Grammar 2 s2 english studies BA DEGREE / ONLINE LEARNING / ONLINE COURSES (COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES)

Prepositions are words normally placed before nouns or pronouns. Prepositions can also be followed by verbs but the verb must be in the gerund form: He is talking of emigrating. They succeeded in escaping. The student has two main problems with prepositions. He has to know (a) whether in any construction a preposition is required or not, and (b) which preposition to use when one is required. Alternative position of prepositions A. Prepositions normally precede nouns or pronouns. In questions beginning with a preposition + whom/which/what/whose/where: To whom were you talking? (formal) Who were you talking to? (informal) Omission of to and for before indirect objects A1. A sentence such as I gave the book to Tom could also be expressed I gave Tom the book, i.e. the indirect object can be placed first and the preposition to omitted. 2 The construction with preposition is preferred: (a) When the indirect object is a phrase or a clause: We kept seats for everyone on our list/for everyone who had paid. I had to show my pass to the man at the door. Use and omission of to with verbs of communication Verbs of command, request, invitation and advice, e.g. advise, ask, beg, command, encourage, implore, invite, order, recommend, remind, request, tell, urge, warn, can be followed directly by the person addressed (without to) + infinitive: They advised him to wait. The person addressed (without to) can be used after advise, remind, tell, warn with other constructions also: Time and date: at, on, by, before, in A. at, on at a time: at dawn at six at midnight at 4.30 . at an age: at sixteen/at the age of sixteen on a day/date: on Monday on 4 June on Christmas Day B. by, by a time/date/period = at that time or before/not later than that date. It often implies 'before that time/date': The train starts at 6.10, so you had better be at the station by 6.00. C. on time, in time, in good time on time = at the time arranged, not before, not after: The 8.15 train started on time. (It started at 8.15.) D. at the beginning/end, in the beginning/end, at first/at last at the beginning (of)/at the end (of) = literally at the beginning/end: At the beginning of a book there is often a table of contents. in the beginning/at first = in the early stages. It implies that later on there was a change:2 In the beginning/At first we used hand tools. Later we had machines. Time: from, since, for, during from is normally used with to or till/until: Most people work from nine to five from can also be used of place: Where do you come from? during is used with known periods of time, i.e. periods known by name, such as Christmas, Easter or periods which have been already refilled: during the Middle Ages during 1941 for (indicating purpose) may be used before known periods: I went there/I hired a car/I rented a house for my holidays/for the summer. Time: to, till/until, after, afterwards (adverb) A. to and till/until to can be used of time and place; till/until of time only. We can use from ... to or from . . . till/until: They worked from five to ten/from five till ten. (at five to ten would mean 'at 9:55'.) B after and afterwards (adverb) after (preposition) must be followed by a noun, pronoun or gerund: Don't bathe immediately after a meal/after eating. Don't have a meal and bathe immediately after it. If we do not wish to use a noun/pronoun or gerund, we cannot use after, but must use afterwards (= after that) or then: Don't have a meal and bathe immediately afterwards. They bathed and afterwards played games/played games afterwards Travel and movement: from, to, at, in, by, on, into, onto, off, out, out of A. We travel from our starting place to our destination: They flew/drove/cycled/walked from Paris to Rome. B. arrive at/in, get to, reach (without preposition) We arrive in a town or country, at or in a village, at any other destination: They arrived in Spain/in Madrid. I arrived at the hotel/at the airport/at the bridge/at the crossroads. Transport: by, on, get in/into/on/onto/off/out of We can travel by car (but in the/my/Tom's car), by bus/train/plane/helicopter/hovercraft etc. and by sea/air. We can also travel by a certain route, or by a certain place C. Giving directions: at, into, to etc. (prepositions), along, on (prepositions and adverbs) and till (conjunction): Go along the Strand till you see the Savoy on your right. at, in; in, into; on, onto A. at and in We can be at home, at work, at the office, at school, at university, at an address, at a certain point e.g. at the bridge, at the crossroads, at the bus-stop. in3 We can be in a country, a town, a village, a square, a street, a room, a forest, a wood, a field, a desert or any place which has boundaries or is enclosed. in as shown above normally indicates position. into indicates movement, entrance: They climbed into the lorry. among relates a person/thing to more than two others; normally we have no definite number in mind: He was happy to be among friends again.

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