KS2 Prepositions: The Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers (With Free Worksheets)
Time, place, direction & cause · Preposition or conjunction? · Last updated: August 2026
Written by the Kwized team and reviewed against the KS2 National Curriculum.
A preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun or noun phrase to another part of a sentence, showing time, place, direction or cause — words like before, beside, towards and because of. KS2 pupils learn four types of preposition and must also learn to tell prepositions apart from conjunctions when words like before, after, since and until can be either.
National Curriculum requirement
Prepositions are covered under Appendix 2: Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation. They're introduced earlier than many people expect — the statutory Year 3/4 requirement explicitly names prepositions, with Years 5 and 6 building on this through the trickier preposition-or-conjunction distinction.
Using conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to express time and cause.View the full National Curriculum: English programme of study on gov.uk →
What is a preposition? (KS2 definition)
A preposition sits in front of a noun, pronoun or noun phrase and shows how it relates to the rest of the sentence — usually in terms of time, place, direction or cause. Put together, the preposition and the words that follow it form a preposition phrase: beyond the horizon, since breakfast, because of the rain. A simple way to explain it to a child: a preposition tells you when, where, which way, or why something happens in relation to something else.
The four types of KS2 prepositions
Most KS2 schemes of work group prepositions into four categories. Children in Years 3 and 4 usually meet place and direction prepositions first, since they're the most concrete and easiest to picture; time and cause prepositions, along with the preposition-or-conjunction distinction, are extended further in Years 5 and 6.
Preposition or conjunction? The words that trip everyone up
This is the part of the topic that catches out even confident writers, and it's a favourite for SATs-style reasoning questions. Words like before, after, since and until can be either a preposition or a subordinating conjunction — and the only way to tell which is to look at what comes next.
| What follows the word | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A noun or noun phrase | Preposition | They left before the storm. |
| A clause (subject + verb) | Conjunction | They left before the storm hit. |
A quick trick that works well with KS2 pupils: cover up everything after the word in question. If what's left reads like "before + a thing", it's a preposition. If it reads like "before + a mini-sentence with its own verb", it's a conjunction.
Common mistakes KS2 pupils make with prepositions
| ❌ Incorrect | ✅ Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Treating every "before/since/until" the same way | Check what follows: noun = preposition, clause = conjunction | Confusing prepositions with conjunctions is the single most common error |
| Underlining only "beside" | Underlining "beside the lake" | When asked for a preposition phrase, the whole phrase needs underlining, not just the preposition |
| in vs into, on vs onto | Check whether movement is involved (into/onto) or just position (in/on) | Similar-sounding prepositions are easy to mix up |
| Half-underlining "because of" | Underlining the whole multi-word preposition "because of" | Multi-word prepositions (because of, due to, owing to) are often missed since they don't look like a single "word" |
How to practise prepositions at home
- Read sentences aloud and ask "when, where, which way or why?" — it turns an abstract grammar term into a concrete question.
- Spot prepositions in whatever your child is already reading — a reading book, a recipe, even a football match report will have plenty.
- Practise the cover-up trick for before/after/since/until until it becomes automatic.
- Mix it up between spotting and writing — identifying prepositions in a sentence is a different (easier) skill from using them correctly in original writing, so both need practice.
Free KS2 Prepositions worksheets by year group
Year 3 — Place & Direction
Identifying the most concrete prepositions: place and direction, with picture and sentence-based practice
Year 4 — Time & Preposition Phrases
Introducing time prepositions and identifying full preposition phrases, not just single words
Year 5 — Cause & Multi-Word Prepositions
Cause prepositions (because of, due to, owing to) and sorting practice across all four types
Year 6 — Preposition or Conjunction?
Reading passages to mark up, plus the preposition-vs-conjunction distinction in SATs GPS test style
Interactive KS2 Prepositions Quiz — Free Practice
Test knowledge of prepositions with this free interactive practice quiz. Pupils identify the four types of preposition, spot whole preposition phrases, and tell prepositions apart from conjunctions — with instant feedback on every answer. No login required to play.
This quiz covers the four preposition types and the preposition-or-conjunction distinction — key objectives in the KS2 National Curriculum for English. Register free to save your score, track progress, and access the full Kwized question bank.
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Preposition | A word that links a noun, pronoun or noun phrase to another part of a sentence, showing time, place, direction or cause |
| Preposition phrase | A preposition plus the noun, pronoun or noun phrase that follows it, e.g. beyond the horizon |
| Subordinating conjunction | A word that joins a subordinate clause to a main clause, e.g. before, although, because |
| Clause | A group of words containing a subject and a verb |
| Noun phrase | A noun plus the words that describe or specify it |
| Multi-word preposition | A preposition made of more than one word acting as a single unit, e.g. because of, due to |
Related topics
Frequently asked questions
What is a preposition in simple terms?
A preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun or noun phrase to another word in a sentence, usually showing time, place, direction or cause — for example before, beside, towards or because of.
What are the four types of prepositions taught in KS2?
KS2 pupils learn to recognise prepositions of time (before, during), place (beside, between), direction (towards, through) and cause (because of, due to).
Is "before" a preposition or a conjunction?
It can be either. If before is followed by a noun or noun phrase (before the storm), it's a preposition. If it's followed by a clause with its own subject and verb (before the storm hit), it's a subordinating conjunction.
What is a preposition phrase?
A preposition phrase is a preposition plus the noun, pronoun or noun phrase that follows it, such as beyond the horizon or since breakfast. When a question asks for the preposition phrase rather than just the preposition, the whole phrase needs underlining.
What year do children learn prepositions in the UK curriculum?
Prepositions of place and direction are introduced from Year 2 onwards, with prepositions of time and cause named explicitly in the Year 3/4 statutory curriculum, and the preposition-or-conjunction distinction extended further in Years 5 and 6.
How can I help my child practise prepositions at home?
Spotting prepositions in everyday reading, asking "when, where, which way or why?" about each one, and practising the cover-up trick for words like before and since all help. Worksheets and short quizzes are useful for consolidating the rules once a child understands the basic idea.
Ready to put this into practice?
Explore Kwized's full library of curriculum-aligned KS2 English worksheets, quizzes and games for Years 3–6, each mapped directly to National Curriculum Appendix 2.
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