In one of my previous articles I discussed the most important two-word complex prepositions. I also promised to cover three-word and four-word prepositions in separate articles. So, here’s the article about three-word prepositions and the one about four-word prepositions will appear soon.
Three-word prepositions usually consist of two simple prepositions separated by a noun or adjective.
Just as I did with two-word prepositions, I’ll group the prepositions according to the simple preposition they end in.
Table of Contents
Complex Prepositions with AS:
AS FAR AS: She’s French, as far as I know. (= I think she’s French, but I might be wrong)
AS WELL AS: He speaks German as well as Spanish. (= German and also Spanish)
Complex Prepositions with FOR:
IN EXCHANGE FOR: She gave me a book in exchange for my umbrella. (= she gave me a book and I gave her my umbrella)
IN RETURN FOR: I’ll help you with your homework in return for the tickets. (= in payment for the tickets)
Complex Prepositions with FROM:
AS DISTINCT FROM: We focused on descriptive grammar, as distinct from prescriptive grammar. (= and not on prescriptive grammar, which is a different thing)
Complex Prepositions with OF:
BY MEANS OF: He achieved this by means of a trick. (= through the use of a trick)
BY VIRTUE OF: She was accepted by virtue of her position in the company. (= because of her position in the company)
BY WAY OF: He said some men hate beer and he mentioned himself by way of example. (= as an example, for the purpose of giving an example)
FOR LACK OF: I think we’ll do it your way for lack of a better solution. (= because there is no better solution)
FOR WANT OF: For want of a better name, I think we could call it just ‘ABC’ for now. (= because we don’t have a better name)
IN BACK OF: There’s a little pond in back of the yard. (= directly behind the yard)
IN CASE OF: There’s a fire extinguisher in the hall in case of fire. (= if there happens to be fire)
IN CHARGE OF: Who’s in charge of ordering food? (= Whose responsibility is it to order food?)
IN CONSEQUENCE OF: He died in consequence of the injury. (= as a result of the injury)
IN FAVOR OF: Are you in favor of the death penalty? (= Do you approve of the death penalty?)
IN FRONT OF: There was a pool in front of the house. (= directly ahead of the house)
IN LIEU /ˈluː/ OF: In lieu of flowers, we bought them some little gifts. (= instead of flowers)
IN LIGHT OF: It was pretty unexpected in light of recent events. (= while thinking about recent events)
IN NEED OF: The car is in need of repair. (= it needs to be repaired)
IN PLACE OF: You can use water in place of milk. (= as a substitute for milk)
IN SEARCH OF: Scientists are in search of a possible explanation. (= are searching for a possible explanation)
IN SPITE OF: They made it to the city in spite of the heavy rainfall. (= without being prevented by the heavy rainfall)
IN TERMS OF: This job is great in terms of money. (= the money is the great thing about the job)
IN VIEW OF: His decision was surprising in view of his earlier opinion. (= when you think about his earlier opinion)
ON ACCOUNT OF: The plane was late on account of the fog. (= because of the fog)
ON BEHALF OF: He greeted him on behalf of the minister. (= as a representative of the minister)
ON TOP OF: There was a house on top of the hill. (= on the highest part of the hill)
Complex Prepositions with TO:
AS OPPOSED TO: They serve fresh beef, as opposed to canned beef. (= and not canned beef, which is a different thing)
IN REFERENCE TO: I’m calling in reference to your article. (= about your article)
WITH REFERENCE TO: I want to add something with reference to what we already know. (= concerning what we already know)
IN ADDITION TO: He gave me some money in addition to the present. (= together with the present)
IN CONTRAST TO: In contrast to his autobiography, he’s a really rude person. (= differently than described in his autobiography)
IN REGARD TO: I sent him an e-mail in regard to his appointment. (= concerning his appointment)
WITH REGARD TO: I have some questions with regard to the new law. (= concerning the new law)
IN RELATION TO: I think her head is pretty big in relation to her height. (= when you consider her height)
WITH RESPECT TO: There were some issues with respect to the new system. (= related to the new system)
Complex Prepositions with WITH:
AT VARIANCE WITH: His deeds were at variance with his beliefs. (= not in agreement with his beliefs)
IN ACCORDANCE WITH: In accordance with his will, he will be buried under the old oak tree. (= in a way that follows his will)
IN COMPARISON WITH: He’s pretty smart in comparison with his father. (= when compared with his father)
IN COMPLIANCE WITH: In compliance with the new law, you can’t use coal to heat your house. (= as is required by the new law)
IN CONFORMITY WITH: In conformity with our old traditions, the bride shouldn’t see the groom on the day before the wedding. (= obeying our old traditions)
IN CONTACT WITH: Are you in contact with your father? (= Are you in touch with your father?)
IN LINE WITH: Their new policy is in line with our regulations. (= in agreement with our regulations)
Here’s the video version of the article: