PREPOSITION
USAGE
Introduction
Prepositions describe a relationship
between other words in a sentence. They locate objects in time and space,
describe location or movement and show how something is situated in relationship
to something else. It can be difficult to define an individual preposition:
most English prepositions have several different functions (e.g. "at"
or "for") and also different prepositions can have similar
uses (e.g. in the morning/at night, by car/on
foot).
Prepositions are nearly always
combined with other words in prepositional phrases, which consist of a
preposition followed by a determiner, an adjective and finally a pronoun
or noun (called the object of the preposition). This whole phrase then
acts as an adjective or adverb, telling when or where, or under what conditions,
or in what field, something happened.
e.g.
the most
innovative inventions in the I.T. industry.
¡Ka part to play in expanding opportunities for all.
¡Kextend into new professional possibilities.
¡Kthe VP shall, before the start of semester,¡K
¡Kinventory levels throughout the industry supply chain.
|
Below are examples of the major
categories of preposition, with links to websites that give you more information.
There are also links to quizzes and crosswords for self checking and practice.
This website gives detailed information
on preposition usage. http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
1. Prepositions of Time: at, on, in, for and since
We use at to indicate specific
times.
e.g.
The bomb is due to explode
at 7p.m. precisely.
The Hong Kong to Beijing train leaves at 6.30 a.m.
|
We use on to indicate
days and dates.
e.g.
The entire Committee is
meeting on Monday.
Westerners celebrate New Year on 31st December.
|
We use in for non-specific
times during a day, a month, a season, a year or an event.
e.g.
She always reads her emails
in the morning.
In the summer, it is difficult to work without air conditioning.
The project began in March 2002.
In the past she seldom took a taxi.
|
We use for when we measure
time (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years).
e.g.
The average working day
lasts for 8 hours.
Manufacturing industries have thrived in Hong Kong for
many years.
For over a century, the Americans have had business interests
in the Pacific region.
|
We use since with a specific
date or time (with the present perfect tense).
e.g.
He has worked here since
1999.
She has been studying at the PolyU since September.
He has been waiting to see his supervisor since10.00a.m.
|
This website gives short explanations and examples of prepositions of
time, place, and those used to introduce objects (at, in, on, since, for,
during, within; at, of, for, about etc)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslprep4.html
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
2. Prepositions of Place or Location: at, on, and in
We use at for
specific addresses.
e.g.
Many of the dotcom companies
were situated at 21 Lyndhurst Terrace.
¡Kalso at home, school,
the office, the airport, the shops¡K
|
We use on to designate
names of streets, avenues, etc.
e.g.
Kowloon Mosque is on
Nathan Road.
¡Kalso on the computer,
the bed , the floor, the plane, the MTR
|
We use in for the names
of land-areas (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents).
e.g
Festival Walk shopping mall
is in Kowloon Tong.
Mai Po marshes, famous for migrating birds, is in the New
Territories.
The Hong Kong SAR is in China.
¡Kalso in (the) class,
the library, the lab, the train, the car, the bedroom.
|
This website gives explanations,
with graphics, of prepositions of location or place (at,in,on)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslprep2.html
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
3. Prepositions of Movement or Direction: to, into, onto, toward etc
We use to in order to express
movement towards a place.
e.g.
They were driving to
work together.
She's going to the professor's office this morning.
|
Toward(s) is also a helpful
preposition to express movement.
e.g.
We're moving toward
the end of an era.
This is a big step towards the fruition of my life's work.
|
This website gives explanations,
with graphics, of prepositions of direction (to, into, onto).
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslprep.html
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
4. Prepositions of spatial relationships: above, before, across, through,
around
These prepositions describe how
one object relates to another
e.g.
70% of the group earned
incomes above the poverty line.
The soldiers entered through the air conditioning shaft.
The children were asked to draw a circle around the face
they recognised.
|
This website gives explanations, with graphics, of prepositions describing
spatial relationships (above, below, around, behind, through etc)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/eslprep3.html
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
5. Idiomatic Expressions with Prepositions
Idiomatic expressions use a variety
of prepositions, depending on the object following; the context and the
intended meaning.
e.g.
|
agree to a proposal,
suggestion, decision etc
agree with a person
agree on a price
agree in principle
|
They agreed to abide
by his decision.
She never agrees with me professionally but I like her.
Bargaining is the skill of both buyer and seller agreeing on
a price.
|
e.g.
|
argue about a matter
argue with a person
argue for or against a proposition
|
My father and I always argue about politics.
I never argue with my instructor.
Father Mello argues for asylum for the abode seekers.
|
e.g.
|
correspond to a thing
correspond with a person
|
A Postgraduate Diploma corresponds to a Masters degree
without the dissertation.
Jean Paul Sartre corresponded with other French philosophers
in exile.
|
e.g.
|
compare to ( to show
likenesses)
compare with ( to show differences, sometimes similarities)
|
It is difficult to compare living in Hong Kong to
living in Canada.
Her marks are above average compared with others in her year.
|
e.g.
|
live at an address
live in a house or city
live on a street, housing estate
live with other people
|
I live at 10 Downing St.
They have lived in Shanghai for many years.
We live on a residential estate in Aberdeen.
The children live with their grandmother.
|
Click here for a short
10-question interactive quiz
Links and quizzes:
This website gives a list of common
prepositions and examples of prepositional phrases and prepositions at
the end of a sentence
http://www.unlv.edu/Colleges/Liberal_Arts/English/Writing_Center/Prepositions.htm
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
These web pages give interactive
quizzes for self-checking and practice.
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/preposition_quiz1.htm
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
http://a4esl.org/q/h/0101/es-prepositions.html
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
http://a4esl.org/q/h/fb-bd-preposition.html
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
These web pages give preposition
crosswords, with hints and answers.
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/cross/cross_prep.htm
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/cross/cross_prep2.htm
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
http://iteslj.org/cw/1/vm-prep.htm
(Accessed 7 February 2003)
|