Compound Prepositions Guide for Students With Examples

Grammar trips students up not because it is hard but because it is explained badly. Compound Prepositions are a perfect example. Students mix them up or break them in sentences that leads to awkward sentences. This blog fixes that. Here, Compound Prepositions are explained in simple English with rules and examples. Nd after this, you will know exactly how Compound Prepositions function and how to use them without second-guessing.

What are Compound Prepositions?

A compound preposition is a group of two or more words that work together as one preposition in a sentence. These words are used before a noun or pronoun to show direction, time, place, reason, or relation.

Unlike simple prepositions such as in, on, or at, compound prepositions are made by joining a simple preposition with another word. This other word can be a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Compound prepositions always act as one single unit. You cannot break them in the middle. They give more clear and specific meaning than simple prepositions.

Examples of compound prepositions include:

• in front of
  
• because of
  
• due to
  
• instead of
  
• in spite of
  

Example sentence:

She stood in front of the class and spoke confidently.

Also Read: Rules for Prepositions in English Grammar with Examples

How Are Compound Prepositions Formed?

Compound prepositions are formed by joining two or more words that function together as one preposition in a sentence.

In most cases, a compound preposition follows this pattern:

• The first word is usually an adverb, adjective, or conjunction
  
• The last word is usually a simple preposition like to, of, in, on, for

Formation of Two-Word Compound Prepositions

Two-word compound prepositions are made by combining:

• an adverb, adjective, or conjunction
  
• with a simple preposition

Examples:

• according to
  
• because of
  
• instead of
  
• aside from

Example sentences:

According to his teacher, he is a good student.

You should have gone north instead of going right.

Formation of Three-Word Compound Prepositions

Three-word compound prepositions have a slightly different structure:

• The first word is usually an adverb or preposition
  
• The middle word is often a noun or an article
  
• The last word is always a simple preposition

Examples:

• in front of
  
• on top of
  
• in spite of

Example sentences:

They worked hard because of the recognition they received.

The washrooms were not clean aside from the kitchen.

Two-Word Compound Prepositions Examples

Two-word compound prepositions are formed using two fixed words that act as one preposition in a sentence. These word pairs must be used together to give the correct meaning.

Here is a clear and corrected list of common two-word compound prepositions with examples to help you understand them easily.

Two-Word Compound Preposition	Example Sentence
according to	According to the teacher, the test was easy.
because of	The match was cancelled because of the rain.
due to	The delay was due to heavy traffic.
owing to	The flight was late owing to bad weather.
in between	Sit in between Rahul and Aman.
instead of	She took tea instead of coffee.
aside from	Aside from maths, he likes all subjects.
apart from	Apart from English, she studies French.
ahead of	He reached the station ahead of time.
outside of	Outside of school hours, the library is closed.
regardless of	She helped him regardless of the risk.
except for	Everyone passed except for one student.
as of	As of today, the rule is changed.
as regards	As regards safety, rules must be followed.
among	The sweets were shared among friends.
amidst	He stayed calm amidst the chaos.

Also Read: Future Unreal Conditional Examples

Three-Word Compound Prepositions Examples

Three-word compound prepositions are made using three fixed words that work together as one preposition. These word groups usually end with a simple preposition like of or to.

They are commonly used to give clear meaning about place, purpose, reason, or relation.

Example Sentences

She ran away from the dog as far as she could.

There is a candy store in front of the park.

They carried their bags on top of their heads.

His mother attended the ceremony on behalf of him.

Common Three-Word Compound Prepositions

Three-Word Compound Preposition	Example Sentence
in front of	The school is in front of the hospital.
on behalf of	She spoke on behalf of her team.
in terms of	The plan is good in terms of cost.
with respect to	Rules were updated with respect to safety.
with regard to	He wrote an email with regard to the delay.
with relation to	The notice is with relation to exams.
in line with	The decision is in line with company policy.
in aid of	A concert was held in aid of charity.
as far as	As far as I know, the shop is closed.
in order to	He studied hard in order to pass.

What is the Difference Between Simple and Compound Prepositions?

Simple prepositions and compound prepositions are both used to show the relationship between words in a sentence. The main difference is how many words they contain and how specific their meaning is.

Basis of Difference	Simple Prepositions	Compound Prepositions
Number of words	Made of one word	Made of two or three words
Structure	Single, short word	Fixed group of words
Formation	Stand alone words	Formed by combining a simple preposition with other words
Meaning	Give basic meaning	Give clear and detailed meaning
Usage	Common in daily speaking	Common in writing and formal English
Flexibility	Words can be replaced easily	Words cannot be changed or separated
Length	Short	Longer
Examples	in, on, at, by, from	in front of, because of, instead of, in addition to
Example sentence	The cat is on the chair.	The cat is in front of the chair.
Clarity	Less specific	More specific

Also Read: Simple Present Tense Voice Change Exercises

Compound Prepositions Exercise with Answer

Instruction: Choose the correct compound preposition to complete each sentence.

Questions:

1. He missed the flight __________ heavy traffic.
   
2. She spoke __________ the new school rules.
   
3. The dog sat __________ the table.
   
4. The match continued __________ the rain.
   
5. He completed the task __________ the limited time.
   
6. She selected juice __________ tea.
   
7. The manager signed the document __________ the company.
   
8. The shop is located __________ the cinema.
   
9. The event was organised __________ charity.
   
10. The decision was taken __________ company policy.

Answers:

1. because of
   
2. with regard to
   
3. under
   
4. in spite of
   
5. in spite of
   
6. instead of
   
7. on behalf of
   
8. in front of
   
9. in aid of
   
10. in line with

FAQs

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This was everything you needed to finally master Compound Prepositions with confidence. You now know what they mean, how they are formed, and how to use them correctly without overthinking every sentence. Keep learning and stay connected with Learn English on Leverage Edu for more helpful and student-friendly blogs. And if this helped you, don’t forget to share, rate, and drop a comment. Your support helps more students find the good stuff.