Use of Prepositions
Dr. Sarwet Rasul
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Review of Previous Lesson
What is punctuation?
Why to use punctuation?
Introduction to common punctuation marks
Detailed rules of the use of:
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Full stop
Comma
Semi colon
Colon
Question mark
Exclamation mark
Quotation marks
Parentheses
Apostrophe
Hyphen and Dash
Ellipses marks
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Today’s session
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What is a preposition?
What are prepositional phrases
English Prepositions Enlisted
Detailed rules of prepositions
Exercises and activities
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What is a preposition?
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A preposition describes a relationship between other words in a sentence.
In itself, a word like "in" or "after" is rather meaningless and hard to define in
mere words. For instance, when you do try to define a preposition like "in"
or "between" or "on," you invariably use your hands to show how something
is situated in relationship to something else.
Prepositions are nearly always combined with other words in structures
called prepositional phrases.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm
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What is a Preposition?
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A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a
sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the
object of the preposition.
A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of
its object to the rest of the sentence as in the following examples:
– The book is on the table.
– The book is beneath the table.
– The book is leaning against the table.
– The book is beside the table.
– She held the book over the table.
– She read the book during class.
www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/preposit.html
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Prepositional Phrase
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A prepositional phrase is made up of the preposition, its object and any
associated adjectives or adverbs.
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A prepositional phrase can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
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Examples: Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a
preposition:
– The children climbed the mountain without fear.
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In this sentence, the preposition "without" introduces the noun "fear."
The prepositional phrase "without fear" functions as an adverb describing how
the children climbed.
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www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/preposit.html
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Cont… Examples
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– There was rejoicing throughout the land when the government was
defeated.
Here, the preposition "throughout" introduces the noun phrase "the land."
The prepositional phrase acts as an adverb describing the location of the
rejoicing.
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– The spider crawled slowly along the banister.
The preposition "along" introduces the noun phrase "the banister" and the
prepositional phrase "along the banister" acts as an adverb, describing
where the spider crawled.
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Cont…Examples
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– The dog is hiding under the porch because it knows it will be punished
for chewing up a new pair of shoes.
Here the preposition "under" introduces the prepositional phrase "under the
porch," which acts as an adverb modifying the compound verb "is hiding.“
– The screenwriter searched for the manuscript he was certain was
somewhere in his office.
Similarly in this sentence, the preposition "in" introduces a prepositional
phrase "in his office," which acts as an adverb describing the location of the
missing papers.
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Consider the Professor’s desk….
• You can sit before the desk (or in front of the desk). The professor can sit on the
desk (when he's being informal) or behind the desk, and then his feet are under
the desk or beneath the desk. He can stand beside the desk (meaning next to
the desk), before the desk, between the desk and you, or even on the desk (if
he's really strange). If he's clumsy, he can bump into the desk or try to walk
through the desk (and stuff would fall off the desk). Passing his hands over the
desk or resting his elbows upon the desk, he often looks across the desk and
speaks of the desk or concerning the desk as if there were nothing else like the
desk. Because he thinks of nothing except the desk, sometimes you wonder
about the desk, what's in the desk, what he paid for the desk, and if he could live
without the desk. You can walk toward the desk, to the desk, around the desk,
by the desk, and even past the desk while he sits at the desk or leans against
the desk.
All of this happens, of course, in time: during the class, before the class, until
the class, throughout the class, after the class, etc .
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http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm
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English Prepositions Enlisted
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There are about 150 prepositions in English.
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Yet this is a very small number when you think of the thousands of other words
(nouns, verbs etc). Prepositions are important words.
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We use individual prepositions more frequently than other individual words.
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In fact, the prepositions of, to and in are among the ten most frequent words in
English.
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http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm
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Here is a short list of 70 of the more common one-word prepositions.
aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
amid
among
anti
around
as
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
but
by
concerning
considering
despite
down
during
except
excepting
excluding
following
for
from
in
inside
into
like
minus
near
of
off
on
onto
opposite
outside
over
past
per
Plus
regarding
round
save
since
than
through
to
toward
towards
under
underneath
unlike
until
up
upon
versus
via
with
within
without
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• Detailed Rules of Prepositions.doc
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• 1. Jane is arriving….. January2.....6 2 o'clock …..the
afternoon.
Source: http://www.englishpage.com/prepositions/prepositions.html
Exercises: Time Prepositions
2. It snows here every year …..December. We always go
outside and play in the snow….. Christmas day.
3. Michael is leaving …..Friday….. noon.
4. Frankie started working for her law firm….. 1995.
5. Franklin began working on the project …..yesterday.
6. Normally,….. New Year's Eve, it's tradition to set a new
year resolution ….. midnight.
7 Don't be ridiculous; there were no telephones …..the
seventeenth century! The telephone was invented …..the
1870s.
8. The plane leaves tomorrow morning …..8:00 AM.
9. The hills here are covered with wildflowers …..early
spring.
10. We met at the restaurant …..6:30 and stayed …..10:30.
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• 1. Jane is arriving….on.. January2..at...6 2 o'clock …in..the
afternoon.
Cont…
Answers:
Time Prepositions
2. It snows here every year …in..December. We always go
outside and play in the snow…on.. Christmas day.
3. Michael is leaving …on..Friday…at.. noon.
4. Frankie started working for her law firm…in.. 1995.
5. Franklin began working on the project …no
preposition..yesterday.
6. Normally,…on.. New Year's Eve, it's tradition to set a new
year resolution …at.. midnight.
7 Don't be ridiculous; there were no telephones …in..the
seventeenth century! The telephone was invented …in..the
1870s.
8. The plane leaves tomorrow morning …at..8:00 AM.
9. The hills here are covered with wildflowers …in..early spring.
10. We met at the restaurant …at..6:30 and stayed
…untill..10:30.
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Cont… Time Prepositions
• 1. She always gets up early….. the morning, so she can make it to class….. time.
2. I was sick, so I didn't go to work….. last Thursday, but I did go to work….. Friday.
3. Mary stopped talking….. the middle of her story, and suddenly started to cry. I think we
were all crying….. the time she finished telling us what had happened.
4 Late.…..night, you can here coyotes howling in the distance.
5. Just wait a second, I'll be there…..a minute.
6. I need to give my parents a call. I haven't talked to them….. over a month.
7. Barbara is going to start her new job….. next September..
8. The professor said….. the first day of the course that there would be a big final test
…..the end of the semester.
9. I have been sitting here more …..than an hour. If they don't arrive….. the next ten
minutes, I'm leaving.
10. We were really worried….. first because the banks were closed…… Saturdays, so we
couldn't exchange money. But….. the end, everything worked out because we were able 15
to exchange money at the hotel.
Answers
• 1. She always gets up early…in.. the morning, so she can make it to class….in.. time.
2. I was sick, so I didn't go to work…no prep.. last Thursday, but I did go to work….on. Friday.
3. Mary stopped talking……in.. the middle of her story, and suddenly started to cry. I think we
were all crying….by. the time she finished telling us what had happened.
4 Late.…at..night, you can here coyotes howling in the distance.
5. Just wait a second, I'll be there…..in….a minute.
6. I need to give my parents a call. I haven't talked to them…for.... over a month.
7. Barbara is going to start her new job….no prepo... next September..
8. The professor said…on.. the first day of the course that there would be a big final test
…at..the end of the semester.
9. I have been sitting here more …for..than an hour. If they don't arrive….in. the next ten
minutes, I'm leaving.
10. We were really worried….at... first because the banks were closed……on.. Saturdays, so we
couldn't exchange money. But…at.. the end, everything worked out because we were able16to
exchange money at the hotel.
Cont…Position Prepositions
• 1. The computer printer is …..table …..the computer.
2. Shawn and Noel stood …..the tree waiting for the
rain to stop.
3. I didn't see the mailbox even though I was standing
right …..it.
4. Everybody was already sitting….. the table waiting
for dinner to be served.
5. Every evening, the dog sits …..the dinner table
begging for food.
7. Debra was sitting …..the computer surfing the
Internet.
8. I asked the woman standing …..me on the bus
where I should get out.
9. My car keys were …..the desk, but I couldn't see
them because they were….. a magazine.
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Answers: Position Prepositions
• 1. The computer printer is …on..table …next to....the
computer.
2. Shawn and Noel stood …under....the tree waiting for the
rain to stop.
3. I didn't see the mailbox even though I was standing right
…next to....it.
4. Everybody was already sitting…at.... the table waiting for
dinner to be served.
5. Every evening, the dog sits …under..the dinner table
begging for food.
7. Debra was sitting …at..the computer surfing the Internet.
8. I asked the woman standing …next to..me on the bus
where I should get out.
9. My car keys were …on..the desk, but I couldn't see them
because they were…under….... a magazine.
10. When I went to buy the concert tickets, there was
nobody …at…...ticket sales window.
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Cont… Location Prepositions
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1. We have DSL Internet access …..work, but I don't have a highspeed connection….. home.
2. The kids are learning about the Civil War ……their history class
…..school.
3. Toby was …..the hospital for two weeks after his motorcycle
accident …….the freeway.
4. Jane and Debbie saw dolphins …..the ocean while they were
having a picnic…… the beach.
5. Fred loves to go camping …..the desert, but Kyle prefers to
camp ……..the mountains.
6. The conference was held …..a ski resort …..Telluride, a small
town southwest ………Colorado.
7. You can buy stamps …..the post office….. Delancy Street.
8. The old man who was standing …..the corner yelled at the kids
who were playing …….the street.
9. While they were hiking …..Ridgeback Mountain, Laurelle and
Frank saw a bear ……..the woods.
10. They have a small house……. a lake in the countryside. When
I visit them, I always love to sit…….. the shore and watch the kids
swimming ……..the lake.
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Answers: Location Prepositions
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1. We have DSL Internet access …at..work, but I don't have a highspeed connection…at.. home.
2. The kids are learning about the Civil War …in…their history class
…at..school.
3. Toby was …in..the hospital for two weeks after his motorcycle
accident …on….the freeway.
4. Jane and Debbie saw dolphins …in..the ocean while they were
having a picnic…at… the beach.
5. Fred loves to go camping …in..the desert, but Kyle prefers to camp
…in..the mountains.
6. The conference was held …at..a ski resort …in..Telluride, a small
town southwest …in……Colorado.
7. You can buy stamps …at..the post office…on.. Delancy Street.
8. The old man who was standing at…..the corner yelled at the kids
who were playing …in….the street.
9. While they were hiking …on..Ridgeback Mountain, Laurelle and
Frank saw a bear …in…..the woods.
10. They have a small house…on…. a lake in the countryside. When I
visit them, I always love to sit…on….. the shore and watch the kids
swimming …in…..the lake.
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Cont… Mixed Prepositions
• Complete the text below by choosing the correct
prepositions .
Suddenly Uncle Henry stood ……………...
"There's a cyclone coming, Em," he called
……………his wife. "I'll go look after the stock." Then
he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses
were kept.
Aunt Em dropped her work and came ……………the
door. One glance told her of the danger
close………………….. hand.
"Quick, Dorothy!" she screamed. "Run for the cellar!"
Toto jumped ……………of Dorothy's arms and hid
under the bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt
Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door
……………the floor and climbed down the ladder
………………….the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught
Toto …………….last and started to follow her aunt.
When she was halfway across the room there came a
great shriek ……...........the wind, and the house shook
so hard that she lost her footing and sat down
suddenly ……………….the floor.
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Answers: Mixed Prepositions
Suddenly Uncle Henry stood ……up………...
"There's a cyclone coming, Em," he called
……to………his wife. "I'll go look after the stock." Then
he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses
were kept.
Aunt Em dropped her work and came ………to……the
door. One glance told her of the danger
close………at………….. hand.
"Quick, Dorothy!" she screamed. "Run for the cellar!"
Toto jumped ………out……of Dorothy's arms and hid
under the bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em,
badly frightened, threw open the trap door
……in………the floor and climbed down the ladder
……into…………….the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught
Toto ……at……….last and started to follow her aunt.
When she was halfway across the room there came a
great shriek ……from...........the wind, and the house
shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down
suddenly ……upon………….the floor.
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Review of today’s session
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What is a preposition?
What are prepositional phrases
English prepositions enlisted
Detailed rules of prepositions
Time, location and position prepositions
Exercises and activities
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Thank you very much!
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