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Prepositions

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Contents

  1. Purpose
  2. Rules
  3. Common problems
  4. How to improve your use
  5. Choosing the correct preposition
  6. Sources and SELF resources

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Purpose of prepositions

  • To show the relationship between the nouns, verbs, and adjectives in a sentence:

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    • A person and their location or destination
    • An object and who it belongs to
    • An event and when it happens

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Rules: 1

  • Prepositions can be followed by nouns or gerunds

√ I ’m looking forward to having lunch.

√ I ’m looking forward to lunch.

  • Pronouns should be in object, not subject form
  • Reflexive pronouns should be used if the preposition’s object is the same as the sentence’s subject

X The students submitted the essays to Dr Sadorra and I.

√ The students submitted the essays to Dr Sadorra and me.

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Rules: 2

  • Prepositions are usually used immediately before their objects

√ The argumentative essay will be assigned after the recess.

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  • Prepositions + objects come at the beginning of sentences for emphasis

√ After the recess, the essay will be assigned.

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Rules: 3

  • In some cases, the object of the preposition is separated from the preposition:

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    • Direct questions

What do you attribute your success to?

    • Indirect questions

The students wondered who/whom the tutor was referring to.

    • Relative clauses

The prototype that the tutor referred to received more funding.

    • Passive constructions

The new prototype was repeatedly referred to.

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Rules: 4

  • The sentences can be more formal if the preposition is immediately before its object

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    • Direct questions
    • √ To what do you attribute your success?

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    • Indirect questions

√ The students wondered to who/whom the tutor could be referring.

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    • Relative clauses (not used with ‘that’)

√ The prototype to which the tutor referred received more funding.

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Common preposition problems

  • A preposition can have different meanings

Behind can mean:

at the back of (Is there a car behind us?)

responsible for (She’s behind the company’ new image.)

not as successful as (Rio’s infrastructure is behind London’s.)

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  • Different prepositions can have a similar meaning

Above: higher than (The salaries we offer are above average.)

On top of: the higher object is touching the lower one (Put your books on the table.)

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Prepositions and phrasal verbs

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How to improve

  • Notice which prepositions occur with verbs, nouns and adjectives when reading

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  • Use an advanced dictionary to learn new items of vocabulary with their prepositions

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  • Use online concordancers such as lextutor.ca

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Choose correct prepositions 1

  • Prepositions show the following relationships:

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    • Position in space
    • Movement through space
    • Time
    • Condition, state or what something is like
    • Means or how something happens
    • Inclusion/exclusion
    • Intention and purpose
    • Cause and reason
    • Possession

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Choose correct prepositions 2

  • The more abstract relationships are extensions of the most concrete
  • The meaning of ‘in’ when used to describe position in space is extended when talking about more abstract relationships, such as time and condition

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Condition

or State

Time

Position

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Examples of extension

  • My brother’s presents are in my suitcase.

The suitcase is a limited physical space containing the presents.

  • I visited him in May.

May is a limited period of time when I visited.

  • My brother is in love.

Love is a limited state involving my brother.

Love is limited due to the concept of “out of love”.

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Choices

  • The children love to be by the sea.

The sea is a point that is separate from another location.

  • The children love to be on the sea.

The sea is a surface that supports something like a boat.

  • The children love to be in the sea.

The sea is a container that encloses children doing an activity.

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Position

Choose a preposition based on how you think of the space

  • Point: at, next to, near, far from, before, after, above, below, between, apart from
  • Line or surface: on, by, beside, across, in front of, behind, on top of, off, against
  • Container: in, inside, within, through, among, out of, outside

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Movement

Choose a preposition based on how you think of the space

  • Point: to, from, toward(s), away from
  • Line or surface: onto, along, out from, across
  • Container: into, out of, about, through

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Time

Point:

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  • at 6:30/ the end of the month/ that time/ Christmas
  • on Monday/ 29 March/ my birthday/ Christmas Day

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Period:

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  • Points of time at the beginning or end of a period: since Monday/ by the end of the month/ before 5pm/ after the holiday/ until next week
  • Inside a period of time: in 1962, during the day, throughout June
  • Inside a now complete period of time: for 3 years
  • Beginning & ending limits to a period of time: from…to, from…until

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Conditions and states

  • Defined state: at fault/ at work
  • Point reached after some time: to sleep, into a panic
  • State of short duration: on sale, off duty
  • State of being influenced: under pressure
  • Continuing for an undefined period : in love, in business, in doubt
  • Leaving a state: out of work

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Means

  • How something happens or is done:

pay by cash

achieved through his connections

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  • Who or what does something:

profit made by companies

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  • What is used to do (or not do) something: cover with plastic

not finish without more time

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Inclusion and exclusion

  • Inclusion of defined people, groups, things or qualities: with us, with your meal

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  • Exclusion of defined people, groups, things or qualities: without my glasses

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  • Inclusion in a pair / group: among the biggest problems, between us

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Intention and purpose

  • Something you want to have:

ask for more time

  • Someone you intend to give something to: wrote a song for you
  • Something you intend to do or give:

invite for dinner

  • Destination or goal:

aim for excellence

  • Opposition:

against the plan

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Cause and reason

  • Reasons:

famous for something

  • Cause of something negative:

suffering from a bad back

  • Cause feeling or thought:

acted out of jealousy

  • Cause an emotional response:

amazed at the size

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Possession

  • Who or what something belongs to or is part of:

University of York, slice of lemon

  • Person’s behaviour:

kind of you

  • Possession of features or qualities:

woman with red hair, player of great talent

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References

For more practice, refer to the following books in SELF:

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Lane, A. and Lange, E. (1999). Writing Clearly: An Editing Guide (2nd ed.). Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers.

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Sargeant, H. (2002). Understanding Prepositions. Singapore: Learners Publishing.

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Yule, G. (2006). Oxford Practice Grammar: Advanced. Oxford: University Press.

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