List of Prepositional Phrases in English

What is a Prepositional Phrase?

A prepositional phrase is a combination of a preposition followed by a Noun or Pronoun, It does not include the Verb.

List of Prepositional Phrases with...

AT

 

OUT

 

IN

 

BY

 

ON

 

Prepositional Phrases with At

At a discount

Example: You will get the knife at a discount.

At a distance

Example: I don’t think it can only be provided at a distance.

At a fraction of

Example: Providing internet connection at a fraction of the cost.

At a glance

Example: At a glance, all the items that are necessary to plan your production

At a guess

Example: “I’m far from sure. At a guess, and for the moment, probably nothing…”

At a loose

Example: The analysis was at a loose end. 

At a loss

Example: I think we’re at a loss.

At a low ebb

Example: France was at a low ebb.

At a price

Example: I can deliver those pants at a price.

At a rate of

Example: The moon is retreating from the Earth at a rate of 1.5 inches or 4 cm.

At a speed of

Example: The Space Shuttle, which maxed out at a speed of 28’300 kilometers per hour.

At a standstill

Example: We don’t want to be at a standstill again.

At all costs

Example: Debt is something to avoid at all costs.

At all events

Example: At all events, it is still in good working order.

At high speed

Example: Technology is fast replacing human connection at high speed.

At issue

Example: A large one at issue is the state and local tax deduction.

At large

Example: That is a huge problem for our country at large.

At least

Example: You should read at least one book a week.

At length

Example: He spoke at length of what his intent was for making the saxophone.

At liberty

Example: She is not at liberty to tell you the facts.

At the most

Example: It should cost around $50, or $70 at the most.

At night

Example: I was sitting there, reading, before I went to sleep at night.

At noon

Example: The polls closed at noon on Monday, May 15.

At one time

Example: Only 20 boats are on the canal at one time.

At one’s leisure

Example: You can read at your leisure another time.

At one’s request

Example: We can either send it out at your request.

At one’s side

Example: We will always be at your side.

At peace

Example: He’s at peace.

At risk

Example: Kids at risk for violence.

At sight

Example: The authorized bank will pay the exporter at sight.

At the double

Example: Are you at the double doors with me?

At  the end

Example: He passed away at the end of 2018.

At  the outset

Example: I also wanna thank, at the outset.

At  war

Example: They‘re basically at war with people.

Prepositional Phrases with Out

Out of breath

Example: I’m out of breath.

Out of context

Example: Please don’t take that out of context.

Out of control

Example: They can basically go out of control.

Out of curiosity

Example: Just out of curiosity, how many of you have read the book?

Out of date

Example: It was already old and out of date.

Out of doors

Example: He paints almost always out of doors.

Out of duty

Example: We might do an act out of duty.

Out of fashion

Example: Is it going to go out of fashion 50 years from now?

Out of hand

Example: It got totally out of hand.

Out of ideas

Example: They’re going to run out of ideas.

Out of jealousy

Example: I just almost punched him out of jealousy.

Out of one’s mind

Example: I’m scared out of my mind.

Out of order

Example: Everything was out of order.

Out of pity

Example: We ask companies to hire our youth not out of pity.

Out of place

Example: I felt out of place among my mostly male colleagues.

Out of practice

Example: Im a little out of practice.

Out of print

Example: These books that are out of print.

Out of reach

Example: Owning a home seem out of reach.

Out of respect for

Example: I wouldn’t have done that out of respect for you.

Out of sight

Example: They’re out of sight. Where are they?

Out of spite

Example: They don’t do that out of spite.

Out of step

Example: Chinese youth dressed in ways out of step with the youth in the rest of the world.

Out of stock

Example: This product is currently out of stock.

Out of the ordinary

Example: I knew this was out of the ordinary for her.

Out of the question

Example: I don’t think it’s at all out of the question.

Out of work

Example: Millions of more people out of work.

Prepositional Phrases with IN

In an uproar

Example: Why are the nations in an uproar.

In answer to

Example: In answer to the question: Why is there something rather than nothing?

In anticipation of

Example: Climate gentrification happens in anticipation of sea-level rise.

In arrears

Example: Everything you owe is being paid in arrears.

In danger

Example: They were in danger of starving.

In debt

Example: The country remains in debt over $90 billion dollars.

In decline

Example: Today they are 99% in decline.

In defense of

Example: In defense of the country against a common enemy.

In demand

Example: They have to account for peaks in demand.

In detail

Example: He described them in detail.

In disgrace

Example: He had to resign in disgrace.

In disguise

Example: They are actually skinheads in disguise.

In fact

Example: If it were in fact easy, everybody would do it.

In fairness to

Example: In fairness to him, I read his statement.

In favor of

Example: I’m in favor of his decision.

In fear of

Example: People were in fear of their lives.

In flames

Example: They all went down in flames.

In flower

Example: If you look at, catch it when it’s in flower.

In full

Example: I should say in full disclosure I’m a graduate of the University of Michigan.

In future

Example: I’d like to see us going forward in future sessions

In gear

Example: They put it in gear.

In general

Example: This has happened in general in the economy.

In good condition

Example: The painting was in good condition.

In good faith

Example: Who is not acting in good faith?

In hand

Example: Thousands of labs literally have this in hand today.

In harmony (with)

Example: People have lived in harmony with their surroundings.

In haste

Example: They did this in haste.

In hiding

Example: I’m here and I don’t have to live in hiding.

In high spirits

Example: He was in high spirits and very drunk.

In honor of

Example: The dinner is in honor of a colleague who is leaving.

In horror

Example: They cried out in horror as the car burst into flames.

In ink

Example: Please write in ink, not in pencil.

In of focus

Example: Please write in ink, not in pencil.

In time

Example: I got home just in time – it’s starting to rain.

Prepositional Phrases with BY

By accident

Example: She deleted the file by accident.

By air

Example: He doesn’t travel much by air.

By all accounts

Example: By all accounts, he’s a very good dad.

By all means

Example: Let’s by all means shrink the size of government.

By any standard

Example: By any standard this is wrong.

By appointment

Example: She’ll be happy to see you by appointment.

By birth

Example: Not by birth, but by choice.

By chance

Example: He got this job completely by chance.

By coincidence

Example: Just by coincidence, I met my old schoolmate again 40 years later.

By courtesy of

Example: A picture of the Milky Way by courtesy of the Hubble telescope.

By definition

Example: Psychology is by definition an inexact science.

By degrees

Example: The economy seems to be improving by degrees.

By design

Example: This was by design because we wanted to be so clever.

By dint of

Example: He achieved his success by dint of hard work.

By far

Example: They are by far the best students in the school.

By  force

Example: By force of habit, I always hung the house keys on a hook next to the front door.

By  hand

Example: All his toys are made by hand.

By heart

Example: She learned by heart at school.

By land

Example: An ocean almost completely surrounded by land.

By law

Example: They have to provide a contract by law.

By luck

Example: I found this website by luck.

By mistake

Example: He has paid this bill twice by mistake.

By mistake

Example: He has paid this bill twice by mistake.

Prepositional Phrases with ON

On a diet

Example: She is going on a diet next week.

On a journey

Example: We’ve been on a journey.

On a large scale

Example: Crop failure on a large scale might make an individual farm vulnerable to the short or long-term.

On a pension

Example: You don’t count on a pension.

On a regular basis

Example: I have adopted this practice on a regular basis.

On a small scale

Example: He has used them on a small scale.

On a spree

Example: He went on a spree.

On a trip

Example: They’re going on a trip to Tokyo this summer.

On account of

Example: He doesn’t drink alcohol on account of his poor health.

On an expedition

Example: I met him first in 1998 on an expedition.

On an island

Example: They live on an island off the coast of Norway.

On approval

Example: You can have the goods on approval for 15 days.

On average

Example: Interest rates rose on average to 9.8% in September.

On bail

Example: She’s begging the judge, “Release him on bail”.

On balance

Example: It goes up, it goes down, on balance, goes up quite a bit.

On behalf of

Example: On behalf of the entire company, I would like to thank you for all your work.

On board

Example: As soon as She was on board, She began to have second thoughts about leaving.

On business 

Example: He began to mentor me on business.

On oath

Example: The judge reminded the witness that she on oath.

On order

Example: The new bike has been on order for several weeks.

On pain of

Example: You’re not allowed to touch those on pain of death without a pair of gloves on.

On remand

Example: He was held on remand in prison for 9 months.

On schedule

Example: Boats in Venice are going on schedule.

On schedule

Example: Boats in Venice are going on schedule.

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