Prepositions at the end of clauses A preposition often connects two things – a noun, adjective or verb that comes before it and a noun phrase or pronoun (prepositional object) that comes after it. He was really angry with me. She was looking at him. They live in a small village. In some structures we may put the prepositional object …
Using prepositions correctly presents special problems for people whose first language is not English. That’s because so many prepositional phrases are idiomatic: They have evolved through use and do not necessarily make logical sense. Here are some guidelines: Use in before seasons of the year. Also use in with months and years not followed by specific dates. in the summer …
Prepositions are words that link a noun or a pronoun to another word in the sentence. Here is a list of some of the most common prepositions: about, between, above, beyond, across, but, after, by, against, despite, along, down, amid, during, around, except, as, for, at, from, before, in, behind, inside, below, into, beneath, like, beside, near, of, …
This word has many meanings including the following: Off: not on, no longer on Her glasses fell off. He fell off the ladder. Off: away They ran off when the police arrived. Off: not working or operating The heating is off. Switch off the lights. Off: away or down from Keep off the grass! The cat jumped off the table. Off: near to …
This word has many meanings including the following: Of: from He is a native of China. (= He is from China.) Of: concerning Have you heard anything of them. News of Granny Of: belonging to This the official residence of the Prime Minister. Of: about I often think of you. Of: by A man beloved of all his friends (= A man beloved …
In is used for position inside large areas, and in three-dimensional space. She grew up in Switzerland. He is in the office. Let us go for a walk in the woods. My father lives in Canada. I first met her in a shop. He works in an insurance company. When did you arrive in New Zealand? We use in with street names. She lives in Albert Street. In is also used to talk about the …
The word is probably a preposition if it is followed by a noun or a noun equivalent. Of course, this can be misleading because verbs are also followed by noun objects. That said, identifying prepositions is not all that difficult. There are only a limited number of prepositions in English so if you want you can even memorize their list. Here …
The preposition for has many meanings including the following: For: intended to belong to This letter is for you. Reserve a seat for me. For: in place of I offer you new lamps for old. For: in defence of; in favour of He fought for his country. Are you for or against the proposal? For: as far as, as long as …
At is a preposition used to show the place, direction, time or manner of something. He works at the market. We live at home. Throw the ball at the stumps. We have breakfast at eight. She ran at top speed. After some verbs, at is used to indicate the target of a perception or non-verbal communication. Common examples are look, smile, wave, frown, point. The child looked at its mother. …
It is not always easy to know which preposition to use after a particular noun, verb or adjective. Here are some of the most common combinations. Note that alternatives are sometimes possible. Abide by You must abide by the terms of this agreement. Abound in This area abounds (is rich) in valuable minerals. Abound with The ravines of Rajasthan abound (are infested) with dacoits. Absent from John has …
