Level: B1-B2

Multi-Word (Phrasal) Prepositions — Practice

Some prepositions are made of two or three words that work together as a single unit — because of, in spite of, instead of, according to, in front of, next to. Practice 30+ ESL example sentences including the classic despite vs in spite of trap.

📝 Prepositions unit · lesson 9 of 11 ⏱ about 7 minutes 🔊 every example has audio

Builds on Prepositions — the guide Next in unit Preposition Types →

Multi-word prepositions — quick guide

These prepositions are made of two or three words working together. They’re extremely common in everyday English.

Phrase	Meaning	Example
because of	reason	She was late because of the traffic.
due to	reason (formal)	The flight was canceled due to bad weather.
in spite of	contrast / opposition	In spite of the rain, we went out.
despite	contrast (one word, no "of")	Despite the rain, we went out.
instead of	replacement	She drank tea instead of coffee.
in addition to	also, plus	In addition to math, she studies physics.
according to	source of information	According to the news, it will rain.
in front of	position	She stood in front of the building.
next to	position	He sat next to me.
on top of	position	The book is on top of the desk.
out of	direction / source	He came out of the room.
away from	direction	Stay away from the fire.

📖 Want the full explanation? See English Prepositions → Multi-word prepositions on the main grammar page.

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Reason / cause (because of, due to)
She was late because of the traffic. – reason
The flight was canceled due to bad weather. – reason
He could not sleep because of the noise. – reason
The game was postponed due to rain. – reason
We stayed home because of the storm. – reason
The accident happened due to the icy road. – reason
Contrast (despite, in spite of)
Despite the rain, we went out. – contrast
In spite of the rain, we went out. – contrast
Despite his age, he runs fast. – contrast
In spite of her efforts, she failed. – contrast
Despite the difficulty, he finished the project. – contrast
In spite of the warning, they continued. – contrast
Replacement (instead of)
She walked to work instead of driving. – replacement
Let us walk instead of taking the bus. – replacement
He read a book instead of watching TV. – replacement
I called instead of texting. – replacement
Addition (in addition to)
In addition to math, she paints. – addition
In addition to her job, she volunteers. – addition
In addition to Spanish, he sings. – addition
Source of information (according to)
According to the news, it will rain. – source
According to the doctor, she is fine. – source
According to the map, we are close. – source
According to the report, sales increased. – source
Position (in front of, next to, on top of)
She stood in front of the building. – position
He parked in front of the store. – position
He sat next to me. – position
She sat next to her brother. – position
She placed the book on top of her desk. – position
The cat sleeps on top of the cabinet. – position
Direction (out of, away from)
He came out of the room. – direction
Stay away from the fire. – direction
The dog ran out of the yard. – direction
Keep away from the edge. – direction

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