of the dress.
A friend of mine.
The capital of Sierra Leone.

7. Agent or means (in passive)

The letter was written by Aminata.
She was awarded with a prize.

Knowing the type of relationship helps you choose the right preposition.

Common prepositions

Here is a list of the prepositions most often tested in WAEC, grouped roughly by function:

Place / position: in, on, at, under, over, above, below, beside, between, among, behind, in front of, near, opposite, against, inside, outside, around

Time: at, on, in, before, after, since, for, during, until, by, throughout, within

Direction / movement: to, from, into, out of, onto, off, towards, through, across, along, up, down, around

Manner / means: by, with, without, in, like, as

Cause / purpose: for, because of, due to, owing to, despite, in spite of

Relationship: of, about, regarding, concerning, with, against, between, among

The prepositional phrase

A prepositional phrase is a preposition together with its object (a noun or pronoun) and any words modifying that object.

Structure: preposition + [optional article/adjective] + noun (or pronoun)

Examples:

on the table (preposition + article + noun)
in Freetown (preposition + noun)
with a smile (preposition + article + noun)
under the big tree (preposition + article + adjective + noun)
between Aminata and Mariama (preposition + noun + conjunction + noun)
for me (preposition + pronoun)

The whole phrase acts as a single unit — usually as an adverb (modifying a verb) or as an adjective (modifying a noun).

Prepositional phrase as adverb

Aminata walked to school. (modifies walked — tells where)
We arrived at midnight. (modifies arrived — tells when)
He spoke with confidence. (modifies spoke — tells how)
She left because of the rain. (modifies left — tells why)

Prepositional phrase as adjective

The book on the table is mine. (modifies book — which one)
The student with the blue dress is Aminata. (modifies student)
The road to Bo is long. (modifies road)
A man of honour keeps his word. (modifies man)

How to identify a preposition

Three tests work for most cases.

Test 1 — Position

A preposition usually comes immediately before a noun or pronoun.

✓ on the table — on before the table (noun phrase) → preposition
✓ with me — with before me (pronoun) → preposition

Test 2 — The relationship test

A preposition links one part of the sentence to another. Remove it and the sentence breaks.

Aminata lives in Freetown. — remove in: Aminata lives Freetown — broken
Foday walked to school. — remove to: Foday walked school — broken

Test 3 — The substitution test

If you can replace the word with another preposition and get a meaningful sentence (with changed meaning), it is a preposition.

The book is on the table. → The book is under the table. → both work → on is a preposition
Aminata walked to the market. → Aminata walked from the market. → both work → to is a preposition

Prepositions with single-word objects vs multi-word objects

A preposition can take any noun phrase as its object — from a single word to a complex phrase.

for him (one pronoun)
for Aminata (one noun)
for the new student (article + adjective + noun)
for everyone in the room (pronoun + preposition phrase)
for whoever asks first (whole clause acting as object)

The object of a preposition is always in the object case when it is a pronoun.

✓ for me (not for I)
✓ between him and her (not between he and she)
✓ with us (not with we)
✓ to whom (not to who — strictly speaking, though to who is common in casual speech)

Compound prepositions

Some prepositions are made up of two or three words.

in front of
next to
out of
because of
due to
owing to
in spite of
instead of
according to
by means of
in addition to
with regard to
as well as

Examples:

Aminata sat in front of Mariama.
Foday stood next to the door.
We left because of the storm.
In spite of her illness, she came to school.
According to the teacher, the test is on Friday.

Many compound prepositions end in of. Treat the whole phrase as a single preposition.

Worked example

Identify the prepositions and the prepositional phrases in each sentence.

Aminata sat on the bench in the courtyard.
The students arrived at the school by bus.
In spite of the heat, we walked to Bo.
The book about Sierra Leone is on the shelf.
Foday spoke with confidence during the debate.

Work through:

Prepositions: on, in. Phrases: on the bench (where she sat), in the courtyard (where the bench is).
Prepositions: at, by. Phrases: at the school (where), by bus (how).
Prepositions: In spite of, to. Phrases: In spite of the heat (concession), to Bo (direction).
Prepositions: about, on. Phrases: about Sierra Leone (modifies book), on the shelf (where).
Prepositions: with, during. Phrases: with confidence (how), during the debate (when).

Why prepositions are tricky in West African English

Prepositions in English are largely idiomatic — there is no logical rule for many choices. You say afraid of but angry with or angry at. You arrive at a small place but arrive in a country. You are interested in something but good at something.

Krio and other Sierra Leonean languages handle these relationships differently, and direct translation often leads to errors. Some common Sierra Leonean English errors WAEC catches:

❌ Aminata is married with a doctor. (from Krio)
✓ Aminata is married to a doctor.
❌ Foday is good in mathematics.
✓ Foday is good at mathematics.
❌ We discussed about the problem.
✓ We discussed the problem. (no preposition needed after discuss)
❌ Mariama dressed with a blue gown.
✓ Mariama dressed in a blue gown.

Lessons 5 and 6 cover these verb-preposition and adjective-preposition pairings in detail. For now, just be aware that prepositions are an area where memorisation matters more than rules.

In Sierra Leone

A short scene at a Freetown school uses many prepositions naturally:

Aminata walked into the classroom at 7:45. She sat at her desk by the window. Beside her, Mariama was already writing in her notebook. On the wall behind them was a map of Sierra Leone. In front of the class, the teacher placed his books on the desk.

"Good morning," he said. "Today's lesson is about the history of Bo. Before we begin, please open your textbooks to page 45. During the lesson, please listen with care. After the lesson, you will write a short summary for your homework."

Prepositions: into, at, at, by, Beside, in, On, behind, of, In front of, on, about, of, Before, to, During, with, After, for

Each shows a specific relationship — place, time, association, possession, manner.

Common mistake

Three early errors to watch for:

1. Wrong preposition from direct translation.

❌ Aminata is good in mathematics. (from Krio)
✓ Aminata is good at mathematics.

2. Preposition where none is needed.

❌ We discussed about the problem.
✓ We discussed the problem. (transitive verb takes direct object)

3. Object case error after preposition.

❌ Between you and I, this is a secret.
✓ Between you and me, this is a secret. (object form after preposition)

WAEC tests this

Prepositions appear in WAEC in many patterns:

Choose the correct preposition from four options.
Identify the wrong preposition in error identification.
Verb + preposition pairs: interested in, afraid of, good at.
Time prepositions: at, on, in with dates, days, times.
Place prepositions: at, on, in with locations.
Direction prepositions: to, into, onto, from.

More prepositions are tested than almost any other part of speech. Memorise the common pairs and the rules in Lessons 2–7.

Quick self-check

Identify the prepositions in each sentence. Answers below.

Aminata walked to the market with her sister.
The book on the shelf is about Sierra Leone.
In spite of the rain, we arrived at school on time.
The cat is under the bed near the window.
Foday wrote the essay in pencil during the lesson.

Answers

to, with
on, about
In spite of, at, on
under, near
in, during

What's next

In the next lesson we cover prepositions of place in detail — in, on, at, under, over, between, among, beside, near, and many more. We will look at the rules for choosing at, on, in with specific locations (one of the most-tested WAEC patterns) and the difference between similar prepositions like between and among.

What Are Prepositions?