• 4-minute read
• 6th July 2023

“Is”, “For” and 12 Other Commonly Confused Prepositions

A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Prepositions can show location, direction, time, and so on. They are useful for clarifying how all the elements in a sentence are connected. But with about 150 prepositions in English, it’s easy to get them confused. In this post, we’ll take you through the most common prepositions, including what they mean and how to use them.

List of Commonly Confused Prepositions, Plus Some Other Parts of Speech

Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common prepositions (and words commonly confused for prepositions), their definitions, and examples of how to use them in a sentence.

Is

Is is not a preposition; it is the present-tense form of the infinitive verb phrase to be. We use it to indicate an identity, a quality, or a state of existence. Is takes the third-person singular form of a noun, and we use is with nouns or with the pronouns he, she, and it. For example:

For

Often, for is a preposition indicating purpose, destination, duration, or an intended recipient. For example:

Of

Of typically functions as a preposition signifying possession, origin, or composition. It connects nouns or pronouns to other elements in a sentence. For example:

With

With most commonly serves as a preposition indicating association or possession and connecting nouns or pronouns to other elements in a sentence. For example:

To

To most commonly functions as a preposition indicating direction, destination, or purpose. For example:

In

The most common use of in is as a preposition indicating location, position, or inclusion within something. It shows the relationship between two objects or expresses a sense of being inside or surrounded by something. For example:

As

Most commonly, as functions as a conjunction or preposition. When it’s a conjunction, as can introduce a clause that indicates a reason, cause, or comparison. For example:

As can also function as a preposition showing a role or function or how something is perceived. For example:

From

We use from mostly as a preposition indicating origin, source, or separation. It shows the relationship between two objects or expresses a sense of movement or direction away from a place or time. For example:

The

The is not a preposition; it is a definite article used to refer to a specific person, thing, or group and is widely recognized as the most common English word. We use it to specify a particular noun in a sentence, distinguishing it from other nouns. For example:

About

About has several uses in a sentence, but it most commonly serves as a preposition that expresses the subject or content of something or the direction or movement of an action. For example:

By

As a preposition, by shows the relationship between two objects or expresses the manner in which something is done. For example:

During

During functions primarily as a preposition that indicates a particular time or period in which an action or event takes or has taken place. For example:

When

When has multiple functions in a sentence, but it is not a preposition. One of the most common uses for when is as an adverb signifying the time or circumstance of an event. For example:

Into

Into is primarily a preposition indicating movement from the outside to the inside of something, establishing a relationship between a noun and a destination or a transformed state. For example:

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