Prepositions

   A.   Preposition:

A preposition is a word which shows the relation between a noun or a pronoun and some other word in a sentence.

The preposition is placed before the noun or the pronoun (or any other word acting like a noun, for example, a gerund) whose relation with some other word it shows:

1.      The cat is under the table. (under, shows the relation between the table and the cat.)

2.      The cat ran after the mouse. (after, shows the relation between the mouse and running.)

    B.     Preposition of time:

A number of prepositions may be used to denote time; on Monday, before night, during the night, till tomorrow, after lunch. In most cases, it is easy to know which preposition to use. The following prepositions, however, need extra attention.

1.      At, on, in

(a)   At usually denotes a definite point of time but can also be used for indefinite periods:

at 3 o’clock, at midnight

at the beginning of the class

at the end of the meeting

All of the above sentences show definite points of time.

at dawn, at night

at Christmas, at Diwali

The above sentences show indefinite periods of time.

(b)   On is used with days and dates:

on Monday, on 5^th December

on the Diwali day, on Christmas eve

on the evening of the 6^th March

(c)    In is used with parts of the day, month, year, season:

in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

in summer, in winter

in March, in 1983

(d)   In is also used with the future tense to show the period in which an action will happen:

in two hours, in a few minutes, in a fortnight

Carefully note the difference between in and within:

in = at the end of

within = before the end of

I shall be back in a week. (when a week is over.)

I shall be back within a week. (before a week is over.)

2.      By

It denotes the latest time at which an action will be over:

The show will be over by 6 p.m. (it may be over before it is 6, but the latest time at which it can be over is 6.)

3.      Since, for

Since and for are often used with perfect continuous tense. Since is used with the point of time at which an action started. (the action continues till the present moment.)

He has been working since 9’o clock.

For is used to suggest the period of time for which an action has been going on:

I have been waiting for two hours.

Since: The emphasis is on the point at which the action started.

For: The emphasis is on the period for which an action has been going on.

4.      From

It denotes the starting point of an action. It is almost always used with to or till/until:

The examination will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

He was the Chief Minister of Assam from 1984 till 1989.

    C.    Prepositions of position:

1.      At, in

(a)    At has the idea of an exact point; it is used with villages, small towns. In has the idea of a larger area and is used while speaking of bigger towns, states, countries:

at Karol Bagh, in New Delhi, at Ambala, in England, at the end, in the middle; also, in a factory, in a bank.

(b)   At conveys the idea of general neighbourhood; in conveys the idea of something contained:

Please sit at the table when you eat.

I shall meet you at Connaught Place.

Turn left at the next crossing.

The jam bottle is in the refrigerator.

The stamps are lying in the drawer.

2.      Between, among

Between is used with two persons or things, among is used with more than two:

A small table was lying between the two chairs.

The hare hid among the bushes.

He was happy to be among his friends again.

3.      On, upon

Both on and upon can be used while speaking of things at rest; upon is used with things in motion:

My bag is on/upon the table.

The cat sprang upon the table.

4.      Above, over

Both above and over mean higher than.

Sometimes we can use either of them:

The flags waved over our heads.

The flags waved above our heads.

But over can also mean covering, or vertically above:

My father put a blanket over me.

There is a bridge over the stream.

There is a fan exactly over the table.

5.      Below, under

Both below and under mean lower than. Sometimes we can use either of them. But under also means vertically below.

It also has the idea of contact.

There was a beautiful lake below us in the valley.

The traveller was resting under a tree.

She put the book under her pillow.

Below is also used in measurements to suggest the idea of being lower than:

The temperature was 3 degrees below normal.

    D.    Prepositions of movement and direction:

1.      Prepositions of direction towards: to, towards, into, at, for, against

(a)    To has the sense of destination, towards of direction:

We went to the school. (reached the school)

We went towards the school. (in the direction of the school)

(b)   Into denotes movement towards the interior of something:

The dog jumped into the pond.

She quietly walked into the room.

(c)    At has the idea of hitting:

She threw the stone at the dog.

(d)   For suggests the beginning of a movement:

The workers left for the factory.

The child leaves for the school early in the morning.

(e)    Against shows pressure or contact:

He threw the bag against the wall.

2.      Prepositions of direction from: From, off, out of

(a)    From is used with the point of departure:

She has already gone from the office.

(b)   Off shows separation. It is used in the sense of from the surface of, down from:

He fell off the cycle.

The ball rolled off the table.

(c)    Out of is the opposite of into. It means from the interior of:

The bird flew out of the cage.

3.      Other prepositions showing movement are: through, over, along, across, round, up, down.

4.      We travel by car, by bus, by train, by air, by boat, by sea.

We walk on foot, we ride on horseback, we go on a bicycle.

    E.     Correct use of certain prepositions:

1.      By, with

By is used to express the agent or doer of an action; with relates to the instrument with which the action is done:

The old man was beaten by some strangers with a stick.

The lawn was mown by the gardener with a mower.

2.      After, in

After is used to denote some period of time in the past; in is used to show some period of time in the future:

She came back home after an hour.

We will come back home in an hour.

3.      Beside, besides

Beside means by the side of; besides means in addition to:

Please put this bag beside the box.

Besides giving me books, she gave me her notes.

4.      Verbs of command, request, invitation, advice normally do not take the preposition to after them.

Such verbs are: advise, ask, beg, command, encourage, invite, tell, request, warn:

She advised me to wait. (and not advised to me)

I requested the teacher to explain the poem again.

She invited all her friends to her sister’s wedding.

5.      On time, in time

On time = at the arranged time; not before, not after

In time = not late, with a comfortable margin:

We reached the station in time for the train.

The train started on time.