What is preposition?
Read the following sentences:
1.
There is a cow in the field.
2.
He is fond of tea.
3.
The cat jumped of the chair.
In
sentence 1, the word in shows the relation between two things - cow and field.
In
sentence 2, the word of shows the relation between the attribute expressed by
the adjective fond and tea.
In
sentence 3, the word off shows the relation between the action expressed by the
verb jumped and the chair.
The
words in, of, off are here used as Prepositions.
Definition: A Preposition is a word
placed before a noun or a pronoun to show in what relation the person or
thing denoted by it stands in regard to something else.
[The
word Preposition means 'that which is placed before'.]
It
will be noticed that-
in
sentence I, the Preposition joins a Noun to another Noun;
in
sentence 2, the Preposition joins a Noun to an Adjective;
in
sentence 3, the Preposition joins a Noun to a Verb.
Also read: How to write a precis
The
Noun or Pronoun which is used with a Preposition is called its
Object. It is in
the
Accusative case and is said to be governed by the Preposition.
Thus,
in sentence 1, the noun field is in the Accusative case, governed by the Preposition
in.
A
Preposition may have two or more objects; as,
The
road runs over hill and plain.
A
Preposition is usually placed before its object, but sometimes it follows it;
as,
1.
Here is the watch that you asked for.
2.
That is the boy (whom) I was speaking of.
3.
What are you looking at?
4.
What arc you thinking of?
5.
Which of these chairs did you sit on?
Note
1 When the object is the Relative Pronoun that, as in sentence 1, the
Preposition is always placed at the end.
The
Preposition is often placed at the end when the object is an interrogative
pronoun (as in sentences 3, 4 and 5) or a Relative pronoun understood (as
in sentence 2).
Note
2.- Sometimes the object is placed first for the sake of emphasis; as,
This
I insist on. He is known all the world over.
The
Prepositions for, from, in, on are often omitted before nouns of place or time;
as,
We
did it last week.
I
cannot walk a yard.
Wait
a minute.
Kinds of Prepositions
Prepositions
may be arranged in the following classes:
At,
by, for, from, in, of, off, on, out, through, till, to, up, with.
(2)
Compound Prepositions which are generally formed by prefixing
a Preposition: (usually a = no or be = by) to a Noun, an Adjective or an
Adverb.)
About,
above, across, along, amidst, among, amongst, around, before, behind, below,
beneath,
beside, between, beyond, inside, outside, underneath, within, without.
(3)
Phrase Prepositions (Groups of words used with the force of a single
preposition.)
according
to -- in accordance with -- in place of.
agreeably
to -- in addition to -- in reference to.
along
with -- in (on) behalf of -- in regard to.
away
from -- in case of -- in spite of.
because
of -- in comparison to -- instead of.
by
dint of -- in compliance with -- in the event of.
by
means of -- in consequence of -- on account of.
by
reason of -- in course of -- owing to.
by
virtue of -- in favor of -- with a view to.
by
way of -- in front of -- with an eye to.
conformably
to -- in lieu of -- with reference to.
for
the sake of -- in order to -- with regard to.
He
succeeded by dint of perseverance and sheer hard work.
In
case of need 'phone to No. 32567.
By
virtue of the power vested in me, I hereby order, etc.
In
consequence of his illness, he could not finish the work in time.
Owing
to his ill health, he retired from business.
With
reference to your letter of the date, we regret we cannot allow any further
rebates.
In
order to avoid litigation, he accepted $300 in full settlement of his claim for
$450.
In
the course of time, he saw his mistake.
He
died fighting on behalf of his country.
On
behalf of the staff, he read the address.
He
persevered in spite of difficulties.
In
the event of 'his dying without an issue, his nephew would inherit the whole
property.
Instead
of talking, prove your worth by doing something.
By
reason of his perverse attitude, he estranged his best friends.
He
acted according to my instructions.
Why
don't you go along with your brother?
In
accordance with your instructions, we have remitted the 'amount to your
bankers.
There
is a big tree in front of his house.
Agreeably
to the terms of the settlement, we herewith enclose our cheque for $1000.
By
way of introduction, he made some pertinent remarks.
By
means o/rope ladders they scaled the wall.
For
the sake of their beliefs, the Puritans emigrated to America.
In
the course of his researches, he met with many difficulties.
He
abdicated the throne in favor of his eldest son.
He
could not attend school because of his father's serious illness.
He
accepted the car in lieu of his claim for $1,25,000.
With
a view to an amicable settlement, we offer you without prejudice $750 in full
settlement
of all your claims up-to-date.
On
account of his negligence, the company suffered a heavy loss.
Whatever
he does, he does with an eye to the main chance.
Barring,
concerning, considering, during, notwithstanding, pending, regarding,
respecting,
touching, and a few similar words which are present participles of verbs, are
used
absolutely without any noun or pronoun being attached to them. For all
practical
purposes,
they have become Prepositions, and are sometimes distinguished
as
Participial Prepositions.
Barring
(= excepting apart from) accident, the mail will arrive tomorrow.
Concerning
(= about) yesterday's fire, there are many rumors in the bazaar.
Considering
(= taking into account the quality, the price is not high.
Ulysses
is said to have invented the game of chess during the siege of Troy.
Notwithstanding
(= in spite of) the resistance offered by him, he was arrested by the
police.
Pending
further orders. Mr. Desai will act as Headmaster.
Regarding
your inquiries regret to say that at present we are not interested in imitation
silk.
Respecting
the plan you mention, I shall write to you hereafter.
Touching
(= with regard to) this matter, 1 have not as yet made up my mind.
Several
words are used sometimes as Adverbs and some times as Prepositions. A word
is a Preposition when it governs a noun or pronoun; it is an Adverb when it
does not.
Adverb
Go
and run about.
I
could not come before.
Has
he come in?
The
wheel came off.
Let
us move on.
His
father arrived soon.
Take
this parcel over to the post-office.
I
have not seen him since.
Preposition
Don't
loiter about the street.
I
came the day before yesterday.
Is
he his room?
The
driver jumped off the car.
The
book lies on the table.
After
a month he returned.
He
rules over a vast empire.
I
have not slept since yesterday.
Prepositions
are very commonly used in composition with verbs, to form new verbs.
Sometimes
they are prefixed; as,
Outbid,
overcome, overflow, overlook, undergo, undertake, uphold, withdraw, withhold,
withstand.
More
frequently Prepositions follow the verbs and remain separate; as,
Boast
of, laugh at, look for, send for.
He
boasted of his accomplishments.
He
looked for his watch everywhere.
Please
send for Rama.
Everyone
laughed at him.
Relations
expressed by Prepositions
The
following are some of the most common relations indicated by Prepositions:
(1)
Place; as,
Went
about the world. Ran across the road. Leaned against a wall. Fell among
thieves. Quarrelled among themselves.
(2)Time;
as,
After
his death. At an early date. Arrived before me. Behind time. By three o'clock.
During the whole day. For many years. From 1st April. In the afternoon.
(3)
Agency, instrumentality; as,
Sell
goods at auction. Sent the parcel by post. Was stunned by a blow.
(4)
Manner; as,
Dying
by inches. Fought with courage. Worked with earnestness. Won with ease.
(5)
Cause, reason, purpose; as,
Laboured
for the good of humanity; died of fever; the very place for a picnic; did it/or
our
good;
suffers from gout; died from fatigue; does it from perversity; retreated
through fear
of
an ambush; concealed it through shame; lost his purse through negligence;
shivers
with
fever; took medicine for cold.
(6)
Possession; as,
There
was no money on him; the mosque of Omar; a man of means; the boy with
red hair.
(7)
Measure, standard, rate, value; as,
He
charges interest at nine per cent. Stories like these must be taken at what
they are worth. Cloth is sold by the yard. I am taller than you by two
inches. It was one by the tower-clock.
(8)
Contrast, concession; as,
After
(in spite of, notwithstanding) every effort, one may fail. For one enemy he has
a hundred friends. For (in spite of) all his wealth he is not content.
With (in spite of) all his
faults
I admire him.
(9)
Inference, motive, source, or origin; as,
From
what I know of him, I hesitate to trust him. The knights were brave from
gallantry of sprit. He did it from gratitude. Light emanates from the sun.
From labour health, from health contentment springs. This is a quotation
from Milton. His skill
comes
from practice.
Note:
It will be seen that the same Preposition, according to the way m which it
is used, would have its place under several heads:
The
following Prepositions require special notice:-
(1)
We can use in or at with the names of cities, towns or villages. In most cases
in is
used.
We
use in when we are talking about a place as an area; we use at when we see it
as a point.
We
stayed in Mumbai for five days.
Our
plane stopped on Mumbai on the way to Iran. (Mumbai = Mumbai airport)
How
long have you lived in this village?
(2)
We use at to talk about group activities and shops/workplaces.
Did
you see Shobha at the party?
There
weren't many people at the meeting.
I
saw him at the baker’s.
(3)
We use in with the names of streets and at when we give the house-number.
He
lives in Church Street.
He
lives at 45 Church Street.
(4)
We use on when we think of a place as a surface.
The
dog is lying on the floor.
Put
this picture on the wall.
(5)
Till is used of time and to is used of place; as
He
slept till eight o’clock.
He
walked to the end of the street.
(6)With
often denotes the instrument and by the agent; as,
He
killed two birds with one shot.
He
was stabbed by a lunatic with a dagger.
(7)
Since is used before a noun or phrase denoting some point of time, and is
preceded by
a
verb in the perfect tenses; as,
I
have eaten nothing since yesterday.
He
has been ill since Monday last
I
have not been smoking since last week.
(8)
In before a noun denoting a period of time, means at the end of; within means
before
the
end of; as,
I
shall return in an hour. I shall return within an hour.
(9)
Beside means at (or by) the side of while besides means in addition to; as,
Beside
the ungathered rice he lay.
Besides
his children, there were present his nephews and nieces.
Besides
being fined, he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment.
Be
careful not to use beside for besides.
Prepositions
with forms of transport.
We
use by + noun when we talk about means of transport. We do not use the or a/an
before
the noun.
We
travelled by train, (not: by the/a train)
We
say by bicycle, by car/taxi/bus/train, by boat/ ship/plane, by air/sea.
We
do not use by when the reference is to a specific bicycle, car, train, etc.
Suresh
went there on my bike, (not: by my bike)
We
travelled in Mr. Joshi's car. (not: by Mr. Joshi's car)
They
came in a taxi.
I'll
go on the 7.30 bus.
We
use on to mean a specific bicycle, bus, train, ship or plane, and in to mean a
specific
car,
taxi, van, lorry or ambulance.
We
say on foot (not by foot).
He
goes to the office on foot. (= He walks lo the office.).
WORDS
FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITIONS
Certain
Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, and Participles are always followed by particular
Prepositions.
Read the following sentences, noting appropriate Prepositions.
Mumbai
is famous for its textiles.
The
goat subsists on the coarsest of food.
Jawaharlal
Nehru was fond of children.
India
is a noble, gorgeous land, teeming with natural wealth.
Being
apprised of our approach, the whole neighbourhood came out to meet their
minister.
In
the classical age the ideal life of the Brahman was divided into four stages or
ashrams.
It
is natural in every man to wish for distinction.
He
was endowed with gifts fitted to win eminence in any field of human activity.
The
writer is evidently enamoured of the subject.
These
computers are cheap enough to be accessible to most people.
Ambition
does not always conduce to ultimate happiness.
The
true gentleman is courteous and affable to his neighbours.
Newly
acquired freedom is sometimes liable to abuse.
Little
Jack proved quite a match for the giant.
The
African elephant is now confined to Central Africa.
Camels
are peculiarly adapted to life in the desert.
He
is a man of deep learning, but totally ignorant of life and manners.
The
income derived from the ownership of land is commonly called rent.
The
Moors were famous for their learning and their skill in all kinds of
industries.
Alexander
profited by the dissensions of the Punjab Rajas.
Few
things are impossible to diligence and skill.
I
am indebted to you for your help.
Ashoka,
although tolerant of competing creeds, was personally an ardent Buddhist.
The
celebrated grammarian Patanjali was a contemporary of Pushyamitra Sunga.
Ivory
readily adapts itself to the carver's art.
Coleridge's
poetry is remarkable/or the perfection of its execution.
The
holy tree is associated with scenes of goodwill and rejoicing.
The
noise from downstairs prevented me from sleeping.
I
am already acquainted with the latest developments of the situation.
His
duties were of a kind ill-suited to his ardent and daring character.
Man
is entirely different from other animals in the utter helplessness of his
babyhood.
A
residence of eight years in Sri Lanka had inured his system to the tropical
climate.
The
ancient Greeks, though born in a warm climate, seem to have been much addicted
to
the
bottle.
He
(Dr. Johnson) was somewhat susceptible to flattery.
A
man who always connives at the faults of his children is their worst enemy.
Naples
was then destitute o/what are now, perhaps, its chief attractions.
The
cat appears to have originated in Egypt or in the East.
Judged
by its results the policy of Hastings was eminently successful.
In
his work Charak often hints at the value of sweet oil.
There
is still no cure for the common cold.
It
was formerly supposed that malaria was due to poisonous exhalations.
People
who are averse to hard work, generally do not succeed in life.
Sometimes
a word takes a certain Preposition after it in one context and a different
Preposition
in another context.
We
should accommodate ourselves to circumstances. My friend accommodated me with
a
loan.
I
differ with you on this question. Your car differs from mine in several
respects.
I
am anxious about the result. Her parents are anxious for her safety.
He
has retired from business. He has retired into private life.
He
has great influence over his disciples. He has hardly any influence with the
Vizier.
The
remarks of his critics had considerable influence on his writings.
All
his life he laboured for the good of humanity. He is labouring under a
is apprehension. He laboured at his dictionary for twelve years.
Trespassers
are liable to a fine of $500. He is liable for his wife's debts.
Some
related words take different Prepositions after them.
I
acted according to his advice.
In
accordance with his advice I took quinine.
She
has great affection for her grandchildren.
The
old lady is affectionate to all.
The
flood and ebb tides alternage with each other.
The
alternative to submission is death.
It
is all due to his ambition for fame.
He
is ambitious of fame.
He
is capable of anything.
He
has not the requisite capacity for this work.
He
has great confidence in his assistant.
He
is finite confident of success.
What
a contrast to his brother!
What
a contrast between them!
The
present speech is mild contrasted with his past utterance on the same subject.
It
is not likely to derogate from his merit.
He
never said or did anything derogatory to his high position.
He
is descended from a noble family.
He
is a descendant of Mahatma Gandhi.
He
has no desire for fame.
He
is desirous of visiting Agra.
He
was equal to the occasion.
He
is to be blamed equally with his brother.
The
coat fits me well except for the collar.
I
take exception to your remark.
The
child is fond of sweets.
She
has great fondness for children.
The
drama is founded on an episode in the Ramayana.
It
has, however, no foundation in fact.
He
hindered me from going.
Child-marriage
is a great hindrance to progress.
He
is quite infatuated with her.
His
infatuation for that girl led him astray,
He
has no liking for cards.
His
dislike to her continued to increase.
He
is neglectful of his dress.
I
have often found him negligent in his work.
They
say he is partial to his friends.
Children
show a partiality for sweetmeats.
I
have no prejudice against foreigners.
Such
a step will be prejudicial to your interests.
He
is prepared for anything.
Preparatory
to taking extreme measures, his father once again warned him.
Pursuant
to our conversation, I now send you a cheque for $500 as my contribution to
the
fund.
In
pursuance of your instructions, we are writing to-day to the Collector.
I
am of opinion that he is qualified for the post.
He
is disqualified from practising as a pleader.
As
a result of the injury received by him, he died of tetanus.
It
is said that nothing resulted from the conference.
I
have great respect for his learning.
He
is respectful to his superiors, without being servile.
He
seized upon the opportunity offered to him.
The
seizure of his property was carried out under direct orders from the Rajah.
I
assure you that I am sensible of your kindness.
His
paralysed arm is insensible to feeling.
Subsequent
to the meeting he wrote a letter to The Hindu.
Consequent
upon this letter, the agents of the company filed a suit against him for
defamation.
Trust
in God and do what is right.
His
distrust of his assistants is perhaps unfounded.
The
country suffers for want of skilled labour.
He
is wanting in a little common sense.
Sometimes
a verb is followed by a preposition; sometimes no preposition follows it.
The
meaning, however, is not always the same in both cases.
I
call that mean. I called on him at his office.
I
don't catch your meaning. A drowning man catches at his office:
This
closed the proceedings. After a little higgling he closed with my offer.
He
commenced life as a shop-assistant. The proceedings commenced with a song.
Have
you counted the cost? I count upon your advice and cooperation.
He
deals fairly with his customers. He deals in cotton and cloth.
The
compounder dispenses medicines. His master dispensed with his services.
He
gained his object by persuasion. He gained upon his rich uncle by his suave
manners.
He
grasped the meaning of the passage in no time. Like a shrewd man of business he
grasped
at the opportunity.
I
met him on my way to the station. His appeals for funds met with a poor
response.
He
always prepares his speech. Our soldiers prepared themselves for the offensive.
The
police searched the house of the suspect. We searched for the lost article.
Do
not use the infinitive with certain words which require a preposition followed
by
a
gerund or by a verbal noun.
He
is addicted to gambling. [Not: to gamble.]
1
assisted her in climbing the hill.
He
is averse to playing cards.
I
do not believe in pampering servants.
I
am bent on attending the meeting.
He
has hardly any chance of succeeding.
He
is confident of securing the first prize.
The
custom of tipping is prevalent everywhere.
He
is desirous of visiting Japan.
He
despaired of achieving his object.
There
is some difficulty in perceiving his meaning.
Hereafter
he is disqualified for holding any government post.
Remember
the duty of helping the poor.
Sudha
excels in dancing.
You
can have no excuse for talking bluntly.
He
is expert in inventing stories.
I
am fond of reading novels.
The
firm was fortunate in securing the government's support.
What
hindered you from visiting the Museum?
He
was disappointed in the hope of being rewarded.
He
felt the humiliation of withdrawing his words.
We
should be indefatigable in doing good.
I
insisted on having my say.
He
is intent on visiting Norway.
You
were not justified in imputing motives to him.
He
has a knack of doing it.
He
appreciated the necessity of acting promptly.
He
persisted in disobeying the orders.
He
lacks the power of imparting, although he is a good mathematical scholar.
The
practice of cramming is rightly regarded as an evil.
It
was only a pretext for delaying the matter.
What
is there to prevent him from leaving Chennai.
I
had the privilege of knowing him intimately.
They
were prohibited from entering the village.
I
refrained from hurting his feelings.
You
were right in suspecting him.
There
is little satisfaction in sitting idle.
He
has no scruple in begging.
He
succeeded in convincing, his critics.
He
thought of eluding his pursuers. I am tired of writing letters to him.
Note:
Sometimes both constructions are allowable; e.g.
•
He was afraid of telling the truth.
•
He was afraid to tell the truth.
•
He at last got the opportunity of meeting him.
•
He at last got the opportunity to meet him.
On
the other hand, certain words always take the infinitive after them; as,
He
advised us to desist from that attempt.
I
decline to say anything further.
I
expect to meet opposition.
It
is hard to get access to him.
He
hopes to win the first prize.
We
are all inclined to judge of others as we find them.
He
intends to compile a Marathi dictionary.
Prepositions
are sometimes inserted where they are not required; as,
Where
have you been to? (here to is not required.)
My eldest
son is a boy of about eighteen years old, (here of is not required.)
After
having finished my work, I went home (here after is not required.)
Note
that the verbs discuss, order and stress are transitive and therefore they are
not followed by prepositions. We discuss a topic (not discuss about a
topic), order tea (not order for tea), stress a point (not stress on a.
point).
1 Comments
wow nicely described
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