Prepositions do not have to be only one word of a shorter nature in terms of length. In English, you can often have a preposition that is compound in nature, which means they are called 'compound prepositions' because they are made up of more than one word).

Compound prepositions are not as common in English as single-word prepositions but they can come in handy though especially when you are writing a longer or more complex sentence. I believe that in order to get to an advanced level of grammar, you should be able to utilize compound prepositions in both spoken and written English.

Here are some examples of what ‘compound prepositions’ are and how they can be used in formal sentences.

Compound Prepositions: According to, ahead of, because of, in place of, in regard to, prior to, out of

1.) According to the weatherman’s forecast this morning, it is going to be both rainy and cold today in the city.

2.) Jamie is practicing his guitar every day this month to stay ahead of the competition on who is the best classical guitarist in his age range with the tournament coming up soon.

3.) Because of your discovery, people will now be able to receive a vaccine within the next few weeks, which is a miraculous accomplishment.

4.) I ordered my cheeseburger with onions and jalapenos in place of tomatoes and lettuce, which makes it a bit spicier to eat.

5.) In regard to your latest email, unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the work conference in Dallas due to other work obligations this month.

6.) I got accepted to this prestigious Doctorate program of five years prior to being accepted to my top Masters degree program of only two years.

7.) I came out of the gym today stronger, faster, and more disciplined after having not gone for the past year.

In each of these examples, you’ll notice how the sentences are longer and often more complex than with singular prepositions. You also should note too how the compound prepositions can be used at either the beginning of a sentence or in the middle of the sentence. Rarely are the compound prepositions found at the end of a sentence in proper English and please make sure to read the sentence out loud with the preposition included before you decide to write it into the sentence.

Definitely do your best to incorporate compound prepositions into your English sentences and you will start to see your English grammar proficiency get better and more advanced.

Learn More Grammar Tips Here

Listening Tips - Watching Short Videos When You Get Started (For Beginners)

Grammar Tip - Differences and Similarities Between Must / Have to / Should (Verbs of Urgency)

Writing Tip - Using Your Phone to Record Notes and Reminders

Vocabulary Tip - Starting Off Any Email The Right Way

Speaking Tip - Take Notes After Each Spoken Encounter

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