UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática Inglesa

FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA PREPOSITIONS

UNIT VI:
PREPOSITIONS

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática Inglesa
FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

UNIT Nº 6: PREPOSITIONS
Theory Section

Prepositions are a closed class of items that connect two units in a sentence and specify a
relationship between them. One of the units is the prepositional complement; the other is
another part of the sentence. The prepositional complement can be a noun, noun phrase,
pronoun, –ing form or a wh-clause:

Prepositional Phrase
Prepositional Example
Complement
Noun I gave the book to Charlie.

Preposition + Pronoun I gave it to him.

Gerund Charlie devotes his time to reading.

Wh-clause Don’t pay attention to what he says.

Prepositions may be simple or compound. Simple prepositions take the form of single words:
at, from, into, of, etc, while compound prepositions include two or more words: according to,
apart from, because of.

Personal Pronouns used after prepositions must always be in the objective case:

~ Between you and me, there is no truth in the report.

~ The car stopped behind him / near her.

Prepositions and other word classes

Prepositions and adverbs

Some words function both as prepositions and as adverbs. When they are followed by a noun
or pronoun, they function as prepositions:

~ We drove round the city. (round + noun phrase = preposition)

When there is no noun or pronoun following them, these words function as adverbs:

~ We drove round. (round = adverb)

Words that can be used as prepositions and as adverbs include: about, above, across, after,
along, around, before, behind, below, beneath, beyond, by, down, in, inside, near, off, on,
opposite, outside, over, past, round, through, under, underneath, up, without.

Words used as prepositions but not as adverbs include: against, at, beside, despite, during,
except, for, from, into, of, onto, per, since, till/until, to, toward(s), upon, via, with, and
prepositions ending in -ing such as excepting, regarding.

The following words are only used as adverbs: away, back, backward(s), downward(s),
forward(s), out, upward(s).

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática Inglesa
FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions and conjunctions

There is a set of words that can be used as prepositions, when they introduce complements
which are nominal, or as conjunctions, when they introduce a clause:

~ I haven’t seen him since this morning. (preposition

~ I haven’t seen him since he left this morning. (conjunction)

~ He’s taller than me. (preposition)

~ He’s taller than I am. (conjunction)

This class includes as well as, than, except, but, until/till and before/after. As conjunctions, they
can be followed by the bare-infinitive form:

~ I’ve done what she asked except wash up.

PREPOSITIONAL MEANINGS
 SPACE

We consider Space in relation to:

 A point (i.e. a place or event): at the cinema, at a party, to / from London.

 A line (i.e. a place we think of in terms of length): across / along the border.
 A surface (i.e. a place we think of as a flat area): off / on the table / floor / wall.
 An area or volume (i.e. a place which can “enclose”): in / out of / outside / within a room / a
car / a forest / a ship.

DESTINATION POSITION DESTINATION POSITION

TO AT (AWAY) AWAY
FROM FROM DIMENSION-
TYPE 0
X X X X
ON(TO) ON OFF OFF DIMENSION-
TYPE 1

DIMENSION-
TYPE 2

IN(TO) IN OUT OUT

OF OF
DIMENSION-
TYPE 3

POSITIVE NEGATIVE

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática Inglesa
FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

When referring to space, the choice of preposition depends on the meaning we wish to express.
A speaker’s personal viewpoint of a place may affect his choice of preposition. Therefore, a
single place can be seen from different angles/dimensions:

~ We went to the river. (a point)

~ Greenwich is down the river. (a line)
~ The paper boat floated on the river. (a surface)
~ We swam in the river. (an area or volume)

Position (Static Location)

Prepositions of position are usually associated with verbs with stative meaning such as be,
stand, live, etc; but can also occur with dynamic verbs:

~ We are at home. (Stative verb)

~ We live in Tucumán. (Stative verb)
~ We work in England. (Dynamic verb)

“At” and “in” compared

We use at to express that the location has a special purpose; it may be a stopping place, a
meeting place, en eating place, a work place, etc. seen externally.

At is used mainly with:

 Public places/buildings: at the airport, at the bus stop, at the Grand Hotel.
 Addresses: at his sister’s, at 24 Cedar Avenue.
 Events: at a concert, at a dinner, at a wedding.
 Nouns with zero article: at home, at school, at work.

* Note: the preposition “to” can be used in all the cases above mentioned, except with “home”.

In is used mainly with:

 Large areas/sizeable territories: in Europe, in the Sahara.

 Towns/parts of towns: in Dallas, in New York.
 Outside areas: in the garden, in the park.
 Rooms: in the bathroom, in the waiting room.
 Nouns with zero article: in bed, in chapel, in church, in prison.

* Note: the preposition “to” can be used in all the cases above mentioned.

When at and in are used with nouns with zero article, the noun refers to a building in its
institutional or functional aspect.

~ My children are at school. (They are taking classes there)

~ My children are in prison. (They are imprisoned)

We use at to mean “at a meeting point”, and “in” to mean “inside”.

~ I’ll meet you at the airport. (that’s the meeting point)

~ I’ll meet you in the airport. (inside the building)

At cannot replace in for words that represent very wide areas: e.g. in the sky, in the universe, in
the world.

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

“Between”, “Among”

With between we relate two objects or groups of objects in terms of position. With among we
deal with a more general plurality:

~ We can place this desk between the chair and the wall.
~ I left your note among my papers.

Other prepositions expressing “space position” are behind, near, under, opposite, in front of,
etc.

Direction (movement with respect to an intended location)

Some prepositions combine with “movement or motional verbs” (such as bring, drive, fly, get,
go, move, pull, run, take, walk) to give the idea of direction. E.g.:

~ We drove across the forest. (direction)

~ They ran towards the door. (direction)
~ Walk along the street. (direction)
~ The plane flew above the clouds. (direction)
~ Take the food to the table. (destination)
~ The crowd pressed against the fence. (pressure, contact, direction)

This set includes: into, onto, out of (from the interior), off (from the surface off / down from), to,
from (point of departure), against, by, over, under, through, past, etc.

To denotes completive movement in the direction of a place, it suggests actual arrival whereas
towards expresses movement without the idea of completion:

~ My neighbours went to the North.

~ My neighbours went towards the North.

At can also combine with verbs such as laugh, point, stare, look and throw to express “aim”.

~ Don’t look at me like that.

“In” and “into” compared

“Into” always reflects movement and is never used for destination or position. “In” usually
reflects position:

~ I’ll put the coin in(to) my pocket. *The coin is into my pocket.

Inside can replace in when we refer to rooms, buildings, etc: “I’ll meet you inside/in the
restaurant”

“Out of”, “outside”

Out of is the opposite of into when we are describing movement.

~ We ran out of the burning building.

Outside can sometimes replace out of to describe movement:

~ We ran outside the burning building.

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

Without movement, outside cannot replace out of. Compare:

~ He’s outside his office. (he’s standing immediately outside it).

~ He’s out of the office. (he’s not here, he’s somewhere else).

Out of is the opposite of in when there is no movement involved.

~ Mr Ray is out of the office.

~ Mr Ray is in the office.

 TIME

Position

Three prepositions (at, on, and in) are used in expressions answering the question “When?” and
they reflect a concept analogous to space. Thus at is used for points of time.

~ The film will begin at 7.20 p.m.

When time is regarded as a period, the usual preposition is in.

~ In the evening, I listened to some Beethoven records.

Duration

In answer to how long? there are phrases with for, throughout and all through.

~ We stayed in a rented cottage for the summer.

~ Try to stay alert throughout the entire ceremony.

During indicates a stretch of time within which a more specific duration can be indicated.

~ During the summer, we stayed in a rented cottage for a month.

Duration can be specified by reference to the beginning and ending:

~ The office will be open from Monday to Friday.

Duration specifying only a starting point or a terminal point is expressed by phrases with by,
before, from, after, since, till, until, up to.

~ She will be here by Friday night.

~ We slept until midnight. (We stopped sleeping then)
~ We didn’t sleep until midnight. (We started sleeping then)

Time phrases with “at”

 Exact time: at ten o’clock.

 Meal times: at lunchtime, at dinnertime.
 Other points of time: at dawn, at noon, at night.
 Festivals: at Christmas, at Easter.
 Age: at the age of 20, at 28.
 + Time: at this time, at that time.

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

At is often omitted in questions with what time…? and in short answers to such questions:

~ What time do you arrive? - Nine o’clock in the morning.

The full question and answer is formal:

~ At what time do you arrive? - At nine o’clock in the morning.

Time phrases with “on”

 Days of the week: on Mondays, on Fridays.

 Parts of the day: on Monday morning, on Friday evening.
 Dates: on June 1st, on the 21st March.
 Day + date: on Monday June 1st.
 Particular occasions: on that day, on that evening.
 Anniversaries, etc.: on your birthday, on your wedding day.
 Festivals: on Christmas Day, on New Year’s Day.

In every day speech on is often omitted:

~ I’ll see you Friday.

~ See you June 21st.

Prepositions (and the definite article) must be omitted when we use last, next, and this, that.

~ I saw him last/this April.

~ I’ll see you next / this Friday.

Time phrases with “in”

 Parts of the day: in the evening, in the morning.

 Months: in March, in September.
 Years: in 1900, in 1984.
 Seasons: in (the) spring, in (the) winter.
 Centuries: in the19th century, in the 20th century.
 Festivals: in Ramadan, in Easter week.
 Periods of time: in that time, in that age, in the holidays.

 Metaphorical use of prepositions

Many prepositions have abstract meanings which are clearly related through metaphorical
connection to their locative uses:

~ He’s above such behaviour.

~ The goal behind this political decision is to achieve a wide, free, high quality regional
TV.

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

 Greenbaum, S. and Quirk, R (1990). A Student’s Grammar of the English Language.

Longman.

 Corder, P. (1967). An Intermediate English Practice Book. London: Longman.

 Eastwood, John (2005). Oxford Learner’s Grammar- Grammar Finder (Reference). OUP.

 Eastwood, John (2005). Oxford Learner’s Grammar- Grammar Builder (Practice). OUP.

 Eastwood, John (2005). Oxford Grammar Practice (Intermediate).OUP.

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

UNIT Nº 6: PREPOSITIONS
Practice Section

Task Nº 1. Write three pairs of sentences exemplifying the use of the following words
as adverbs and as prepositions.

above – behind – outside

Task Nº 2. Indicate whether the underlined words are prepositions, adverbs or

conjunctions.

1. Nobody except Peter handed in the composition.

2. I’ve lived here since I was ten years old.

3. I’ve lived here since 1985.

4. Time goes by and it never comes back.

5. I saw you standing by the wall.

6. She never came here before I invited her.

7. I’ve never seen him before this morning.

8. Go away and never come back.

Task Nº 3. Supply at or in. State their uses.

1. He’s gone to the station. He’s probably ________ the station now.
Use: ________________________________________________
2. Lucy is studying chemistry ________ University.
Use: ________________________________________________
3. We live _______ 14 Woodland Av.
Use: ________________________________________________
4. Grace is _________ hospital. She had a heart attack.
Use: ________________________________________________
5. I saw John __________ a football match last Saturday.
Use: ________________________________________________
6. They always sail to the Pacific. They’re probably ______ the Pacific now.
Use: ________________________________________________

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

Task Nº 4. Supply at, on or in. State their uses.

1. I’ll meet you ________ 10.30 ___________Thursday, April 14.

Use: ________________________________________________
2. We’re taking our holiday __________July.
Use: ________________________________________________
3. I will take that course ___________ the summer term.
Use: ________________________________________________
4. I think everything will be ready _________ Easter Monday.
Use: ________________________________________________
5. We Came back __________ sunset.
Use: ________________________________________________
6. Abby Sunderland set sail _________16 on January 23, 2010, to attempt to break a record.
Use: ________________________________________________
7. The results were published ________ those years.
Use: ________________________________________________
8. I’ll see you __________ ten days’ time.
Use: ________________________________________________

Task Nº 5. Supply the appropriate preposition and state its prepositional meaning. Do
not repeat the prepositions.

1. Would you like to go out ______ my birthday? Meaning: ____________________

2. I want to send this letter ________ Brazil. Meaning: ____________________

3. Kate didn’t feel nervous _________ the performance. Meaning: ____________________

4. The President is regarded as ___________ criticism. Meaning: ____________________

5. ________ midnight the frog turned into a prince. Meaning: ____________________

6. The company is moving _______ a policy of cutting back on Meaning: ____________________

new investment.

7. We drove ___________ the railway. Meaning: ____________________

8. The library will be closed _______ a week. Meaning: ____________________

9. I felt really hot and stuffy _______ the cinema. Meaning: ____________________

10. I haven’t seen you ______ Oliver’s party. Meaning: ____________________

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

COLLOCATIONS

A collocation is a group of words frequently found together. It often has a meaning that cannot
be easily understood even if the meaning of each word in the group is known.

COLLOCATIONS WITH AT

Task Nº 6. Provide the collocation that best reflects the given meanings.

1. Not in motion __________________

2. Readily accessible when needed __________________
3. Do something after a long period of time __________________
4. As soon as someone or something has been seen __________________
5. Immediately after something __________________
6. If necessary and if there is no choice, with difficulty or by a special effort __________________

Task Nº 7. Indicate the meaning of the following collocations.

At present ________________ At all costs ________________

At table __________________ At will __________________

Task Nº 8. Provide opposite collocations.

At peace ________________ At best ________________

At a loss _________________ At least _________________

Task Nº 9. Replace the part of the sentences in italics with the correct collocation
beginning with “at”.

1. I may be away on business next week. Anyhow, I’ll be back by Friday.

2. She believes employers should have the right to hire and fire as they wish.
3. His comments left me not knowing what to say or do.
4. Sometimes, he can really be bad-tempered.
5. John is still a socialist basically.
6. Whenever I’m with Mr. Jones, I never feel completely relaxed and confident.

COLLOCATIONS WITH BY

Task Nº 10. Discuss the differences between the following collocations. Exemplify.

By sea/ at sea At heart/by heart At hand/ by hand

At night/ by night By luck / in luck At sight /by sight / in sight

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

Task Nº 11. Provide the collocation that best reflects the given meanings.

1. Deliberately __________________
2. Something that happens without being planned/expected __________________
3. Referring to someone by using his name __________________
4. Gradually __________________
5. Travelling by using planes __________________

COLLOCATIONS WITH IN

Task Nº 12. Join the meanings to their corresponding collocations.

1. not immediately but at a time in the future In place

2. have a job In all

3. In total In the long run

4. In the right position In work

Task Nº 13. Write sentences to show the differences in meaning between the pairs
of collocations.

In work/ at work At play/ in play In a word / in other words

In name/ by name By hand / in hand / at hand In a way / by the way

COLLOCATIONS WITH ON

Task Nº 14. Choose the right meaning.

1. On the whole Basically / generally 4. On pleasure Intended to enjoy

yourself/ to do as
you wish

2. On leave Be away on holiday / be 5. On no account Used to say that

away from your job sthg must /must not
happen

3. On purpose Intentionally / accidentally 6. On sb’s account Do sthg because

you want to/
because sb. Wants
you to do it

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

COLLOCATIONS WITH OUT OF

Task Nº 15. Provide opposite collocations. Explain their meanings.

1. Out of doors __________________ 4. Out of reach __________________

2. Out of turn __________________ 5. Out of repair __________________

3. Out of stock __________________ 6. Out of danger __________________

COLLOCATIONS WITH TIME

Task Nº 16. Provide the corresponding collocation.

1. Sometimes _____________ 4. Before sb. is born ________________

2. Repeatedly, many times _____________ 5. During a short period ________________

3. Temporarily _____________ 6. Out of date ________________

Task Nº 17. Fill in the following sentences with the appropriate preposition so as to
make collocations.

1. I’ve dialled the number so many times that I know it __________ heart.
2. You should spend more time _________________ doors in the fresh air.
3. The ambulance got there just _______________ time to save the child’s life.
4. Sorry, I took your bag instead of mine _______________ mistake.
5. No doubt, her remarks were definitely __________________ place.
6. He died heavily ________________ debt.
7. She is _________________ no means an inexperienced teacher.
8. _______________ no account should the house be left unlocked.
9. ______________ degrees, their friendship grew into love.
10. - I’ve heard Rachel is ________________ maternity leave. – That’s great news!

Task Nº 18. Explain the meanings of the following collocations.

1. In time / on time 2. At a time 3. To time

Task Nº 19. Complete these sentences with an appropriate collocation.

1. We were having difficulty breathing after exercising, so we were__________________

2. James is old-fashioned in his ideas and methods, that’s why people say he is___________
3. The doctors said she was not likely to die. Everybody was happy to hear she was now
___________________
4. I’m sure he did it deliberately. He is always doing those things _________________
knowing that would annoy his mother.
5. His novels belong to a great but vanished age. They are, _____________, old-fashioned.
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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE TUCUMAN Introducción a la Gramática
Inglesa FACULTAD DE FILOSOFIA Y LETRAS PREPOSITIONS

Task Nº 20. In each of the pairs of sentences below, state the differences in meaning
taking into account the use of the prepositions underlined.

1. a) The team will meet at 7.30 at the club.

b) The team will meet at 7.30 in the club.

2. a) Applications must be submitted before 30th November.

b) Applications must be submitted by 30th November.

3. a) The groom arrived in time for the ceremony.

b) The groom arrived on time for the ceremony.

4. a) He’s in hospital now. He’s been seriously injured.

b) He’s at the hospital now. His friend has been seriously injured.

5. a) She drove to Salta.

b) She drove towards Salta.

6. a) There was a clock above the entrance.

b) There was a clock on the entrance door.

7. a) This used to be true at a time when people felt secure in this country.
b) This used to be true when people felt secure in this country at times.

8. a) Scripts are at hand to perform “Othello” next semester.

b) Scripts are in hand to perform “Othello” next semester.

9. a) Can you see that villa between those big trees over there?
b) Can you see that villa among those big trees over there?

10. a) We were out of the cinema because I didn’t feel well.

b) We went out of the cinema because I didn’t feel well.

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