ON OR ABOUT WORDS

PREPOSITION
 A preposition is a word used to link
nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a
sentence.

 They act to connect the people, objects, time and

locations of a sentence.

 Preposition are usually short words, and they are

normally placed directly in front of nouns. In some
cases, you’ll find prepositions in front of gerund
verbs.
 Now, the subtle difference between
"on" and "about". They are practically
identical, with only subtle differences in rare
cases. While "on" will be always information
directly "on" the subject - the direct data like
name, own properties, things relating
directly, "about" can relate indirectly.
 I have new (or, a new piece of)
information about Mary: Her boyfriend
was yesterday at her flat at 8PM and
there was no one there, lights off, door
locked, no car.
.
 Finally, we got some compromising
information on Fisher. He called a drug dealer
yesterday, and we have the call recording
implying he wants to buy some drugs.
 HOW TO USE ON

On indicates proximity and position above or outside:

PLACE: He sat on the fence.

TIME: He was not thinking well on that occasion.
REFERENCE: He asked my opinion on the matter.
CONDITION: We’ll hire him on your recommendation.
 HOW TO USE ABOUT
About means ‘on the subject of something
or ‘concerning of something/someone. It also
means ‘approximately.
Example:
I was about to leave.
He cares about his classes.
I have about 30 candies in my bag.
This article is about computers
KNOWLEDGE OF SENTENCE AND NON-SENTENCE

 To memorize and store an

infinite set of sentences would
require an infinite storage capacity.
However the brain is finite.
 If sentence were formed
simply by placing one word
after another in any order, then
a language could be defined
simply as a set of words.
 LANGUAGE IS INFINITE

 If the language is finite, if there is no

limit to the number of new sentences in a
language. How come we easily create and
understand a new sentences whenever we
want and hear one.
Question 1.
Can we say that we memorize all the possible
sentences in the language?

Ans. That is impossible; because our brain

capacity is limited, but language is unlimited.
Question 2.
So how come, an unlimited body of
knowledge sits in a limited brain?

 When you learn language you must

learn something finite and can be stored
in a finite brain. This is possible by
means of rules.
 Although the sentence in a
language are infinite. So in a language, a
finite number of rules generate an
infinite number of sentences. Knowing a
language means knowing the rules of
sentence formation.
 Something finite
Linguistic knowledge

Rules for forming

sentences

Rules that we acquire as young children

as we develop language.

These permit us to form and understand

an infinite set of new sentences.
THANKS FOR LISTENING