Prepositions and Articles
Problems with Prepositions:
Rule 1: You may end a sentence with a preposition, but do not use extra prepositions when
the meaning is clear without them.
Example: Where did he go?
NOT: Where did he go to?
Rule 2: Use on with expressions that indicate the time of an occurrence.
Example: He will arrive on the 25th of December.
Rule 3: Of should never be used in place of have.
Example: I should have known something was wrong.
NOT: I should of known something was wrong.
Rule 4: Between refers to two. Among is used for three or more.
Examples: Divide the candy between the two of you.
Divide the candy among the three of you.
Rule 5: Into implies entrance; in does not.
Example: Sofia walked into the house.
Sofia was waiting in the house.
Rule 6: The word like, when used to show comparison, is a preposition. It should be
followed by an object of the preposition but not by a subject and verb. Use conjunctions as
or as if when following a comparison with a subject and verb.
Examples: You look so much like your mother. (Mother is the object of the preposition like).
You look as if you are angry. (As if is connecting two pairs of subjects and verbs).
Consonants and Vowels:
Vowels: The letters: a, e, i, o, and u.
Consonants: Letters that are not vowels: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, and
z.
Articles:
Articles introduce nouns: the is the definite article, a and an are indefinite articles. They
point out or introduce a noun; they function as adjectives answering the question: which
one.
Definite article: The mouse in my house is cute. The specifies the mouse in my house, not
just any mouse.
Indefinite article: A mouse could be any mouse.
a vs. an:
Rule: Use a when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a consonant. Keep
in mind that some vowels sound like consonants when they’re sounded out as individual
letters.
Examples: a finger, a hotel, a U-turn, a HUD program, a NASA study
Rule: Use an when the first letter of the word following has the sound of a vowel.
Remember that some consonants sound like vowels when they’re spoken as individual
letters.
Examples: an FBI case, an honor, an unusual idea, an HMO plan, an NAACP convention