The Preposition

 Defining a Preposition

A Preposition is a word which is placed after a Noun (a Pronoun) to show its relation to some other word in the same sentence.

Pre means before and position means place. A word that takes place before a Noun (or Pronoun).

So, a Preposition is placed before a Noun (or a Pronoun). The other can be Verb or an Adjective.

Look at the following sentences :

1. Who brought these flowers in the vase?

2. Somebody is standing at the gate.

3. His pockets are full of money.

4. He has acted against me.

In the above sentences, the words in, at, of and against have been used as Prepositions.

In sentence 1, in shows the relation between the vase (Noun) and the flowers (Noun).

In sentence 2, at shows the relation between the gate (Noun) and is standing (Verb).

In sentence 3, of shows the relation between the gate (Noun) and full (Adjective).

In sentence 4, against shows the relation between me (Pronoun) and acted (Verb).

2. Preposition tell us the following relations:

Look at the following sentences, and then read the sentences that follow:

1. The boy is at the door. (a point in space)

2. The man is in the car. (inside)

3. The lamp is on the table. (touching the surface)

4. The basket is under the table. (directly below)

5. There is a man behind the wall. (at the back of)

6. My house is by the river. (near or at the side of)

7. The table is near the window. (close to)

8. The house is between the trees. (there are trees on either side of the house)

9. The man is sitting inside the car. (in the inner side of)

10. We live beside a river. (by the side of)

3. Preposition of Time (Relationship in time)

Read the following sentences:

1. The meeting will begin at three. ( a point of time)

2. He left the school at eighteen. (of age)

3. I joined the school in 1991. (used with years)

4. I shall be thirteen in January. (used with months)

5. I drink milk in the evening. (used with parts of the day)

4. Prepositions of Movement and Direction :

(a) Prepositions of direction towards : to, towards, into, at, for, against.)

1. To has the sense of destination, towards of direction :

We went to the school. (reached the school)

We went towards the school. (in the direction of the school)

2. Into denotes movement towards the interior of something.

The frog jumped into the pond.

She quietly walked into the room.

3. At has the idea of hitting.

The boy threw stones at the frogs.

4. For suggests the beginning of a movement.

The workers left for the factory.

The child leaves for the school early in the morning.

5. Against shows pressure or contact.

The boy is leaning against the wall.

(b) Preposition of direction from : from, off, out of

1. From is used with the point of departure.

She has already gone from the office.

2. Off shows separation. It is used in the sense of from the surface down from:

He fell off the horse.

The ball rolled off the table.

3. Other Prepositions showing movement are : through, over, along, across, round, up, down.

We drove through the tunnel.

The aeroplane is flying over the hills.

The man is walking along the road.

The flat man is running across the street.

4. We travel by car, by bus, by train, by air, by boat, by sea.