Prepositions are words that denote the relationship of time and place of objects. Some of the most common prepositions are on, in, at, with, for, to, over, under, into, onto and toward. Examples of prepositional phrases are "on Monday," which denotes time, and "on the wall," which denotes a place. Other prepositional phrases are: in the afternoon, at night, with the team, for five years, to the school, over the fence, into the building, onto the table and toward the park.
Compound prepositions are more than one word, such as in front of, on behalf of, with regard to, in reference to, in terms of, in excess of and for the purpose of. Compound prepositional phrases can't stand alone and must be combined with another preposition, thus, in front + of, on behalf + of, with regard + to, in reference + to, in terms + of, in excess + of and for the purpose + of. Compound prepositions create wordiness in a sentence and it is best to avoid using them.
Examples of sentences using compound prepositional phrases are: We are going to the park at this point in time. The children are playing in accordance with the rules. I am writing in reference to the phone. Other examples are: He rides his bike in a manner similar to the champion. She is in close proximity to the zoo. She paid in excess of $100.
In order to improve the sentences with a compound prepositional phrase, the compound prepositional phrase should be replaced with a simple preposition. For example: We are going to the park now. The children are playing by the rules. I am writing about the phone. The other sentences can be improved in the following ways: He rides his bike like the champion. She is near the zoo. She paid over $100.