Definition
 A
preposition expresses a relationship between a noun (or pronoun)
and some other part of the sentence.
It
usually tells us where something is.
Examples
with |
out |
in |
under |
over |
around |
Use
A
preposition is used with a noun or pronoun.
- The child ran around the snowman.
- Jack and Jill went up the hill.
However,
the same words are adverbs in the following
statements:
- Let's take a walk around.
- My lucky number came up.
- He came over to
me.
They
are adverbs because they tell us about
the verb.
Prepositions
are mainly used in English to form adverbial and adjectival phrases,
as in the following:
Adverbial phrases
'Marseilles is in France'
['in France' tells us where Marseilles is]
'Hastings stands on the south coast of England'
['on the south coast of England' tells us where Hastings stands]
'The grocer marvelled at the arrival of the boxes'
['at the arrival' tells us when the grocer marvelled]
'She left the hall with a toss of her head'
['with a toss of her head' tells us the manner in which she left]
All
the prepositions above are used adverbially to
tell us more about the verb in each case.
The
following are examples of adjectival phrases.
In each case the preposition describes a noun:
Adjectival phrases
'The first cable across the Atlantic was laid in 1838'
['across the Atlantic' describes the cable]
'I love the sound of the sea'
['of the sea' describes the sound]
'I believe that the man in the moon exists'
['in the moon' describes the man]
'We all enjoyed the cheese on toast that our mother gave
us'
['on toast' describes the cheese]
Prepositions
are usually used, as in the two sets of examples above, with a noun or
a pronoun.
Examples
of nouns from the sentences given above
are 'the arrival', 'a toss', ' the moon' and 'toast'.
Prepositions
can also be used as adverbs without an
accompanying noun or pronoun.
Come in |
Turn round |
Go up |
Jump off |
Look around |
Go under |
|
