Delia's English Hub

Prepositions – “Beside” and “Besides”

Preposition beside with the meaning next to or to the side of something:

Here are some examples of how the preposition beside can be used to indicate something is located next to or to the side of something else:

Preposition besides with the meaning apart from and as well as or in addition to:

The preposition besides can have two distinct meanings: apart from and as well as.

Here are examples of how besides can be used in both contexts:

Preposition below with the meaning -lower than or under:

Here are some examples of the preposition below used to indicate something that is lower than or under something else:

The submarine descended to a depth of 200 meters below the surface of the ocean.

Please place the books below the table so they don’t clutter the room.

Preposition behind with the meaning – at and to the back of something or someone:

Here are some examples of the preposition behind used to indicate the position at and to the back of something or someone:

She hid behind the tree to avoid being seen.

The car is parked behind the building.

Preposition before with the meaning – till, earlier:

Here are some examples of the preposition before used with the meaning of till or earlier than the time or event mentioned:

Before five o’clock: I’ll meet you at the park before five o’clock.

Before dinner: Let’s go for a walk before dinner to work up an appetite.

The preposition at can be used to indicate a specific moment or point in time.

Here are some examples:

The meeting is scheduled at 3:00 PM.

I’ll be ready to leave at 8:30 in the morning.