Prepositions: Before
Prepositions: Before
Prepositions: Before
Definition :
A preposition is a word which is usually placed before a noun or pron oun to show the latter’s relation to some
word in the sentence.
e.g
By definition, a preposition is placed before a word ("prepositioned") to indicate the word’s meaning within the
context of the sentence
e.g
about as but
above at by
around between in
into of onto
near on past
till to up
with without
e.g
across
around
beyond
into
near
toward
Position
As its name tells us, a preposition is normally ‘placed before’ a noun phrase or some other element. The
preposition + noun phrase together form a PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.
Position of prepositions in different kinds of sentence:
e.g
In the first example shows the preposition at the end of the sentence, and the second example shows the
preposition in its usual position, at the front of its noun phrase.
Prepositional Adverb
Many word forms which are prespositions are also adverbs. These adverbs are called Prepositonal Adverbs. Most of
them are adverbs of place.
Some Common Prepositional Adverbs:
about by round
across in through
before on up
behind opposite within
beyond
Prepositions are usually in front of a noun phrase, whereas prepositional adverbs usually stand alone, wihtout a
following noun phrase.
We use the term prepositional verb for an IDIOM made up of verb + preposition.
The verb and preposition are often together at the end of a sentence
e.g
Kinds of Prepositions
SIMPLE PREPOSITIONS
Definition :
Simple Prepositions are "short" or "little" words that express relationships including those of space, time, and
degree.
e.g
Simple Prepositions
at by for
from in into
of off on
to up upon
3. At with Numbers
e.g
The thief must have left the building by the back door
More e.g
by begging by airmail
From
In
Into
Of (link of meaning)
Off
On
On indicates : place, movement, means of travel or time, higher than something and touching it, on the top of
e.g
That is the only place on earth where she feels safe place
Out indicates : removal, distribution, movement from inside, absence, a distance from, no longer in supply,
position
e.g
He was freezing when he got out of the water movement from inside
She took the cake out of the oven movement from inside
They had to walk to the gas station because they ran out of gas no longer in supply
Over
Over indicates : motion, above, higher than, more than, to the other side, covering, during
e.g
The child is always running over the floor with muddy feet covering
I can do simple math, but that problem is way over my head more than
Till
To
come to get to go to
Up
With
We are going out for dinner. Are you come with us? together
She left her children with the babysitter in the same place as
Under
She stores all her jewells under the bed covered by something else
Down
The road runs down into a valley movement from a higher place
The old man went down the road on foot covered by something else
COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS
Definition :
which are generall y formed by prefixing a Preposition to a Noun, an Adjective or an Adverb.
e.g
Compound Prepositions
Astronatus work a long way above the surface of the earth heigher than
There was no bridge across the river from one side to another
The boy ran across the yard movement from one side
Along (following)
Acros s indicates : together, movement or place, from one end towards the other end.
e.g
They camped in the woods among the trees towards the other end
The boys quarrelled amoung themselves between more than one / with each other
They distributed the flyers among the students to the individuals in a group
After you finish your homework, you can watch television following on
She is so ambitious that she puts her job before her family in a more important position than
The bride smiled as she thought of the happiness before her in the future
He is rich now; all his financial problems are behind him left in the past
Through (movement)
Through indicates : length of time, passage within , vision beyond something, parts beginning, between, and
including, finish something that requires effort.
e.g
Since you have finished your homework, you can help me make
dinne length of time
Inside (within)
Inside indicates : indoors, within.
e.g
I live within three miles of the city centre less than a distance
The president attended the meeting without his wife not having, absence
We had to cook without gas not using
PHRASE PREPOSITIONS
Definition :
The noun phrase which follows the preposition can be called a prepositional complement and the preposition
together with its complement is known as a prepositional phrase.
Phrase Prepositions
2. Preposition + a noun-clause
She came from what she called a small farm of two hundred acres
4. Preposition + an adverb
e.g
Inspite of
e.g
According to
e.g
On account of
e.g
The hospital building was constructed in line with the latest trends in society
We were paid a large sum of money owing of our services to the company
Definition :
Some prepositi ons show when something happens. They are called Preposi tions of time.
At
On
For a day, days, a date, dates, at the required time, at the exact minute
e.g
For Date, Months and Year on December 25th on 15th August, 1947
In
By
By is used to denote the latest time by which something was or is to be done. The implication that it may be done
before then, and not later.
e.g
on Sunday exactly
Before / After
Since / For
Since is used for a point in time and For is used for period of time.
e.g
During
Note : The prepositions at, on, in are not used if the noun giving a time is preceded by an adjective.
e.g
Note : Yesterday, today and tomorrow, besides being nouns, are also used as adverbs and therefore do not take a
preposition.
e.g
To, Of
e.g
He slept through the day They will be here within five minutes
The party will last until five It was towards evening when she called
Place of Residence : In
e.g
similarly : in a village, in the desert, in a country, in a city, but at the seaside and on an island
For vi llages and smaller towns : At
e.g
But if a person lives there, or because he happens to be there at the moment of speaking : in
Houses, Streets
For a kind of house or residence, when no specific one is mentioned, use in
e.g
Place of work
For the kind of place, use in if it is a building
at the Town Hall at the railway station at the City General Hospital
e.g
e.g
over (more than) She has over a hundred books on that subject
above (more than) She has above a hundred books on that subject
superior to inferior to
junior to senior to
a work by a painting by
Exercise -1
4. Mr.David and his wife stay the seaside for a monthe each May. Answer
Exercise -2
Supply the correct prepositions in the following sentences :
7. I heard a noise the night, but I was too sleepy to get up . Answer
11. the time you get up, I'll be in New York. Answer
Exercise -3
2. You cross a cheque drawing two lines in it and writing & co like this. Answer
3. He is always getting trouble because of his carelessness. Answer
8. Not many old people approve the ways of the younger people. Answer
11. The teacher insisted our finishing the exercise before we went home. Answer
14. We looked him, but he seemed to be thinking of something for away. Answer
15. The city will take a long time to recover the damage done by the earthquake. Answer
17. He did speak here being a good T.V. programme but we forget all about it. Answer
Exercise -4
Fill in the blanks choosing the right phrase prepositions from the list given below. There is an additional
phrase :
(in the middle, at the risk of, along with, on account of)
(in line with, with a view to , in memory of, owing to, at the back of)