A Remedial English
Grammar
CHAPTERS
ARTICLES
AGREEMENT OF VERB AND SUBJECT
CONCORD OF NOUNS, PRONOUNS AND
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
CONFUSION OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
DIFFICULTIES WITH COMPARATIVE AND
SUPERLATIVES
CONFUSION OF PARTICIPLES: ACTIVE &
PASSIVE
PREPOSITIONS
NEGATIVE VERBS
TENSES 1, 2 & 3
THE INFINITIVE
PREPOSITIONS
A.
THE EXPRESSION OF TIME
Making use of at, on, in, during, by, for
At:
It is used to express for a certain moment or point
in time.
The train leaves at 2.45 p.m.
For festivals which mark a point in the year.
We have a holiday at Christmas and at Easter.
PREPOSITIONS
On
For a specific day expressed as
date, e.g. on June 5th
day of the week, e.g. on Friday
a special day in the year with a name of its own, e.g.
on Christmas morning
For a specific part of any such day e.g. on Christmas
morning, (but on the afternoon/evening of Christmas
day) on Wednesday morning, on Friday morning.
PREPOSITIONS
In
Used before words which denote a period of time.
E.g. in the summer, in September, in the year 1948,
in the morning, in the dinner-hour, in the summer
holidays.
To show a total length of time taken for completion
of activity. E.g. in three hours, in two hours, thirty
five minutes and twenty seconds.
To state a period at the end of which something will
happen. E.g. in a few minutes, in an hour’s time.
PREPOSITIONS
During
To express the idea which continues throughout the
whole of a specified period.
E.g. During the war food was rationed.
To express an idea wherein which an event took place
within a specified period of time (“in the course of”)
E.g. The house was burgled during the night.
PREPOSITIONS
By
To denote the latest time by which something was or
is to be done. It implies it may be done before
then but not after.
E.g. You must be home by ten o’ clock.
Applications for the post should be received
by April 25th.
Used before the words day and night (same as
“during”)
E.g. Some motorists prefer to travel by night.
PREPOSITIONS
For
To show the lapse of time during which something
takes place or a state of affairs persists.
E.g. It rained continuously for 20 hours.
We have been waiting for over an hour.
Note:
We stayed a week. (sum total of the time)
We stayed for a week. (time as it goes day by day)
PREPOSITIONS
Additional notes:
1. at, on, in are not used if the noun giving a time is
preceded by an adjective.
2. yesterday, today, and tomorrow are also used as
adverbs and do not take a preposition.
‘today’ cannot be followed by morning,
afternoon, evening.
‘night’ can be used only after tomorrow. Hence
‘yesterday night’ or ‘today night’ is not possible.
PREPOSITIONS
B. THE EXPRESSION OF PLACE
Place of Residence:
(a) In is used for a general reference to the place
E.g. in the town, in the desert
(b) In is used for the names of countries, continents,
capital cities of large towns
In Paris, in China, in Delhi
(c) At is used for villages and smaller towns
at Aluva, at Marampally
PREPOSITIONS
THE EXPRESSION OF PLACE
Place of Residence:
(a)
In is used when no specific type of residence is
mentioned
E.g. in a cottage, in a flat
(b) At is used for a particular place of residence
E.g. at Manor house, at Buckingham palace
(c) In is used for names of streets and roads
E.g. in Palace road, in Dalal street
PREPOSITIONS
THE EXPRESSION OF PLACE
Place of Work
(a)
In is used if it is a building
E.g. in a factory, in a bank
(b)
At is used if the reference is to particular place
E.g. at the public library, at BARC
(c)
In is used for a particular room or department
E.g. in the Manuscripts department, in the auditing
department.
PREPOSITIONS
THE EXPRESSION OF PLACE
Chief Exceptions:
At the seaside, on an island (place of residence)
On a farm, on the railway, on an estate, on a rubber
plantation (place of work with no reference to a
building)
PREPOSITIONS
PREPOSITIONS ATTACHED TO VERBS
Many intransitive verbs are followed prepositions and
its objects. It is incorrect to make statements like:
He pointed the tree
We listened the music
I am looking a book
PREPOSITIONS
PREPOSITIONS ATTACHED TO VERBS
Combinations of v+prep
E.g. agree to, apply to, care for, hope for, object to, rely
on, depends on, stared at, succeed in, talks of, think
of, think about, write to etc.
PREPOSITIONS
PREPOSITIONS ATTACHED TO VERBS
In interrogative forms beginning with what, who,
when, which etc prepositions should be put at the end
of the sentences
What are you looking at?
Where has this bus come from?
Whom do you wish to speak to?