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Theory Introduction
Prepositions show relationships in time and space and relationships between ideas (logical relationships). Many words that can be used as prepositions can also be used as adverbs, but not all of them can. A preposition in a prepositional phrase is always followed by a noun, a pronoun, or another word that can replace a noun, such as an -ing form (Gerund). Always use an object form of a personal pronounafter a preposition.
Prepositions: place
| at | a point/place | I met her at the bus stop. She lives at 43 Duke Road. He’s at work (i.e. not at home). They’re at a party tonight. |
| on | a surface | The book is on the desk. We sat on the floor. |
| in | an area or space | Malawi is a country in Africa. She lives in Milan. He’s inthe kitchen. The key’s inmy pocket. Put it in the box. |
| along, round past, through | We drovealong the river, round the lake,past the old castle, andthrough the village. | |
| between, near across | Our house isbetween two shops and it isnear a bus stop; you just go across the road and walk along |
Opposites
Some prepositions form pairs of opposites.
up/down into/out of
over/above in front of/behind
Note: Over/aboveare often synonymous, so areunder/below,but overand undersometimes suggest movement.
When we flew over Paris we couldn’t see much because we were above the clouds. Below us was the river which ranunder the bridge.
Prepositions: time
| at | a time: an age: | at 9 o’clock at fifteen/the age of fifteen | |
| on | a day or a date: + noun/gerund: | on Monday, on 25th September on Saturday afternoon,on the morning of 4th June On departure/departing, she ... = When she departed, she... | |
| in | a period of time: – some time during that period:in the morning, in February, in 1994 – at the end of a stated period: I’ll be readyin five minutes. (five minutes from now) – the length of time that something takes: I read the bookin two and a half hours. | ||
| by | a time, date, period, not later than that time: You must be here by 7 o’clock. | ||
| before | a time, date, period, event: I never go to bedbefore midnight. | ||
| after | a time, date, period, event: I’ll phone youafter lunch. | ||
| since | a point in time, from that time now or until a point in the past: We’ve been heresince Tuesday. It was the end of the summer. They had been theresince June. | ||
| for | a period of time: They’ve been together for three years. | ||
| during | a named period or an event: We always work hardduring the summer. Fighting broke out between rival fansduring the match. | ||
| until/till | a point in time, the point in time at which the action finished: We slept until/till 8.00. We didn’t wake up until/till 8.00. | ||
| from a time to/until/till a time: | |||
| We sleptfrom 11.30to/until/till 8.00. | |||
Notes:
• We use at with festivals and religious celebrations:at Easter
• We say at night. But we can also say in the night meaning during.
• We often use last/this/next with time words:
We didn’t go on holiday last summer.
I’m going home this weekend.
I’ll see you next Monday.
During versusfor.
We rented a cottagefor the summer.
He became ill during the summer.
We spend all our time outsideduring the summer.
• During versusin:
They can both be used to refer to something that happens throughout a time period, from its beginning to its end, and so it is often possible to use either during orin:
It’s very cold here during/in the winter.
But:
– We use in and not during when we want the time reference to sound more specific. So, for example, if we are contrasting one period of time with another, we use in:
I last saw youin May, not July.
– We useduring when we want to stress the idea of duration.
She felt miserableduring the whole of that summer.
– When the time reference is an activity rather than a time period, we useduring:
She didn’t speak onceduring the meal
Prepositions: position and movement
| (away) from/at/to | a place | I’ll meet youat the station. We walkedfrom the stationtothe cinema. |
| out of/in/in(to) | a place | I’ll wait for youin the car. Could you getin(to) the car? Can I getout of the car here,please? |
| off/on/on(to) | a surface or line | We need some pictureson the wall. Shall we take that pictureoff the wall? Do you think we should put thison the wall? |
Notes: We usually useon rather thanonto. We useonto whenwe want to emphasize the movement from one place onto another:
I drove onto the motorway. (I drove off another road and onto the motorway.)
I droveon the motorway. (That’s where I drove. /That’s how I got there.)
• arriveat/ina place
getto/into a place
getin (withoutplace)
Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1233
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