Compound Prepositions in English Grammar with Examples

Compound Prepositions in English with Examples, Formation and Comparison with Simple Prepositions — Compound Prepositions in English with Examples

Contents

3 Minutes Read

Prepositions are words that show the relationship between nouns or pronouns and other words in a sentence. They typically indicate direction, location, time, or manner. Compound prepositions are formed by combining two or more words to function as a single preposition, helping to clarify the meaning of a sentence. In this article, we will explore compound prepositions in English grammar with clear explanations and examples to help learners grasp the concept easily.

What Are Compound Prepositions?

Compound prepositions, also called complex prepositions, are prepositions that consist of two or more words. These words typically include simple prepositions combined with other words like adverbs or conjunctions to form a meaningful prepositional phrase. They function just like simple prepositions but offer more specific context or meaning.

List of Compound Prepositions

According to
Ahead of
Along with
Apart from
As for
As of
As per
Aside from
Because of
By means of
Close to
Contrary to
Due to
Except for
In addition to
In back of
In case of
In comparison with
In consequence of
In favor of
In front of
In lieu of
In line with
In place of
In regard to
In spite of
In view of
Instead of
Near to
Next to
On account of
On behalf of
On condition of
On top of
Out of
Owing to
Prior to
Regardless of
Thanks to
Up to
With regard to
With respect to
In return for
In respect to
In accordance with
In the middle of
On the part of
In relation to
In furtherance of
With reference to
By way of

Commonly Used Compound Prepositions

Here are some of the most commonly used compound prepositions along with their examples:

Compound Preposition	Example Sentence
According to	According to the news, it will rain tomorrow.
On behalf of	He spoke on behalf of the entire team.
In addition to	In addition to his job, he volunteers at a shelter.
By means of	The project was completed by means of hard work.
Out of	She acted out of kindness.
In case of	In case of emergency, call 911.
In spite of	They went for a walk in spite of the rain.
Due to	The flight was delayed due to bad weather.

Formation of Compound Prepositions

Compound prepositions are formed by combining two or more words, typically prepositions, adverbs, or conjunctions, that work together to function as a single preposition. These combinations create a prepositional phrase that conveys more specific meaning than a simple preposition alone.

Common Patterns for Compound Prepositions

Preposition + Preposition:
- Examples: Out of, From within
Preposition + Noun + Preposition:
- Examples: In front of, On behalf of, In place of
Preposition + Adverb:
- Examples: Because of, Apart from
Preposition + Adjective + Preposition:
- Examples: In spite of, In accordance with, In favor of

List of 2 and 3 Words Compound Prepositions

Two-word Prepositions	Three-word Prepositions
According to	As well as
As for	Because of
As to	By virtue of
Due to	During the course of
Instead of	In accordance with
Before	In conjunction with
Ahead of	In excess of
As of	In favor of
Apart from	In order to
As regards	In receipt of
Outside of	With respect to
Regardless of	With regard to
Aside from	With reference to
Because of	In terms of
Owing to	In front of
After	In relation to
In between	By means of
Except for	With relation to
	In line with
	On top of
	On behalf of
	Using

Simple Vs Compound Prepositions

A simple preposition consists of just one word (e.g., at, on, in), while a compound preposition is formed by combining two or more words. Although both function as prepositions, compound prepositions tend to express more complex relationships between the elements in a sentence.

For instance:

Simple Preposition:
He is at school.
Compound Preposition:
He is standing in front of the school.

Both sentences indicate the position of “he,” but the second sentence gives a more detailed description of his location relative to the school.

Types of Compound Prepositions

Compound prepositions can often be grouped into specific categories based on the relationship they express. Here are some common types:

Prepositions of Cause (show reason or cause):
- Because of
- Due to
- By means of
Prepositions of Time (indicate a time relation):
- In the course of
- Prior to
- In front of
Prepositions of Contrast/Concession (show opposition):
- In spite of
- Despite
- Contrary to
Prepositions of Location (indicate position):
- In front of
- Next to
- Out of