Prepositions of Relationship, Purpose, and Possession

In this lesson, you'll learn some English prepositions that are used to indicate relationships, purpose, and possession. You'll also learn some English words for animals.

Interactive flashcards and a quiz are included to help you learn the concepts covered in this lesson.

Prepositions of Relationship, Purpose, and Possession

With

With is used to indicate accompaniment, connection, or the instrument used to perform an action.

I am going to the cinema with my brother.
She cut the cake with a sharp knife.
Can you go with me to the concert?

Without

Without is used to indicate the absence of something or someone.

He managed to finish the marathon without any water.
It is difficult to navigate the city without a map.

Against

Against is used to indicate opposition, disagreement, or physical contact/pressure.

The local community voted against the new development.
He leaned his bicycle against the brick wall.

For

For is used to indicate purpose, reason, or the person intended to receive something.

I bought this bouquet of flowers for my mother.
They are studying hard for their final exams.
He waited for two hours.

Of

Of is used to indicate belonging, origin, or the material something is made from.

This is the first page of the book.
The table is made of solid oak.

About

About is used to indicate the subject or topic of a conversation, book, or thought.

The story is about a cat.
We were talking about our plans for the summer.
I am reading a fascinating story about space travel.

Compound Prepositions

A compound preposition consists of two or more words, but acts like a single preposition. The following table shows some common compound prepositions.