English Prepositions

Sources: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/594/01/
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar.html

English Prepositions

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_prepositions for a list of English Prepositions. There are a lot! Click on each word to see the wikipedia page about each particular word.

Definition: Any member of a class of words found in many languages that are used before nouns or pronouns to form phrases functioning as modifiers of verbs, nouns or adjectives, and that typically express a spatial, temporal, or other relationship.

PREPOSITIONS FOR TIME:
• On is followed by noun phrases that show a specific calendar time:
o I will see you on Monday.
o The week begins on Sunday.
o He went there on the 15th of January.
• In is used with general periods of time including: parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons
o I’ll see you in the morning.
o He lived there in 1996.
o U.S. Independence Day is celebrated in July.
• At is used with time phrases and is followed by noun phrases that show a specific clock time. It is always used with noon, midnight, and with the time of day:
o My plane leaves at noon.
o The movie starts at 6 p.m.
o He stopped studying at midnight.
• Extended time uses: To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, by, from – to, from—until, during, (with)in
o She has been gone since yesterday.
o I’m going to Paris for two weeks.
o The movie showed from August to October.
o The doctorations were up from spring until fall.
o I will watch TV during the evening.
o We must finish the project within a year.
• By is used to mean “no later than.”
o The meeting will start at 9, so please be here by 8:55.
o I expect to finish my report by Friday.
• Some General DO NOTs:
o Do not use in with specific clock or calendar times
o Do not use on with general clock or calendar times.
o Do not use at with calendar times
o Do not use at with most non-specific calendar times


PREPOSITIONS FOR PLACE:
• In is followed by noun phrases that show the meaning “inside” or “within” a place. The place can be small, specific, or general.
o What do you have in your hand?
o There is a wasp in the room.
• On is used to mean “on top of” or “on the surface of the place. It also refers to a location that is alongside the street.
o What’s the cat doing on the table?
o He lives on 79th Avenue, doesn’t he?
• At is used for exact addresses and general locations
o Her favorite flower shop is at 1423 Main Street.
o The conference will be at the hotel.
o He’s at the mall playing video games.
• Inside is used to indicate something contained
o Put the present inside the box.
• Over and above are used to describe an object higher than a point
o He threw the ball over the roof.
o Hang that picture above the couch.
• Under, underneath, beneath, and below are used to describe an object lower than a point.
o The rabbit burrowed under the ground.
o The child hid underneath the blanket.
o We relaxed in the shade beneath the branches.
o The valley is below sea-level.
• Near, by, next to, between, among, and opposite are used to describe an object being close to a point.
o She lives near the school.
o There is an ice cream shop by the store.
o An oak tree grows next to my house
o The house is between Elm Street and Maple Street
• Into and onto are used with verbs showing movement. They show both the direction and result of the movement.
o Bob dove into the lake
o He threw his keys onto the table.
• From and away are used to describe verbs that show movement with verbs that do not. From is also used with “non-movement” verbs to show origin or citizenship.
o Joe walked away from the store.
o Chris is from California.
• Some DO NOTS:
o Do not use in with exact addresses (addresses with house or building numbers)
o Do not use on with general locations that have boundaries
o Do not use at for addresses without house or building numbers.
o Do not use at for general locations that have boundaries.

PREPOSITIONS THAT INTRODUCE THE OBJECTS OF VERBS:
• At is used with verbs like glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, stare
o She took a quick glance at her reflection
o You didn’t laugh at his joke.
o Stop staring at me.
• Of is used with verbs like approve, consist, smell
o I don’t approve of his speech.
o He came home smelling of alcohol.
• Of (or about) is also used with verbs like dream, think.
o I dream of finishing college in four years.
o Can you think of a number between 1 and 10?
• For is used with verbs like call, hope, look, wait, watch, wish
o Did someone call for a taxi?
o I’m looking for my keys.
o If you wish for an A in this class, you must work hard.
PREPOSITIONS OF DIRECTION:
• To and toward are used with a verb to show movement. To usually shows the result of the movement. Toward shows the direction of the movement
o She walks to work every day.
o When I saw her, she was walking toward her office.
o We flew from New York to Paris.
• Onto and Into are compounds formed by adding to to in or to. Onto indicates movement toward a surface. Into indicates movement toward the interior of something. These compounds signify the completion of the action.
o The frog jumped onto the lilypad.
o She poured the milk into the glass.
• Onto can often be replaced by on. Some verbs will take either, and some will only take on.
o She jumped on(to) the mat.
o He fell on(to) the floor.
o The plane landed on the runway.
OTHER USES OF PREPOSITIONS:
• By can also be used when writing or talking about transportation. By + a singular count noun shows the manner of transportation: how someone or something moves from one place to another
o Heather goes to school by car.
o I plan to travel to Canada by plane.
o You can’t travel to an island by land.
• By is also used to show the method of doing something
o He paid for dinner by credit card.
o Do you normally pay your bills by check.
o Admission to the reception is by invitation only.
o Today, people like to keep in touch by email.



COMMON IDIOMS USING PREPOSITIONS
• Jump to it
• Cut to the chase
• Take something to heart
• Out of thin air
• Have a heart of gold
• A ray of sunshine
• Take something for granted
• Be a recipe for disaster
• Be in the market for something

Quiz 1: http://funeasyenglish.com/american-english-grammar-preposition.htm
Quiz 2: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/preposition_quiz1.htm