Difference Between the Usage of Of & In

Key Takeaways

• Of is a preposition that indicates possession, belonging, or origin, while In can be a preposition, adverb, adjective, and noun with varied meanings.
• Of is only categorized under prepositions in parts of speech, whereas In belongs to several categories such as prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, and nouns.
• Both Of and In can be used as prepositions to indicate the position of something, but they have different meanings and usages.

There are eight parts of speech in the English language, which include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, adjectives, conjunctions, and interjections. Prepositions are used to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases in a sentence, adding clarity and more meaning. Of and In are considered parts of speech, but while Of belongs strictly to the category of prepositions, In belongs to multiple categories, such as prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, and nouns.

What Does Of Mean?

The preposition ‘Of’ is generally used to indicate belonging or origin of something. It can also be used to express a particular amount, position, or characteristic of someone or something. For example, “The students of class D became the winners in the annual Football Championship” demonstrates the students’ belonging to class D.

What Does In Mean?

In is a versatile word that can be used as a preposition, adverb, adjective, and noun, with various meanings. As a preposition, In typically indicates location or position, such as “The students who learn Geography are now in Class D,” where In signifies the students being inside class D. In can also be used as an adverb, adjective, and noun in different contexts.

Similarities Between Of and In

Both Of and In belong to prepositions in the English language and can be used to indicate the position of something.

Difference Between Of and In

The primary difference between Of and In is that Of is a preposition that signifies possession or belonging, while In can function as a preposition, adverb, adjective, and noun with varied meanings. In terms of parts of speech, Of only belongs to the category of prepositions, while In belongs to several categories such as prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, and nouns.

In summary, the words Of and In are categorized under prepositions in the English language, but In also belongs to other categories such as adverbs, adjectives, and nouns. This is the main difference between Of and In.