PREPOSITIONS AND ADVERBIAL PARTICLES
1. Simple Prepositions
1. Fishes live in water.
. Put the oranges on that corner table.
3. We passed through a dark forest.
The words in, on, through, in the sentences above are called prepositions. They are so called because they are placed before nouns or noun phrases they control. In the first sentence in is placed before the noun water. In the second and the third sentences the prepositions are placed before noun phrases (that corner table, a dark forest). Such nouns and noun phrases are called objects of preposition. Prepositions indicate the relationship between two words or phrases.
Some simple prepositions commonly used.
about before down
of since above
behind during off
than below for
through after beneath
from upon through
out against beside
in outside opposite
along between into
to amidst beyond
like till toward
around by inside
round towards until
without under underneath
Phrase prepositions
There are some phrases that act like
He put his own life in danger for the sake of his son.
He climbed up the palm tree by means of a rope ladder.
A big dog stood in front of the main gate.
The school was closed on account of the death of the Principal.
In all these sentences the phrases in italics are doing the work of prepositions. Such phrases are called phrase prepositions or compound prepositions.
Some phrase prepositions in common use:
according to. by virtue of
in comparison to in favour of
along with apart from
by way of for the sake of
in front of in place of
as for except for
away from in case of
in order to in spite of
because of in addition to
but for by means of in course of
with a view to with reference to
owing to on account of due to
with regard to in favour of
instead of
Objects of prepositions
Some phrase prepositions in common use:
according to. by virtue of
in comparison to in favour of
along with apart from
by way of for the sake of
in front of in place of
as for except for
away from in case of
in order to in spite of
because of in addition to
but for by means of in course of
with a view to with reference to
owing to on account of due to
with regard to in favour of
instead of
Objects of prepositions
Nouns or noun phrases as objects.
1. She hit himself above the ear.
2. He hid himself behind the bushes.
3. The little child fell from the window.
4. She distributed sweets among the children.
5. They stood around the dining table.
6. Keep off the grass.
Infinitives as objects
Infinitives as objects
The train is about to start.
The guest is about to begin his speech.
Gerunds as objects
She is fond of playing on the piano.
The brave boy saved the little girl from drowning.
He is good at hunting.
Adverbs and adverbial phrases as objects.
The Principal should be here by now.
The bus starts from here.
They waited for some time.
The people came from across the river.
You can meet him again in about an hour's time.
The doctor was here till a few minutes ago.
A clause as object.
Your appointment depends on how you fare at the interview (on: Prep. -how you fare at the interview: Clause)
Listen to what your father says.
This is the novel about which I was telling you yesterday. This is the gun with which he shot the dacoit dead.
POSITION OF PREPOSITIONS IN A SENTENCE
The doctor was here till a few minutes ago.
A clause as object.
Your appointment depends on how you fare at the interview (on: Prep. -how you fare at the interview: Clause)
Listen to what your father says.
This is the novel about which I was telling you yesterday. This is the gun with which he shot the dacoit dead.
POSITION OF PREPOSITIONS IN A SENTENCE
A preposition is usually placed before the noun or the noun
phrase which is its object.
He is waiting for you outside the hostel. (Prep.) (Noun)
In some sentences prepositions come after the infinitive
In some sentences prepositions come after the infinitive
1. He is a fine man to work with. (Infinitive + prep.)
It is a good paper to write on.
This is a good hotel to stay at.
Prepositions can come at the end of a relative 'clause and
questions.
This is not the umbrella (that) I asked for.
Here is the book (that) the teacher was speaking about.
Who are you waiting for? What is he looking at?
Prepositions can be placed at the beginning of some questions.
With whom did she go to the market?
For which bus are you waiting?
But these sentences are better written with prepositions at the end.
Some sentences have two objects, a direct object and an indirect object.
When the indirect object precedes the direct object,
no preposition is necessary.
Examples
I gave her a present.
(her - Ind. obj.) (a present-Dir. obj.)
But when we put the indirect object after the direct object, a preposition is necessary.
I gave a present to her.
My father bought a bicycle for me.
Look at these examples:
The Principal is looking into your complaint.
People always talk about great leaders.
In all these examples, the preposition along with the verb forms a phrase with a meaning of its own.
When these sentences are written in passive form, the preposition stays with the verb.
Your complaint is being looked into by the Principal.
Great leaders are always talked about.
TYPES OF PREPOSITIONS
1. Prepositions of time
at, on, in
at, on, in
AT
is used for precise times
is used for a point of time and also for festivals.
1. We usually have dinner at 9 o'clock in the evening
is used for a point of time and also for festivals.
1. We usually have dinner at 9 o'clock in the evening
2. There are no taxis available at night
3. Our grandparents came to meet us at Fridays.
4. We usually have dinner at 9 o'clock in the evening.
5. At breakfast.
6. At Christmas.
7. At dawn.
8. At dinnertime.
9. At midday.
10. At night/noon.
11. At Southern.
12. At sunrise/sunset.
13. At ten o'clock.
14. At that time.
15. At the beginning.
16. At the end.
17. At the moment.
18. At the present.
19. At the same time.
20. At the weekend.
21. At 10.30am.
22. At 8 o'clock.
23. At bedtime.
5. At breakfast.
6. At Christmas.
7. At dawn.
8. At dinnertime.
9. At midday.
10. At night/noon.
11. At Southern.
12. At sunrise/sunset.
13. At ten o'clock.
14. At that time.
15. At the beginning.
16. At the end.
17. At the moment.
18. At the present.
19. At the same time.
20. At the weekend.
21. At 10.30am.
22. At 8 o'clock.
23. At bedtime.
24. At the end
ON
is used for a particular day or for part of a day.
ON
is used for a particular day or for part of a day.
1. We go to Church on Sundays.
2. He was born on 20th January, 1965.
3. We go to Church on Sundays.
4. Let us meet on Saturday afternoon
5. He was born on 20th January, 1965.
6. Let us meet on Saturday afternoon.
7. on a Winter morning.
8. on Eid day.
9. on Friday
10. on last Friday
11. on March 3rd
12. on his birthday
13. on their rewarding day
14. on that day
15. on the 10th day
16. on the 10th of January
17. on the first day
18. on today midday.
19. on Tuesday noon.
20. on Wednesday
IN
is used for; months, years, decades, centuries, and long periods of time.
7. on a Winter morning.
8. on Eid day.
9. on Friday
10. on last Friday
11. on March 3rd
12. on his birthday
13. on their rewarding day
14. on that day
15. on the 10th day
16. on the 10th of January
17. on the first day
18. on today midday.
19. on Tuesday noon.
20. on Wednesday
IN
is used for; months, years, decades, centuries, and long periods of time.
1. I hope to finish this work in three hours' time.
2. Our bus leaves in the morning (also, in the afternoon, in the
3. It is very hot here in summer.
4. We generally have rains in May.
5. World War started in 1939.4
6. In 10 year's time
7 . In 1489
8. In December
9. In April
10. In the 1880's
11. In the 21st century
12. In the afternoon
13. In the World War Two
14. In the Stone Ages
15. In the evening
16. In the future
17. In the morning
18. In the past
19. In the Forties
20. In the Summer
21. In 19th century
Some other prepositions of time. after, before, by , during, for, from, since, throughout, till, towards, until, within.
Examples
He reached here after sunset.
6. In 10 year's time
7 . In 1489
8. In December
9. In April
10. In the 1880's
11. In the 21st century
12. In the afternoon
13. In the World War Two
14. In the Stone Ages
15. In the evening
16. In the future
17. In the morning
18. In the past
19. In the Forties
20. In the Summer
21. In 19th century
Some other prepositions of time. after, before, by , during, for, from, since, throughout, till, towards, until, within.
Examples
He reached here after sunset.
Prepositions of place / direction
A preposition of direction is a word that shows the direction which someone / something is moving from / to. Prepositions of direction are: to, into, onto, towards, and from.
To describe the movement of objects / people we use prepositions of direction.
Look at this examples:
1. He is going to the market.
2. He is riding bike he stole from the store.
3. They are scrambling towards the city.
4. They sailed into the canal.
5. The dove flew onto the roof.
6. Maryama is sitting under the tree.
7. In 2019 I was living in Germany.
8. He is standing beside the road.
9. He is hiding inside the wardrobe.
10. The car is parked in front of the house.
11. My phone is between the tyre and the ground.
12. They had enough leisure at home.
7. In 2019 I was living in Germany.
8. He is standing beside the road.
9. He is hiding inside the wardrobe.
10. The car is parked in front of the house.
11. My phone is between the tyre and the ground.
12. They had enough leisure at home.
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Grammar