Prepositions

Prepositions are words that show the relationship between other words.

in at by for of to with about

from into over across through toward upon off

below near under after before above during on

Prepositions of time
At, in, for, before, during, after, until

Using at, in, on at: specific time of the day at midnight, at 5:00 PM at six oclock, at lunch, at dinner at: an address, a specific building or participation in some event at the local library, at a movie theater, at the doctors office, at BCC

Use At after verbs that indicate being or remaining in one place and not moving from one place to another Usually he stays at work. He sits at his desk and looks at his inventions.

In: general times or period of times in February, in 1972 in the afternoon, in the summer in the meantime in these years In: location inside an enclosed area or an area with specific boundaries in the yard, in my car, in a bookstore, in the pool, in an envelope, in a box

On: specific days and dates, holidays on Saturday on June 19 on Thanksgiving Day on my birthday On: one object supported by another object with some surface of both objects touching each other on that table, on the road, on her finger, on your face, on the roof,

At
at at at at at at at

work the game the zoo 2:00 PM 9:00 oclock midnight night

In
in in in in in in in

the office the crowd the park April October 1968 bed

On
on on on on on on on

the job the field the ice Tuesday July 12th May 4, 2003 a mattress

More expressions with in, on, at In love in agreement in pain on edge on target on time at odds on TV on the radio on the phone on the computer on top in a city in a country in a continent

Use To after verbs that indicate movement from one place to another. Every morning Ana walks to the library, goes to the coffee shop, and returns to her office.

Use during to explain when something happened. Use for to explain how long it takes to happen. During the month of December people spend a lot of money and the stores are busy for days.

Do not put to before home I am going home She returned home

Position of prepositional phrases of time

At the beginning or end of a sentence

After the movies, Ill go get ice cream. Ill go get ice cream after the movies.

Prepositions of location and direction

Location: at, in, on, under, near, in front of, behind, on top of Direction: to, from, into, onto, out of, down, over, off, through, around

Position of prepositional phrases of place (location, direction)

After the main verb when there is no object or after verb + object

I saw her in the cafeteria.

She is eating in the cafeteria. Put the money in my purse.

Some adjectives are often followed by certain prepositions

Afraid

of Bad for Crazy about Familiar with Famous for Fond of Full of Good for

jealous for proud of responsible for sad about safe from similar to sorry for sure about

More expressions (A, B,C)

Accuse of Add to Angry with Angry about Agree with apologize for apply for Approve of Argue with Ask for Aware of

Believe in Belong to Capable of Care about Care for Committed to Comply with Concern about Confronted with Consist of Count on

More expressions (D, E, F, G)

Deal

with Decide to Decide on Depend on Be disappointed with Be disappointed about Dream of Escape from

Excited

about Familiar with Fond of Forget about Forgive (so) for Friendly with Good for Grateful for

More expressions (H, I, J, K, L, O, P)

Happy about Hear about hope for Hopeful about Innocent of insist on Insulted by Interested in Introduced to Jealous of

Keep from Located in Long for Look forward to Opposed to Participate in Patient with Pay attention to Pay for Pray for

More expressions (P, Q, R, S )

Prepared to Prepared for Prevent from Protect from Proud of Provide with Qualify for Be realistic about Refer to Related to Rely on

Rescue from Responsible for Sad about Satisfied with Scared of Search for Similar to Specialize in Stop from Succeed in

More expressions (T, U, W)

Take advantage of Take care of Thank (so) for Think about Think of Tired of Upset with Upset about Willing to Wish for Worry about

Some prepositional phrases occur with no articles

At
School
Church Lunch

Work
Home

to School Church Lunch Work Bed By plane, bus, car, boat

In

bed

On foot

Phrasal verbs (two-word verbs) consist of a verb + an adverb (particles) up, down, out, off

Some phrasal verbs take objects, others dont

She made up a story.

Turn down the volume. She grew up in Canada.

If the object of the phrasal verb is a noun, it can go before or after the particle. She called off the wedding. She called the wedding off.

If the object is a pronoun, it must go before the particle.

I picked it up.

He took it off

Common phrasal verbs with or without objects

Catch up drop out Grow up Run out Settle down Show up slow down take off turn up Work out

Common phrasal verbs with objects

Bring up Build up Call off Check out Figure out Give up keep up Let down look up Make up Pick up Point out

Some common combinations grouped by preposition

1. Verbs + about
ask complain dream forget talk think worry

2. Verb + to
agree be used belong explain introduce listen object pay attention relate reply say speak

3.Verbs + with
agree argue break up compete cooperate disagree fill get along help finish work

4. Verbs + for
apologize ask buy do look make pay study thank

5. Verbs + on
count have keep pick put rely take wait work

6. Verbs + off
break call cut fall jump keep live take turn

7. Verbs + at guess laugh look smile stare yell

8. Verbs + of
complain die get rid

9. Verbs + toward
contribute head turn walk work

Like phrasal verbs, these combinations are sometimes called two-word verbs The most common prepositions in these combinations include: about, for, in, on, to, after, at, of, from

Verbs + prepositions are different from phrasal verbs In phrasal verbs, pronoun objects come before particles In verbs + prepositions, all objects come after their prepositions.

Three - word verbs combine a phrasal verb ( a verb + particle) with a preposition
Keep

up with Drop in on Face up to Get along with Put up with Cut down on

Against 1. touching the side surface of Dont lean against the door.

2. in opposition to I am against changing the rules of the class.

Among in the middle of three or more unspecified items concerning more than two people My class is among the others.

Between in the middle of two items concerning two people Its between Maria and you.

Through moving along a passage beyond Go through the hallway and turn left.

Toward going in the direction of a destination He is walking toward me.

The End!