Prepositions

A preposition describes a relationship between other words in a sentence. In itself, a word like
"in" or "after" is rather meaningless and hard to define in mere words. For instance, when you do try
to define a preposition like "in" or "between" or "on," you invariably use your hands to show how
something is situated in relationship to something else. Prepositions are nearly always combined with
other words in structures called prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases can be made up of a
million different words, but they tend to be built the same: a preposition followed by
a determiner and an adjective or two, followed by a pronoun or noun (called the object of the
preposition). This whole phrase, in turn, takes on a modifying role, acting as anadjective or
an adverb, locating something in time and space, modifying a noun, or telling when or where or
under what conditions something happened.

Prepositions of place
Preposition of Explanation Example
place
in  inside  I watch TV in the living-room
 I live in New York
 Look at the picture in the book
 She looks at herself in the
mirror.
 She is in the car.
 Look at the girl in the picture
 This is the best team in the
world

at  used to show an exact position or  I met her at the entrance, at the

particular place bus stop
 table  She sat at the table
 events  at a concert, at the party
 place where you are to do  at the
something typical (watch a film, movies, at university, at work
study, work)

on  attached  Look at the picture on the wall

 next to or along the side of (river)  Cambridge is on the River Cam.
 used to show that something is in a  The book is on the desk
position above something else and  A smile on his face
touching it.  The shop is on the left
 left, right  My apartment is on the first
 a floor in a house floor
 used for showing some methods of  I love traveling on trains /on the
traveling bus / on a plane
 television, radio  My favorite
program on TV, on the radio

by, next to,  not far away in distance  The girl who is by / next
beside, near
 to / besidethe house.

between  in or into the space which separates  The town lies

two places, people or objects halfway between Rome and
Florence.

behind  at the back (of)  I hung my coat behind the door.

in front of  further forward than someone or  She started talking to the man in
something else front of her

under  lower than (or covered by)  the cat is under the chair.
something else

below  lower than something else.  the plane is just below the the
cloud

over  above or higher than something
else, sometimes so that one thing
covers the other.
 more than.
 across from one side to the other.
 overcoming an obstacle
 She held the umbrella over both
of us.
 Most of the carpets
are over $100.
 I walked over the bridge
 She jumped over the gate

above  higher than something else, but not  a path above the lake
directly over it

across  from one side to the other of  She walked across the
something with clear limits / field/road.
getting to the other side  He sailed across the Atlantic


through  from one end or side of something  They walked

to the other slowly through the woods.

to  in the direction of  We went to Prague last year.

 bed  I go to bed at ten.

into  towards the inside or middle of  Shall we go into the garden?

something and about to be
contained, surrounded or enclosed
by it

towards  in the direction of, or closer to  She stood up and

someone or something walked towardshim.

onto  used to show movement into or on  I slipped as I stepped onto the

a particular place platform.

from  used to show the place where  What time does the
someone or something starts: flight fromAmsterdam arrive?
Prepositions of time
Prepositions of time - here's a list of the time words that need 'on', 'in', 'at' and some
that don't need any preposition. Be careful - many students of English use 'on' with months (it
should be 'in'), or put a preposition before 'next' when we don't need one.

Preposition of
Explanations Example
time
 days  Many shops don't
 weekend (American English) open on Sundays.
on  What did you do on the
weekend?

 months / seasons / year  I visited

 morning / evening / afternoon Italy in July, in spring, in 1994
 period of time  In the evenings, I like to relax.
in
 This is the first cigarette I've
had in three years.

 night  It gets cold at night.

 weekend (British English)  What did you do at the weekend?
at  used to show an exact or a  There's a meeting at 2.30 this
particular time: afternoon / at lunch time.

 from a particular time in the past  England have not won the World
since until a later time, or until now Cup in football since1966

 used to show an amount of time.  I'm just going to bed for an hour
for or so.

 back in the past; back in time  The dinosaurs died out 65 million
ago from the present: years ago.

 at or during a time earlier than  She's always up before dawn.

before

 used when saying the time, to  It's twenty to six.

to mean before the stated hour

 telling the time  five past ten

past

  It's only two weeks to Christmas.

 until a particular time, marking
to end of a period of time

from  used to show the time when  The museum is open from 9.30
 something starts to 6.00 Tuesday to Sunday.

 up to (the time that)  We waited till / until half past six

till / until for you.

by  not later than; at or before  She had promised to be

back by five o'clock

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/prepositions-of-time.html

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepositions

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-videos/prepositions-
time
 DEGREE OF COMPARISION
Comparison is a feature in the morphology of some languages,
whereby adjectives and adverbs are inflected or modified to produce forms that indicate the relative
degree of the designated properties.

The grammatical category associated with comparison of adjectives and adverbs is degree of
comparison. The usual degrees of comparison are the positive, which simply denotes a property (as
with the English words big and fully); the comparative, which indicates greater degree
(as bigger and more fully); and the superlative, which indicates greatest degree (as biggest and most
fully).[1] Some languages have forms indicating a very large degree of a particular quality
(called elative in Semitic linguistics).
Comparison can be made using the three forms of the adjective.
Adjective is a word and it qualifies a noun. It gives more information about the noun.

eg. The lion is a strong animal. Rita is a beautiful girl.

Adjectives are of three degrees. (1) Positive (2) Comparative (3) Superlative

eg. David is a rich man.

eg. Cancel is more dreadful than cholera.

eg. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world.

Study the following models.

Positive Comparative Superlative

John is taller than any other
boys in the class.
Very few boys in the class
are astall as John.
John is taller than most other
boys in the class.
John is the tallest boy in the
class.
John is one of the
tallest boy in the class.

Adjective and Adverbs have three degrees, Positive, Comparative and Superlative.
The Pasitive Degree is used to denote the mere existence of quality.
The Positive Degree of an adjective in comparison is the adjective in its simple form. It is used
to denote the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no
comparison is made.
 It is a tall building.
 Apple is sweet to taste.
The Comparative Degree is used to compare the qualities of two persons or things.
The Comparative Degree denotes the existence of a higher degree of the quality than the
positive. It is usedwhen two things (or two sets of things) are compared.
 This building is taller than any other building.
 Apple is sweeter than pear.
 The Superlative Degree denotes the existence of the highest degree of the quality. It is used
when more than two things are compared.
 This is the tallest building.
 Apple is the sweetest fruit.
The Superlative Degree is used when more than two nouns or things are compared.
 Johnsy is kind (Positive Degree)
 Johnsy is kinder than Rosy (Comparative Degree)
 Johnsy is the kindest of all (Superlative Degree)

By adding ‘er’ and ‘est’

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

bright brighter Brightest

black blacker Blackest

bold bolder Boldest

clever cleverer Cleverest

cold colder Coldest

fast faster Fastest

great greater Greatest

high higher Highest

kind Kinder Kindest

long Longer Longest

small Smaller Smallest

strong stronger Strongest

sweet Sweeter Sweetest

tall Taller Tallest

young younger Youngest

By adding ‘r’ and ‘st’

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

brave Braver Bravest

fine Finer Finest

large Larger Largest

nice Nicer Nicest

noble Nobler Noblest

pale Paler Palest

simple Simpler Simplest

wise Wiser Wisest

white Whiter Whitest

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

costly Costlier Costliest

dry Drier Driest

easy Easier Easiest

happy Happier Happiest

heavy Heavier Heaviest

lazy Lasier Lasiest

mercy Mercier Merciest

wealthy wealthier Wealthiest

By doubling the final consonants

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

big Bigger Biggest

dim Dimmer Dimmest

fat Fatter Fattest

hot Hotter Hottest

thin Thinner Thinnest

 By using more and most

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

active more active most active

attractive more attractive most attractive

beautiful more beautiful most beautiful

brilliant more brilliant most brilliant

careful more careful most careful

courageous more courageous most courageous

cunning more cunning most cunning

difficult more difficult most difficult

famous more famous most famous

faithful more faithful most faithful

proper more proper most proper

popular more popular most popular

splendid more splendid most splendid

Irregular Comparisons

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE

bad Worse Worst

evil Worse Worst

good Better Best

ill Worse Worst

far Farther Farthest

well Better Best

late Later Latest

little Less Least

much More Most

many More Most

near Nearer Nearest

old Older Oldest

old Elder Eldest

Comparison between two things.

Positive Comparative

Johnsy is as clever as Rosy Rosy is not clever than Johnsy

Benjamin is atleast as tall as Jane Jane is not taller than Benjamin

Comparative Positive

Lazar is brighter than Stalin Stalin is not so bright as Lazar

Superlative Comparative Positive

Akthar is the richest man Akthar is richer than any other No other man in Kanpur is so
in Kanpur man in Kanpur rich as Akthar

Superlative Comparative Positive

London is one of the biggest London is bigger than most Very few cities in England
city in England other city in England are so big as London

Superlative Comparative Positive

Sheakespear is the greatest Shakespeare is greater than No other dramatist is so

of all dramatists all other dramatists great as Shakespeare

Positive Comparative

Lazar is as strong as Lenin Lenin is not less strong than Lazar

Positive Comparative Superlative

Some boys in our class are at

Some boys in our class are not Benjamin is not the most
least as intelligent as
intelligent than Benjamin intelligent boy in our class
Benjamin

1. When we compare two objects, persons, qualities, degrees etc. tha tare some respects equal,
we may use the comparion of equality. This is formed by the use of
as... adjective / adverb... as
eg. Your house is as large as mine.
2. When we compare unquals, we may use the comparative degree of the adjective or adverb
with than
eg. His new book is more interesting than his earlier books
3. When the comparison is negative, we use
so...adjective/adverb...as
eg. Your house is not quite so large as mine.
4. In some adverbial clauses of comparison both subject and verb are dropped.
eg. He is more shy than (he is) unsocial.
Some people think more about their rights than (they do) about their duties.
5. In clauses of comparison introduced by than that ‘should’ is used.
eg. I am already to do the work myself rather than that you should have to do it.
6.Comparison and contrast are also expressed by the use of
the...the...with comparatives.
eg. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish.
The more he read, the less he understood.

Superlative Comparative Positive

Iron is the most useful of all Iron is more useful than any No other metal is so useful
metals. other metal. as iron.

Superlative Comparative Positive

Tom is the cleverest of all Tom is cleverer than any other No other boy in the class is
boys in the class. boy in the class. so clever as Tom.

Superlative Comparative Positive

Rain water is the purest Rain water is purer than any No other water is so pure as
water. other water. rain water.

Superlative Comparative Positive

Paris is one of the busiest Paris is busier than most other Very few cities in England
cities in England. cities in England. are as busy as Paris.

Positive Comparative Superlative

Very few animals are as fast Cheetah is faster than most Cheetah is one of the
as cheetah. other animals. fastest animals.

Superlative Comparative Positive

Food ball is one of the most Foot ball is more interesting Very few games are as
interesting games. than most other games. interesting as foot ball.

Comparative Positive

Paris is hotter than England. England is not so hot as Paris.

Positive Comparative

John is as tall as David. David is not taller than John.

Comparative Positive
The Blue Mountain Express runs faster than The Green Express does not run so fast as the
the Green Express. Blue Mountain Express.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_%28grammar%29

http://www.weblearneng.com/the-degrees-of-
comparisonhttp://www.weblearn.in/degrees_of_comparison/