Prepositions are function words that introduce a prepositional phrase. They can be divided into free and bound prepositions. Many prepositions belong to both categories, depending on how they are used in a particular context.
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Free Prepositions
Free prepositions are prepositions with an independent meaning. They are not dependent on any other word in the sentence. Here is an example:
The book is on the table.
Here the preposition ON is a free one. It doesn’t depend on any other word in the sentence above. It has its own independent meaning, touching and being supported by the top surface of sth.
You could use a different preposition instead, and the sentence would still be correct, although the meaning would change:
The book is under the table.
The book is behind the table.
By the way, the prepositions UNDER and BEHIND in the examples above are also free prepositions.
There’s quite a big group of prepositions that are always or almost always free. Here are the most used ones:
above: There’s a lamp above the table.
across: She lived across the street.
against: He fought against his own people.
along: I was walking along the banks of the river.
among: I feel best among friends.
before: You can do it before lunch.
behind: Someone was standing behind the window.
below: There were some clouds below our plane.
beneath: The boy was beneath the surface of the water.
beside: He was sitting beside his wife.
besides: There was no one besides Tom.
between: The chair was between the windows.
beyond: The meadow is beyond that fence.
considering: You did well, considering your health condition.
despite: We went there despite the bad weather.
during: I’m going to stay home during the hot season.
except: They invited everyone except Sue.
following: Following the lecture, students asked some questions.
inside: There were some men inside the building.
like: It looks like a vehicle.
near: I live near the church.
opposite: The door is opposite the window.
outside: I’m waiting for you outside the building.
past: You should turn left past the stairs.
regarding: I have a question regarding your article.
since: It hasn’t changed since last year.
through: He walked through the door.
throughout: We’ll be using it a lot throughout the course.
till: I won’t be done with it till next month.
toward: She ran toward the beach.
under: The cat was sitting under the sofa.
unlike: She’s unlike the other children in her class.
until: He lived here until 1950.
within: She found a good job within a month of graduating.
without: He can’t live without her.
Also, complex prepositions are usually free:
She was standing in front of the house.
But they are a topic all of their own and will be covered in a separate post.
Bound Prepositions
Bound prepositions usually don’t have any independent meaning and they depend on other words in the sentence, like verbs, nouns or adjectives. Here’s an example:
You can rely on me.
Here the preposition ON is a bound one. It doesn’t have the meaning it had in the first example at the top of this article (The book is ON the table.). The choice of the preposition depends on the verb RELY. The verb plus the preposition form a prepositional verb. Bound prepositions are also used with nouns and adjectives:
noun: He takes pride in his family.
adjective: The soil is rich in nitrogen.