Level: B1

Nouns as Objects of Prepositions — Practice

Find the noun that comes right after a preposition like in, on, under, behind, after, before, between, near. Includes the simple “preposition + noun = prepositional phrase” pattern, sentences with multiple prepositional phrases, and 43 click-to-hear example sentences.

📝 Nouns unit · lesson 8 of 14 ⏱ about 11 minutes 🔊 every example has audio

Builds on Direct Objects Next in unit Proper Nouns →

Objects of prepositions — quick guide

The object of the preposition is the noun (or pronoun) that comes right after a preposition. Together, the preposition + its object form a prepositional phrase that adds information about where, when, how, or why something happens.

The book is on the table. (on the table — “table” is the object of “on”)
We walked through the forest.
She arrived after midnight.

🎯 The two-step spotting trick

Find a preposition in the sentence (in, on, at, of, to, with, for, by, from, about, under, over, through, between, behind, near, after, before…).
The next noun or pronoun (sometimes after an article or adjective) is the object of that preposition.

A big red apple rolled under the car. → preposition = under → next noun = car ✓
The bear hid behind the tree. → preposition = behind → object = tree ✓
We walked along the beach after dinner. → TWO prepositional phrases: along the beach and after dinner → objects = beach, dinner

Watch out: A noun after a preposition is NOT a direct object, even though it follows a verb. In She listened to music., music is the object of the preposition to — not the object of listened.

📖 Want the full explanation with prepositional phrases and all 7 noun functions? See English Nouns → Noun as the object of the preposition on the main grammar page.

Sentences with one prepositional phrase
The closest school is around the corner.
The parking is across the street.
The show will begin near midnight.
Mike and Sandy cried during the movie.
A big red apple rolled under the car.
The bear hid behind the tree.
During class, Mike asked an interesting question.
I placed my hat upon the statue.
All children were sneaking around the corner.
You should look beyond tomorrow when you make these plans.
Do not try to jump over a hungry dog.
The keys are inside the drawer.
The book lies beneath the pillow.
The kite flew above the rooftops.
Keep your hands off the paintings.
The coins fell between the cushions.
The candles are on top of the cake.
Before midnight, the children were already asleep.
Under the old bridge, they discovered a hidden path.
The bus stopped in front of the library.
Sentences with two prepositional phrases
We waited near the entrance for our guide.
They hiked toward the mountains before nightfall.
Are those candies on the table for the kids?
Mike spent his vacation at the cabin near the lake.
This car belongs to the brother of my neighbor.
Ned was pointing to a glowing object beneath the sea.
Until sunrise, we will stay in the house.
Mike sits beside the teacher in the class.
We talked about Shakespeare in the classroom today.
There is a bakery across the street from the park.
The cat crawled under the sofa during the storm.
We walked through the forest before sunset.
The letter is from my uncle in Spain.
They wandered along the beach after dinner.
The papers are under a stack of books.
The children played inside the hall during recess.
Across the field, we saw a herd of deer grazing.
This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.
I watch cars passing over the bridge, moving above the trees and houses.
Sentences with three or more prepositional phrases
After dinner, we went for a walk in the park.
On Monday morning, we walked to school through the park.
At dawn, we drove from the city to the countryside.
In the afternoon, the dog ran across the field toward the lake.

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