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Prepositions

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He made his escape by jumping ______ a window and jumping ______ a waiting car. over / into between / into out of / between out of / into up to / out of

2 To get to the Marketing department, you have to go ______ those stairs and then ______ the corridor to the end. over / into between / into out of / between

out of / into up / along 3 I saw something about it ______ television. in on at through with 4 I couldn't get in ______ the door so I had to climb ______ a window. through / in between / into out of / between out of / into up / along 5 She took the key ______ her pocket and put it ________ the lock. over / into between / into out of / in by / on up to / out of 6 He drove ______ me without stopping and drove off ______ the centre of town. from / into towards / over along / up past / towards

in / next to 7 I took the old card ______ the computer and put ______ the new one. through / in out of / in out of / between out of / into up / along 8 I went ______ him and asked him the best way to get ______ town. from / into towards / over along / up by / on up to / out of 9 It's unlucky to walk ______ a ladder in my culture. I always walk ______ them. through / in out of / in under / around out of / into up / along 10 The restaurant is ______ the High Street, ______ the cinema. through / in out of / in under / around in / next to up / along

11

Sally left school ______ the age of 16 and went to work ______ a bank. through / in out of / in under / around in / next to at / in

12

He jumped ______ the wall and ______ the garden. over / into towards / over along / up by / on up to / out of

13

He was driving ______ 180 miles per hour when he crashed ______ the central barrier. at / into out of / in under / around in / next to at / in

14

She ran ______ the corridor and ______ the stairs to the second floor. from / into towards / over along / up by / on in / next to

15

John is the person standing ______ the window, ______ the woman with the long blonde hair.

at / into beside / next to under / around in / next to at / in 16 When the bull ran ______ me, I jumped ______ the fence. from / into towards / over beside / next to by / on in / next to 17 Look, that car's ______ fire. through with in into on 18 He saw a parking space ______ two cars and drove ______ it. over / into between / into along / up by / on up to / out of 19 Harry comes to work ______ car but I prefer to come ______ foot. at / into

beside / next to by / on in / next to at / in 20 He took the book ______ the shelf and put it ______ his bag. from / into at / into beside / next to by / on in / next to http://www.better-english.com/grammar/prepositions.htm

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The Preposition
Recognize a preposition when you see one.
Prepositions are the words that indicate location. Usually, prepositions show this location in the physical world. Check out the three examples below:

The puppy is on the floor.

The puppy is in the trash can.

The puppy is beside phone.

On, in, and beside are all prepositions. They are showing where the puppy is. Prepositions can also show location in time. Read the next three examples:
At midnight , Jill craved mashed potatoes with grape jelly. In the spring , I always vow to plant tomatoes but end up buying them at the supermarket. During the marathon , Iggy's legs complained with sharp pains shooting up his thighs.

At midnight, in the spring, and during the marathon all show location in time. Because there are so many possible locations, there are quite a few prepositions. Below is the complete list.

about

concerning

onto

above according to across after against along along with among apart from around as as for at because of before behind below beneath beside between beyond but* by by means of

despite down during except except for excepting for from in in addition to in back of in case of in front of in place of inside in spite of instead of into like near next of off on

on top of out out of outside over past regarding round since through throughout till to toward under underneath unlike until up upon up to with within without

* But is very seldom a preposition. When it is used as a preposition, but means the same as exceptEveryone ate frog legs but Jamie. But usually functions as acoordinating conjunction.

Understand how to form a prepositional phrase.

Prepositions generally introduce prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases look like this:

PREPOSITION GERUND

OPTIONAL MODIFIERS

NOUN, PRONOUN, OR

Here are some examples:

At school

At = preposition; school = noun.

According to us

According to = preposition; us = pronoun.

By chewing

By = preposition; chewing = gerund.

Under the stove

Under = preposition; the = modifier; stove = noun.

In the crumb-filled, rumpled sheets

In = preposition; the, crumb-filled, rumpled = modifiers; sheets = noun.

Realize that some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions.

Some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions. These prepositions are after, as, before, since, and until. A subordinate conjunction will have both asubject and a verb following it, forming a subordinate clause. Look at these examples:
After Sam and Esmerelda kissed goodnight

After = subordinate conjunction; Sam, Esmerelda = subjects; kissed = verb.

As Jerome buckled on the parachute

As = subordinate conjunction; Jerome = subject; buckled = verb.

Before I eat these frog legs

Before = subordinate conjunction; I = subject; eat = verb.

Since we have enjoyed the squid eyeball stew

Since = subordinate conjunction; we = subject; have enjoyed = verb.

Until your hiccups stop

Until = subordinate conjunction; hiccups = subject; stop = verb. If you find a noun [with or without modifiers] following one of these five prepositions, then all you have is a prepositional phrase. Look at these examples:
After the killer calculus test

After = preposition; the, killer, calculus = modifiers; test = noun.

As a good parent

As = preposition; a, good = modifiers; parent = noun.

Before dinner

Before = preposition; dinner = noun.

Since the breakup

Since = preposition; the = modifier; breakup = noun.

Until midnight

Until = preposition; midnight = noun.

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Parts of Speech Chapter 7 - Prepositions A preposition is a word which shows relationships among other words in the sentence. The relationships include direction, place, time, cause, manner and amount. In the sentence She went to the store, to is a preposition which shows direction. In the sentence He came by bus, by is a preposition which shows manner. In the sentence They will be here at three o'clock, at is a preposition which shows time and in the sentence It is under the table, under is a preposition which shows place. A preposition always goes with a noun or pronoun which is called the object of the preposition. The preposition is almost always before the noun or pronoun and that is why it is called a preposition. Thepreposition and the object of the preposition together are called a prepositional phrase. The following chart shows the prepositions, objects of the preposition, and prepositional phrases of the sentences above.

Preposition to by at under

Object of the Preposition the store bus three o'clock the table

Prepositional Phrase to the store by bus at three o'clock under the table

Prepositional phrases are like idioms and are best learned through listening to and reading as much as possible. Below are some common prepositions of time and place and examples of their use. Prepositions of time: at two o'clock on Wednesday in an hour, in January; in 1992 for a day Prepositions of place: at my house in New York, in my hand on the table near the library across the street under the bed between the books Review this lesson as many times as you want, and when you are ready, take the pop quiz on this chapter. END OF CHAPTER 7

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2002 INTERLINK LanguageCenters - Created by Mark Feder

Pop Quiz for Chapter 7 CLICK THE CORRECT ANSWER: 1) Which does a preposition come before? verb or adverb noun or pronoun conjunction adjective article

2) A prepositional phrase contains a preposition and

direction

place

time

object

adverb

3) Which is not correct?

in February

on 5:00 o'clock

at my house

near me

on May 2

4) Which is not correct?

on her desk

in June 3, 1987

in a box

at home

on Saturday

5) Which is not correct?

at California

under the rug

at noon

in a day

on Friday

6) Which is not correct?

in a minute

in October

in the table

in 1949

in my ear

7) Which is a preposition? All the students in the class learned many new things.

all

in

class

many

things

8) Which is not a preposition? The man at the bar has a lot of money in his pocket.

at

has

of

in

9) How many prepositions are in the sentence: I will go to Utah next week if I have enough time and money.

10) How many prepositions are in the sentence: The student in the first row near the window got an A on the test.

PREPOSITIONS: LOCATORS IN TIME AND PLACE

Select from the follow ing

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. Prepositional phrases can be made up of a million different words, but they tend to be built the same: a preposition followed by a determiner and an adjective or two, followed by a pronoun or noun (called the object of the preposition). This whole phrase, in turn, takes on a modifying role, acting as an adjective or an adverb, locating something in time and space, modifying a noun, or telling when or where or under what conditions something happened.

Consider the professor's desk and all the prepositional phrases we can use while talking about it.
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 orbeneath 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. And the professor can sit there in a bad mood [another adverbial construction].

Those words in bold blue font are all prepositions. Some prepositions do other things besides locate in space or time "My brother is like my father." "Everyone in the class except me got the answer." but nearly all of them modify in one way or another. It is possible for a preposition phrase to act as a noun "During a church service is not a good time to discuss picnic plans" or "In the South Pacific is where I long to be" but this is seldom appropriate in formal or academic writing. Click HERE for a list of common prepositions that will be easy to print out.

You may have learned that ending a sentence with a preposition is a serious breach of grammatical etiquette. It doesn't take a grammarian to spot a sentence-ending preposition, so this is an easy rule to get caught up on (!). Although it is often easy to remedy the offending preposition, sometimes it isn't, and repair efforts sometimes result in a clumsy sentence. "Indicate the book you are quoting from" is not greatly improved with "Indicate from which book you are quoting." Based on shaky historical precedent, the rule itself is a latecomer to the rules of writing. Those who dislike the rule are fond of recalling Churchill's rejoinder: "That is nonsense up with which I shall not put." We should also remember the child's complaint: "What

did you bring that book that I don't like to be read to out of up for?" Is it any wonder that prepositions create such troubles for students for whom English is a second language? We say we are at the hospital to visit a friend who is in the hospital. We lie in bed but on the couch. We watch a film at the theater but on television. For native speakers, these little words present little difficulty, but try to learn another language, any other language, and you will quickly discover that prepositions are troublesome wherever you live and learn. This page contains some interesting (sometimes troublesome) prepositions with brief usage notes. To address all the potential difficulties with prepositions in idiomatic usage would require volumes, and the only way English language learners can begin to master the intricacies of preposition usage is through practice and paying close attention to speech and the written word. Keeping a good dictionary close at hand (to hand?) is an important first step.

Prepositions of Time: at, on, and in

We use at to designate specific times. The train is due at 12:15 p.m. We use on to designate days and dates. My brother is coming on Monday. We're having a party on the Fourth of July. We use in for nonspecific times during a day, a month, a season, or a year. She likes to jog in the morning. It's too cold in winter to run outside. He started the job in 1971. He's going to quit in August.

Prepositions of Place: at, on, and in

We use at for specific addresses. Grammar English lives at 55 Boretz Road in Durham. We use on to designate names of streets, avenues, etc. Her house is on Boretz Road. And we use in for the names of land-areas (towns, counties, states, countries, and continents). She lives in Durham. Durham is in Windham County. Windham County is in Connecticut.

Prepositions of Location: in, at, and on and No Preposition

IN (the) bed* the bedroom the car (the) class* the library* school* AT class* home the library* the office school* work ON the bed* the ceiling the floor the horse the plane the train NO PREPOSITION downstairs downtown inside outside upstairs uptown

* You may sometimes use different prepositions for these locations.

Prepositions of Movement: to and No Preposition

We use to in order to express movement toward a place. They were driving to work together. She's going to the dentist's office this morning. Toward and towards are also helpful prepositions to express movement. These are simply variant spellings of the same word; use whichever sounds better to you. We're moving toward the light. This is a big step towards the project's completion. With the words home, downtown, uptown, inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs, we use no preposition. Grandma went upstairs Grandpa went home. They both went outside.

Prepositions of Time: for and since

We use for when we measure time (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years). He held his breath for seven minutes. She's lived there for seven years. The British and Irish have been quarreling for seven centuries.

We use since with a specific date or time. He's worked here since 1970. She's been sitting in the waiting room since two-thirty.

Prepositions with Nouns, Adjectives, and Verbs.

Prepositions are sometimes so firmly wedded to other words that they have practically become one word. (In fact, in other languages, such as German, they would have become one word.) This occurs in three categories: nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

NOUNS and PREPOSITIONS

approval of awareness of belief in concern for confusion about desire for fondness for grasp of hatred of hope for interest in love of need for participation in reason for respect for success in understanding of

ADJECTIVES and PREPOSITIONS

afraid of angry at aware of capable of careless about familiar with fond of happy about interested in jealous of made of married to proud of similar to sorry for sure of tired of worried about

VERBS and PREPOSITIONS

apologize for ask about ask for belong to bring up care for find out give up grow up look for look forward to look up make up pay for prepare for study for talk about think about trust in work for worry about

A combination of verb and preposition is called a phrasal verb. The word that is joined to the verb is then called a particle. Please refer to the brief section we have prepared on phrasal verbs for an explanation.

Idiomatic Expressions with Prepositions

agree to a proposal, with a person, on a price, in principle argue about a matter, with a person, for or against a proposition compare to to show likenesses, with to show differences (sometimes similarities) correspond to a thing, with a person differ from an unlike thing, with a person live at an address, in a house or city, on a street, with other people

Unnecessary Prepositions
In everyday speech, we fall into some bad habits, using prepositions where they are not necessary. It would be a good idea to eliminate these words altogether, but we must be especially careful not to use them in formal, academic prose.

She met up with the new coach in the hallway. The book fell off of the desk. He threw the book out of the window. She wouldn't let the cat inside of the house. [or use "in"] Where did they go to? Put the lamp in back of the couch. [use "behind" instead] Where is your college at?

Prepositions in Parallel Form

(Click HERE for a definition and discussion of parallelism.) When two words or phrases are used in parallel and require the same preposition to be idiomatically correct, the preposition does not have to be used twice. You can wear that outfit in summer and in winter. The female was both attracted by and distracted by the male's dance. However, when the idiomatic use of phrases calls for different prepositions, we must be careful not to omit one of them. The children were interested in and disgusted by the movie. It was clear that this player could both contribute to and learn from every game he played. He was fascinated by and enamored of this beguiling woman.

Recognizing Prepositions
The following paragraph is taken from Ernest Hemingway's short story "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." Click on the prepositions in the order in which they appear and they will appear in the text-area below the paragraph. For the purposes of this exercise, consider only those prepositions which begin prepositional phrases. You don't have to type anything, but you can click in the text-area to delete any mistakes. Some prepositions will be used more than once. When you are finished, compare the list you have prepared to the prepositions in "Grammar's List." Francis Macomber had, half an hour before, been carried to his tent from the edge of the camp in triumph on the arms andshoulders of the cook, the pe rsonal boys, the skinner and the porters. The gunbearers had taken no part in the demonstration.When the native boys put him down at the door of his tent, he had shaken all their hands, received their con gratulations, and thengone into the tent and sat on the bed until his wife came in. She did not speak to him when she came in and he left the tent at once to wash his faceand hands in the portable wash basin outside and go over to the dining tent to sit in a comfortable canvas chair in the breeze and the shade.

to, from, of, in, on, of, in, at, of, into, on, to, in, to, in, in

Click on the answer button below to see the Hemingway paragraph with prepositions in color and the prepositional phrases underlined.

The prepositional phrases are underlined. Prepositions are shown in purple; prepositions that are part of a phrasal verb (sometimes called "particles") are shown in blue, and prepositions serving as subordinating words are shown in fuchsia. The subordinating words and particles were not listed in "Grammar's List of Prepositions" in this exercise. Francis Macomber had, half an hour before, been carried to his tent from the edge of the camp in triumph on the arms and shoulders of the cook, the personal boys, the skinner and the porters. The gun-bearers had taken no part in the demonstration. When the native boys put him down at the door of his tent, he had shaken all their hands, received their congratulations, and then gone into the tent and sat on the bed until his wife came in. She did not speak to him when she came in and he left the tent at* once to wash his face and hands in the portable wash basin outside and go over to the dining tent to sit in a comfortable canvas chair in the breeze and the shade.

*Whether the "at" in "at once" is a preposition or not (in the sense of "at this time" or "at the nonce) is debatable. Many writers would regard "at once" as a simple adverb phrase. "Before" and "outside" also look like prepositions -- indeed, they often are prepositions - but here they are adverbs.

Quiz on Prepositions
Instructions: For each question, choose the single best answer. Make your choice by clicking on its button. You can change your answers at any time. When the quiz is graded, the correct answers will appear in the box after each question. The script that makes this quiz work was graciously provided by Professor Bradley Kjell of the Computer Science Department at Central Connecticut State University. 1. My best friend lives ______ Boretz Road.
a. in b. on c. at

2. I'll be ready to leave ____ about twenty minutes.

a. in b. on c. at

3. Since he met his new girlfriend, Juan never seems to be ______ home.

a. on b. in c. at

4. The child responded to his mother's demands ______ throwing a tantrum.

a. with b. by c. from

5. I think she spent the entire afternoon ______ the phone.

a. on b. in c. at

6. I will wait ______ 6:30, but then I'm going home.

a. from b. at c. until

7. The police caught the thief _____ the corner of Cascade and Plum Streets.
a. in b. at c. from

8. My fingers were injured so my sister had to write the note _____ me.
a. for b. with c. to

9. I am not interested _____ buying a new car now.

a. to b. for

c. in

10. What are the main ingredients ______ this casserole?

a. about b. to c. of

11. My best friend, John, is named ______ his great-grandfather.

a. after b. to c. about

12. Grandpa stayed up ______ two in the morning.

a. since b. for c. until

13. My parents have been married ______ forty-nine years.

a. since b. for c. until

14. He usually travels to Philadelphia _______ train.

a. by b. at c. with

15. You frequently see this kind of violence ____ television.

a. with b. in c. on

16. I told Mom we'd be home ______ an hour or so.

a. to b. in c. at

17. I was visiting my best friend _____ the hospital.

a. of b. at c. in

18. The professor _______ South Africa amazed the American students with her stories.
a. from b. of c. in

19. I'll see you ____ home when I get there.

a. in b. by c. at

20. It's been snowing ________ Christmas morning.

a. since b. for c. until
Prepositions at the Crossword

created with JCross

Across
1. placed ____ the desk 5. ___ a friend

6. left ___ noon 8. ____ the night 10. ___ the movie 13. ___ the stairs
10

11

12

Down
2. ran ___ the door 3. lives ___ Dallas 4. go ___ God 7. ___ her goals 9. speaks highly ___ you 11. going ___ school 12. she's ___ school

13

Prepositions at Crosswords II

created with JCross

Across
1. __ the dawn's early light 2. __ far as I can throw him 3. __ the rainbow

5. __ its back
6

6. __ its cave

7. __ the gloaming 10. __ what you may have heard

Down
1. __ the blue horizon 2. fooling __ 3. __ my jurisdiction 4. __ the usual standards 8. __ the flagpole 9. __ the first sign

10

Prepositions at the Crossword III

created with JCross

Across
1. __ the campaign

4. __ a hitch
8 9

8. lives __ Boretz Rd. 9. __ the point 11 __ of luck . 12 __ last . Friday 14 __

1 4 1 3

1 0

1 1 1 2

1 5 1 7 1 8

1 6

position
2 1

1 9 2 2 2 3 2 4

2 0

15 __ the . deadline 17 __ the . Civil War 21 __ my . head 22 __ . freezing 24 __ your . remarks 25 __ my . dignity

2 5

Down
1. __ the finish line 2. __ the stairs 3. __ the last war 5. __ the window 6. moving __ Dallas 7. just __ my dad 10 __ for . this 11 news __ . her birth

13 lives __ . Paris 14 moving . __ a condo 16 right __ . the heart 17 __ the . grain 18 __ the . record 19 __ the . millenniu m 20 __ the . eight-ball 23 __ now . to eternity

Prepositions
A preposition is a word which shows the relation between the noun or pronoun and other words in the sentence. There are three kinds of prepositions which are commonly used:

1. Simple Prepositions:
Prepositions like for, by, at, on, of, off, with, above, across

2. Compound and Phrase Prepositions:

They are a group of words used like a single preposition. Examples - in regard to, according to, in favour of, because of, in order to

3. Participial Prepositions:

They are used without any noun or pronoun attached to them. Examples - considering, regarding, barring, concerning

PREPOSITIONS EXERCISE
CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER FROM THE FOUR OPTIONS:

1. Has this work been done ____ you?

From

By

To

With

2. Sumit distributed the sweets ________ his friends.

Among

For

To

With

3. I havent seen him ______ yesterday.

From

Till

Since

Beside

4. He was here _____ yesterday.

From

Till

Since

At

5. Do you want me to help you ______ this?

By

Before

For

With

6. I hope he is ok. Im concerned _______ him.

At

With

For

To

7. You should not steal _____ people.

To

About

By

From

8. In the elections, Priya is campaigning _________ Neelam.

To

On

About

For

9. The money is hidden _______ the mattress.

Under

With

At

Over

10. Get the money ____ him.

To

At

By

From

Prepositions "On", "At", and "In"

A preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to some other part of the sentence. Prepositions can be tricky for English learners. There is no definite rule or formula for choosing a preposition. In the beginning stage of learning the language, you should try to identify a preposition when reading or listening in English and recognize its usage.

to the office at the desk on the table in an hour about myself A preposition is used to show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object. Here are a few common prepositions and examples.

On
Used to express a surface of something:

I put an egg on the kitchen table. The paper is on my desk. Used to specify days and dates:

The garbage truck comes on Wednesdays. I was born on the 14th day of June in 1988. Used to indicate a device or machine, such as a phone or computer:

He is on the phone right now. She has been on the computer since this morning. My favorite movie will be on TV tonight. Used to indicate a part of the body:

The stick hit me on my shoulder. He kissed me on my cheek. I wear a ring on my finger. Used to indicate the state of something:

Everything in this store is on sale. The building is on fire.

At
Used to point out specific time:

I will meet you at 12 p.m. The bus will stop here at 5:45 p.m. Used to indicate a place:

There is a party at the club house. There were hundreds of people at the park. We saw a baseball game at the stadium. Used to indicate an email address:

Please email me at abc@defg.com. Used to indicate an activity:

He laughed at my acting. I am good at drawing a portrait.

In
Used for unspecific times during a day, month, season, year:

She always reads newspapers in the morning. In the summer, we have a rainy season for three weeks. The new semester will start in March. Used to indicate a location or place:

She looked me directly in the eyes. I am currently staying in a hotel. My hometown is Los Angeles, which is in California. Used to indicate a shape, color, or size:

This painting is mostly in blue. The students stood in a circle. This jacket comes in four different sizes. Used to express while doing something:

In preparing for the final report, we revised the tone three times.

A catch phrase needs to be impressive in marketing a product. Used to indicate a belief, opinion, interest, or feeling:

I believe in the next life. We are not interested in gambling.

[Quiz 22.1]
Identify all prepositions in the following sentences. After flying for many hours, we finally got off the airplane. We walked out the exit and went to the baggage claim area. There were hundreds of different bags on the conveyer belt. I almost picked up the wrong one because it looked like mine.

[Quiz 22.2]
Choose a correct preposition in the sentence. 1) I want to lose 5 kilogram 2) Could you get me this pants 3) She seems to be interested 4) I will come to pick you up 5) This class will be held (on, at, in) one month. (on, at, in) a larger size? (on, at, in) Psychology. (on, at, in) 2 pm tomorrow. (on, at, in) Mondays.

View Answers

[22.1] After flying for many hours, we finally got off the airplane. We walked out the exit and went to the baggage claim area. There were hundreds ofdifferent bags on the conveyer belt. I almost picked up the wrong one because it looked like mine. [22.2] 1) in 2) in 3) in 4) at 5) on

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