Nouns directly before prepositions:
* Prepositional phrases: A noun can be the object of a preposition. In this case, the noun comes directly before the preposition:
* "The book on the table." ("table" is the object of the preposition "on")
* "She walked through the park." ("park" is the object of "through")
* Phrases with specific prepositions: Some prepositions are often followed by a noun, forming a specific phrase:
* "I'm at home." (this is a common phrase)
* "He went to the store." (another common phrase)
Nouns not directly before prepositions:
* Other parts of speech between: A noun can be separated from a preposition by other parts of speech, like adjectives, adverbs, or verbs:
* "He sat by the window." ("window" is the object of "by")
* "She looked for her keys." ("keys" is the object of "for")
Important considerations:
* Grammar: The specific rules of English grammar govern the placement of nouns and prepositions.
* Meaning: The order can affect meaning. "The book on the table" is different from "The table on the book".
* Clarity: Using a noun directly before a preposition often makes the phrase clearer and more concise.
In short, it's not a matter of a noun *always* being before a preposition, but rather a consideration of the specific grammatical structure and the desired meaning.