24 June 2019

19:28 PREPOSITIONS AND PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

PREPOSITIONS. Prepositions are used to express the relationship of a noun or pronoun (or another grammatical element
functioning as a noun) to the rest of the sentence. The noun or pronoun that is connected by the preposition is known as the
prepositional phrase complement.

Prepositions are a closed class of words which means we use a fixed set of prepositions (about 150 (170) and less than forty are
common) and no new preposition gets added to the language. Prepositions can be divided into two groups: simple, consisting of a
single word, and complex prepositions (also known as phrasal prepositions), consisting of two to four words including at least one
simple preposition. A phrasal preposition is not a prepositional phrase, but a combination of two or more words which functions as a
preposition.

Prepositions do not have any other form; they cannot be plural, possessive, inflection, or anything else.

Like nouns, adjectives and adverbs, prepositions can also be modified. Unlike nouns, adjectives and adverbs, which can function alone
as head of their respective groups, the preposition cannot stand alone. Prepositions can never be alone, in fact, prepositions are
words which begin prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases consist of a preposition plus a prepositional phrase complement.

Prepositions are sometimes so firmly wedded to other words that they have practically become one word. (In fact, in other languages,
such as German, they would have become one word.) This occurs in three categories: nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

NOUNS and
PREPOSITIONS
approval of fondness for need for
awareness of grasp of participation in
belief in hatred of reason for
concern for hope for respect for
confusion about interest in success in
desire for love of understanding of

ADJECTIVES and
PREPOSITIONS
afraid of fond of proud of
angry at happy about similar to
aware of interested in sorry for
capable of jealous of sure of
careless about made of tired of
familiar with married to worried about

VERBS and
PREPOSITIONS
apologize for give up prepare for
ask about grow up study for
ask for look for talk about
belong to look forward to think about
bring up look up trust in
care for make up work for
find out pay for worry about

Traditional grammars define prepositions as “words that indicate a relation between the noun or pronoun and another word, which
may be a verb, an adjective, or another noun or pronoun. Prepositions can indicate many different meanings, usually, spatial (position,
direction, movement), temporal, or logical relationships. Prepositions have a relating function: they establish relations between
nominal units, mainly nouns and nominal groups, and other units in the surrounding discourse. The prepositional phrase consists of a
preposition together with its complement, typically a nominal group as in under the chair.

There is a cup on the table.

The helicopter hovered above the house.
The police placed a sheet over the body.
He stood in front of the door and rang the bell.
Ram sat beside Tara in the cinema.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 1

Ram sat beside Tara in the cinema.
A small stream runs below that bridge.
He put the key under the doormat.
He put his hands behind his back.

The name “preposition” (pre + position) means “place before” and prepositions usually come before another word, usually a noun or
noun phrase. As its name suggests, the preposition ('preceding position') normally comes before the prepositional complement. Note,
however, that in the English language, a handful of “prepositions” follow, rather than precede, the prepositional complement.
Prepositions that follow the prepositional complement are referred to as postpositions. Some of the most common English postpositions
include the following: ago, apart, aside, away, hence, notwithstanding, on, through, withal. It's generally accepted that the only common
postposition is the word ago since many postpositions are archaic and appear more frequently in writing than in speech.

three years ago

Such examples aside, postpositions are rare in English.
the whole night through
all the year round
The jury acquitted the defendant, the evidence notwithstanding.

Sometimes, in certain structures, the preposition goes at the end of a clause or sentence. But some people regard it as more correct to
put the preposition at the front of the clause. The preposition at the end is common in <speech> and <informal writing> and this
happens especially in four cases:

wh-questions: Who's the present for?

relative structures: Joe is the person that I'm angry with.
passives: She likes to be looked at.
infinitive structures: The village is pleasant to live in.

For whom is she working? <formal>

The town in which he was born. <rather formal>

But the preposition at the front is common only in <formal writing>. In general, do not be afraid to put the preposition at the end.
Position of prepositions in different kinds of sentence: In (I)—( VIII) below, the first example in each section shows the preposition at
the end of the sentence, and the second example shows the preposition in its usual position, at the front of its noun phrase.

(I) QUESTION: Who is she working for? She ‘s working for a friend.
(II) RELATIVE CLAUSE: the town (that) he was born in. He was born in the town of Omsk.
(III) INDIRECT QUESTION: I wonder which teem he plays for. He plays for the home team.
(IV) EXCLAMATION: What a terrible situation she’s in! She’s in a terrible situation.
(V) PASSIVE: He’s being well looked after. They’re looking after him well.
(VI) COMPARATIVE: She’s been to more countries than I’ve been to. I’ve been to fewer countries.
(VII) INFINITIVE: This penis difficult to write with, It’s difficult to write with this pen.
(VIII) EMPHATIC WORD ORDER: Some games I’m quite good at. . .. . . but I’m hopeless at golf

Prepositions are linking words that introduce prepositional phrases (= preposition + obligatory complement). Certain verbs,
adjectives and nouns, in order complete meaning, naturally require specific prepositions when placed in a sentence – these are called
dependent prepositions. In this way prepositional verbs are formed, for instance, you can object to (something), participate in
(something), complain about (something). Propositional verbs always must have an object which comes directly after the preposition
of the prepositional verb. Further, adjectives and nouns are often followed by specific prepositions: afraid of, famous for, angry about,
access to, decision on, information about, etc.

According use, prepositions can be divided into more categories, of which prepositions of time, place and direction or movement are
the most important. Sometimes, eight categories are mentioned: time, place, direction or movement, agency, instrument or device,
reason or purpose, connection, and origin. However, most prepositions have multiple usages and meanings and a lot of preposition fall
in more than one group, e.g. “in” can be used for “in the car” (spatial) or for “in five years” (temporal).

To decide if the word in question is a preposition, say the preposition followed by whom or what. If a noun or a pronoun (or any their
substitute) answers the question, the word is a preposition. If there is no noun or pronoun to complete the phrase, the word is not a
preposition.

The boy stood up and ran down the street. Up what? There is no object; therefore up is not a preposition. Down what? Street answers the question; therefore,
down is a preposition. Down the street is PP starting with the preposition down and ending with the object street with a modifier the in between.

Many prepositions can also be adverbs and a few prepositions can also be conjunctions. Any seemingly alone preposition is actually
an adverb. You can recognize prepositions by their complements; prepositions are usually in front of a noun phrase, whereas
prepositional adverbs usually stand alone, without a following noun phrase. Compare "We've never met before. " and "Let's meet
before noon." In certain settings, a word that is usually a preposition may actually be a conjunction instead. If the word introduces
an object of a preposition, then it is a preposition. If the word introduces a clause, then it is not a preposition, but a conjunction.
preposition: The bird flew out the window. ("window" is the object of "out.")
adverb: We went out last night. ("out" has no object.)
preposition: He stayed in the house.
adverb: He stayed in.
preposition: The guests were standing around the room.
adverb: The guests were standing around.

Before you went to school (The group of words is a clause because it contains a noun subject [you] and a verb [went]. Therefore, before is a subordinating
conjunction.)

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 2

conjunction.)
I will watch as the doctor operates. (The doctor operates is a clause because it has a subject [The doctor] and a verb [operates]. Thus, as must be a subordinating
conjunction.)

Note that in English grammar, a prepositional adverb, also called (adverbial) particle is an adverb (mostly adverbs of place) that can
also function as a preposition. A list of common prepositional adverbs.

about around beyond near past under

above before by on round up
across behind down opposite since within
after below in outside through without
along between inside over throughout

Adverbial particles are closely linked to verbs. They are used to build phrasal verbs, this is to say they follow verbs, and are closely
bound to them in meaning: go away, come back, put (something) on, etc.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES. The group of words consisting of a preposition, its complement, both of which are obligatory, and an
optional modifier is called as a ‘prepositional phrase’. A preposition cannot normally occur without a complement, and a complement
is not part of a PP if there is no preposition. Both are equally necessary to form the phrase; both have equal grammatical status.

In older grammars, a prepositional phrase is a group of words made up of a preposition, its object, and any words that modify the
object. In other words, prepositions always take an object, confusingly called the object of the preposition (or prepositional object)
and has nothing to do with the object of the verb or sentence. A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition as a head of a phrase
followed by a prepositional complement. A preposition sits in front of (is “pre-positioned” before) its object. We refer to the element
following a preposition as a complement rather than a post-modifier because, unlike a post-modifier, it is not optional. The preposition
at, for example, must be followed by a prepositional complement. . . . A preposition can have two or more objects:

The swimming pool is between the oak tree and the palm trees.

Internal structure of PP can be represented as follows:

Not all PPs contain a modifier but all of them contain a preposition and a complement. When modified, the preposition, or sometimes
the whole PP, may be graded (more like a canary), intensified (right through the wall), quantified (a mile down
the road) or described (wonderfully on form). Prepositional phrases can be 'extended' by an initial adverbial particle, which adds a
meaning such as place, direction, or degree: back to the fifties; down in the south. Another kind of extension is an adverb of degree:
exactly at noon; nearly till eleven; considerably to the right.

The complement in prepositional phrases may be realised by a nominal phrase represented by a noun (in town), a pronoun (after
me), a full NG (for a long time), an adjective phrase (in full ), an adverb phrase (for now, until quite recently, until tomorrow), a

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 3

me), a full NG (for a long time), an adjective phrase (in full ), an adverb phrase (for now, until quite recently, until tomorrow), a
prepositional phrase (except at work, from out of the forest), a wh-clause (because of what happened), a non-finite -ing clause (by
concentrating hard). Prepositions also take noun clauses as complements, but normally these are only wh-clauses and ing-clauses.

Note that noun phrases are by far the most common form of prepositional complement in English. If a personal pronoun is used as the
object of a preposition, it must be the object pronoun: me, you, him, her, it, us, them. By contrast, the use of AdjGs and AdvGs as
complements is infrequent, but constructions involving prepositions followed by adjective, such as in brief, at first, in full, in private, for
certain, in short, in vain, for sure, of late occur frequently in English. These constructions often have meanings similar to adverbs (e.g., in
private = privately, in vain = vainly, in full = fully, of late = lately). Some propositions (from, down) may be immediately followed by
another preposition.

from under the table

from until vey recently/ until vey recently
before long/since then/from above/under there
Here’s a letter from my son Philip.
Come with me, please.
It was the worst storm since the 1980s.
The school is near the post office.
We are very near Christmas Day.
The coffee is on the table beside you.
We went for a walk despite the rain.
From here, the road is very rough.
The fire was discovered at about five past seven.
I bought it (at a little shop (near the post office (in Middle Street))).
The sound of the wind made a whistling noise.
Carter spoke on behalf of the students.

Noun clauses used as complements in prepositional phrases are only wh-clauses and ing-clauses. There are two types of nominal
clauses which cannot be the complement of a preposition: that-clauses and to-infinitive clauses. With such clauses, the preposition is
omitted. However, sometimes, the addition of the fact can serve to convert the that clause construction into a form suitable for a
prepositional complement.

I was surprised at the news.

I was surprised at what happened next.
She was so surprised at being alive.
I was surprised that things changed so quickly. (at is omitted)
I was surprised to hear you say that. (at is omitted)

I think everybody is aware that there are problems.

I think everybody is aware of the fact that there are problems.

This is an oven for baking bread.

Jason was having vision problems from watching the new TV.
I was surprised at what they said.
Warren tried to shake off his fears by looking at the sky.
Before eating, we always say a prayer.
I got this bruise from fencing with my instructor.

We always go to the beach on the weekends. (verb, Where and when we go.)
You look tired from all the heat. (adjective, How tired?)
I don't like getting up early in the morning. (adverb, How early?)

Sentences can (and often do) have more than one prepositional phrase. When two or more prepositional phrases follow each other,
they may modify the same word, or one phrase may modify the object in the preceding phrase (i.e. one prepositional phrase may also
be embedded within another). If the phrases describe the same action, situation, or thing, you do not put and (or other conjunction)
between them.

They arrived at the airport on time. (Both phrases modify "arrived"; "at the airport" tells where and "on time" tells when.)
I read stories to the children at home in the evening .
They walked down the drive between the trees.

Chicago is on the northeast tip of Illinois. ("on the northeast tip" modifies "is"; "of Illinois" modifies "tip.")
The fire was discovered [at about five [past seven]].
A new scheme may be announced [before the end [of this month]].
It must be a nasty surprise [for motorists] going [along a moorland road] [at the end [of the night]] to suddenly find a kangaroo jumping out [at them].

You can connect two or more prepositional phrases with a coordinating conjunction when you are describing similar actions,
situations, or things.
They walked across the lawn and down the garden path.
The resort is beside the mountain and by the lake.
You can usually find Macho Marvin in the steam room, on the exercise bike, or under the barbells.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 4

You can usually find Macho Marvin in the steam room, on the exercise bike, or under the barbells.
During the Christmas break, I visited my old school behind our house.

When two words or phrases are used in parallel and require the same preposition to be idiomatically correct, the preposition does not
have to be used twice. However, when the idiomatic use of phrases calls for different prepositions, we must be careful not to omit one
of them.

You can wear that outfit in summer and in winter.

The female was both attracted by and distracted by the male's dance.

The children were interested in and disgusted by the movie.

It was clear that this player could both contribute to and learn from every game he played.
He was fascinated by and enamored of this beguiling woman.

FUNCTIONS OF THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES. Prepositional phrase are fragments that usually do not stand alone, except
in commands like "At once!" or "On your feet!" A prepositional phrase usually function as an adjective or adverb. Less frequently,
prepositional phrases can function like nouns. Prepositional phrases can also be embedded inside other prepositional phrases.

A few of the prepositional phrases are verb complements, which means they complete the meaning of the verb.

Adjectival (or adjective) prepositional phrases always follow the noun (or pronoun) they are modifying and tells us more about it.
And, like an adjective, this kind of prepositional phrase answers one or more of the following questions about the noun: which one,
what kind, how much, or how many. We can sometimes use two or more phrases together after a noun.
This book about horses is finely illustrated. WHAT KIND of book? Book about horses.
People from many different countries have visited here. WHAT KIND of people? People from different countries.
The apartment below ours is for rent. WHICH apartment is for rent? The apartment below ours. (Uses location to specify which one.)
We live in the house opposite the store. WHICH house do we live in? The house opposite the store. (Uses location to specify which one.)
The large house around the corner is for sale. WHICH house is for sale? The house around the corner. (Uses location to specify which one.)
The person to the right of Jim is Karen. WHICH person? The person to the right of Jim. (Uses location to specify which one.)
The boy with the tall woman and the dog is her son. Presumably, there are multiple boys with tall women, so the sentence is specifying that this boy is with a
tall woman who has a dog.
The idea of space travel has always fascinated me.

Adverbial prepositional phrases are used as adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives and adverbs. However, some of the prepositional
phrases are sentence adverbs, which means they modify the entire sentence, or to link sentences.

To my surprise, there was no-one there.

To Mrs Brown's relief, the storm hadn't damaged her fruít bushes.
In all fairness, I don't think we can blame her for what happened.
In the first place, you don't know how to dive. For another thing, you can't afford it.

Adverbial prepositional phrases modifying verbs don’t always immediately follow the verb they are modifying. They are usually
movable, but with one position likely to be more effective than the other positions. Like normal adverbs, these adverbial prepositional
phrases answer the questions: How? When? Where? Why? To what extent? (To what extent? = How far? How long? How much?
How often?)
He spoke in a confident manner /way/fashion. He spoke with confidence. HOW did he speak?
Columbus came to America by boat. HOW did Columbus come to America? By boat.
I tell you this as a friend. HOW do you tell me? As a friend. Process: How? In what way or in what manner?

The migrating geese flew above our heads. WHERE did the migrating geese fly? Above our heads. Location » In what location or position?
Jim placed the ladder against the wall. WHERE did Jim place the ladder? Against the wall. Location » In what location or position?
The dolphins swam alongside our boat. WHERE did the dolphins swim? Alongside our boat. Location » Change of Location – Path: Along what path?

The crowd cheered upon the hero’s return. WHEN did the crowd cheer? Upon the hero’s return. Time » Position in Time: At what time?
Since my vacation, I have been very relaxed. WHEN have you been relaxed since? Since my vacation. Time » Start Time/Origin in Time » Since when? Also
related to Reason: Why?
We arrived before/after the others. WHEN did we arrive? Before/after the others.

Adverbial prepositional phrases that modify adjectives and adverbs can be harder to identify because the adjectives and adverbs are
usually paired with verbs. Remember that these prepositional phrases always follow the adjective or adverb and will contain
information specific to the adjective and adverb.
I was delighted with the results.
I am happy about your success.
Megan was afraid of thunderstorms
Brazil is known for its wonderful music and friendly people.
She was highly skilled in physics and chemistry.
He’s married to an Australian woman.
Jewell is afraid of swimming in the ocean.

They arrived late at night.

I can get there more quickly on my new bike.
He speaks slowly with both dignity and authority.

The prepositional phrase with the results is describing the predicative adjective delighted, and it answers the question “Why are you
delighted?” Even though delighted is paired with the linking verb was, the prepositional phrase very clearly describes the adjective
rather than the verb. Here, on my new bike describes the adverb more quickly, answering the question “How?” or “In what

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 5

rather than the verb. Here, on my new bike describes the adverb more quickly, answering the question “How?” or “In what
manner?” It could also seem that the prepositional phrase is describing the verb get, but the information in the prepositional phrase is
specific to getting there quickly.

Less frequently, prepositional phrases can function like nouns in a sentence. There are six nominal functions of prepositions and
prepositional phrases: Subject, subject complement, direct object, object complement, indirect object, prepositional complement

Before ten/Between seven and nine is a bad time to call him.

He directed between 50 and 60 movies.
You must clean under the bed.
Grandma will decorate on top of the roof.
Along that path is the quickest way.
After lunch is usually a quiet time.
My siblings always nose around in my bedroom.
She mused about under our beds.
The maid gawked at behind the refrigerator.
The secret agent is spying on inside the boardroom.

MULTI-WORD VERBS. Combinations of verbs with prepositional adverbs (adverbial particles) and/or prepositions. Multi-word
verbs are verbs which consist of a verb and one or two particles or prepositions (e.g. up, over, in, down). There are three types of
multi-word verbs: phrasal verbs, prepositional verbs and phrasal-prepositional verbs. Sometimes, the name ‘phrasal verb’ is used to
refer to all three types.

Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions, consisting of a verb and a (prepositional) adverb (or an adverbial particle) , that form a
single semantic unit. The purpose of the adverb is to change the meaning of the verb. Examples include phrases such as "see to,"
"pulled up," "call on," "give in," "hold back," carry out, find out, or pick up. When these adverbial particles are used independently,
they have literal meanings signifying location or direction (e.g. out, in, up, down, on, off). However, in phrasal verbs they are
commonly used with less literal meanings. For example, the meaning of find out does not include the 'place' meaning of out.

Four armed men held up the bank. (held up = to rob)

Therefore, up is not a preposition, bank is not the object of a preposition and up the bank is not prepositional phrase. Instead, bank is
the direct object of the phrasal verb held up. To avoid confusing prepositions with prepositional adverbs (particles), test by moving the
word (up) and words following it to the front of the sentence: Up the bank four armed men held. If the resulting sentence does not
make sense, then the word belongs with the verb and is a particle, not a preposition. Note the difference:

We ran up the hill. (Trcali smo uzbrdo)

TEST: Up the hill we ran.

The resulting sentence makes sense. Therefore, up is a preposition.

We ran up the bill. (Podigli smo racun)

TEST: Up the bill we ran.

The resulting sentence does not make sense. Therefore, up is a particle in this sentence.

Prepositional verbs, such as look at, talk about, listen to, have two parts a verb and a preposition which cannot be separated from
each other. All prepositional verbs must take a prepositional object, i.e. the noun phrase that occurs after the preposition. Particle
movement is not possible with prepositional verbs, i.e., a preposition always comes before the noun phrase that is the object. It was hard
to look at him. There are two major structural patterns for prepositional verbs: with a single prepositional object ( V + prep + NP), and
with a direct object and a prepositional object (V + NP + prep + NP).

It just looks like the barrel.

I've never even thought about it.

Phrasal-prepositional verbs have three parts: a verb, a particle and a preposition. The particle and the preposition cannot be
separated. Many of these verbs are often used in informal contexts, and their meaning is difficult to guess from their individual parts.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Simple prepositions, which are the majority of prepositions in the English language, consist of a single word. Here are given 94 of
them.

aboard • We went aboard the boat.• Is there a doctor aboard the plane?
about • What do you think about Mary? • Let’s talk about something different.• I’ve just read a book about President Kennedy.• The lion was
pacing about its cage.
above • We are flying above the clouds. • We live in the hills, 1,000 meters above sea-level.• It’s only two degrees above freezing point. [+2ºC] • Who came
above you in the test results?
across • We drove across the desert.• The dog ran across the road.• There is a bridge across the river.
after (also conj.) • We had lunch [1pm] after the meeting [11am].• Let’s meet the day after tomorrow.
against • Did you vote for or against the suggestion?• He put his bicycle against the wall.
along • We walked along the beach for two miles.• There are trees along the road.• The toilet is along the corridor.
alongside • Their boat came alongside our boat.• Team A worked alongside Team B during construction.
amid, amidst (poetic) • I couldn’t hear her amid the noise.• We were lost amidst the trees.
among, amongst (UK) • Is there a doctor among us? • There were secret police among the crowd. • I was amongst strangers. I didn’t know anyone.
anti • He seems to be anti my idea. • Some people are anti everything.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 6

anti • He seems to be anti my idea. • Some people are anti everything.
around • We walked around the town for an hour.• They all sat around the camp fire.• There is a big fence around the house.• He was born around 1570. • Let’s
meet around 7pm.
as (also conj.) • He is working as a waiter.• The risk is as nothing compared to the profit.• Ram is as tall as Anthony.
astride • She sat astride the horse.
at • He is at school.• We first met at a party.• Let’s start the meeting at 9 o’clock.• He started work at 17 (years of age).• We are aiming at sales of $1,000,000.
atop (poetic) • The church is situated atop a hill.

bar • Everyone came bar Angela.• He is the best bar none.

barring • Barring rain, we’ll play tennis tomorrow.
before (also conj.) • We had lunch [1pm] before the meeting [3pm].• We met the day before yesterday.• She was before me in the queue.• I would rather die
before doing that.
behind • There is a police car behind us. It’s following us.• We have a garden behind our house.• The child was hiding behind the tree.• I am behind your project.
I will support it.• Veronica finished behind Shirley in the race.• She is behind the other children in her class.
below • Much of Holland is below sea-level.• There is a family in the flat below us.• The temperature is 5 degrees below freezing
point. [-5ºC] • I came below Veronica in the test.• You can buy it if it’s below $50.
beneath • Our garage is beneath our house. • The tunnel runs beneath the sea.• Laurence is beneath the General Manager.• It was beneath his dignity to do that.
beside • The river runs beside our house.• James was sitting beside Miriam.
besides • What shall we have besides coffee?
between • Tara was sitting between Ram and Ati.• Between you and me, I think she’s crazy.• I can meet you between 1pm and 2pm.
beyond • Can you see someone in the distance, beyond that house? • This is too difficult. It’s beyond me. • The meeting continued beyond midnight.
but (also conj.) • Everyone came but Andrea.
by • We came by car. • Fireworks were invented by the Chinese. • He was shot by a professional killer. • It happened by accident. • He lost the race by five
seconds.• The room is 10 meters by 6 meters.• We must finish by Tuesday.• We were sitting by the window.• By my calculation he must be 73.

circa • He died circa 1270.

concerning • Your teacher talked to me concerning your homework.• I have some questions concerning your decision.
considering • Considering the poor quality, I think the price is too high. • I think I must be going, considering the time.
counting • There were four people, or five counting the baby.• That makes $70, not counting the tax.
cum • I have a study-cum-bedroom.• She is a kind of secretary-cum-receptionist.

despite • We went swimming despite the cold water.• He passed the test despite being ill.
down • They ran down the hill.• The post office is down the road.• They have had many wars down the years.
during • He fell asleep during the meeting.• I want to go swimming during the weekend.• I was bored during the whole film.

except • You can have any color except blue.• They all came except Stephen.
excepting • I can eat anything excepting pork.• Excepting Jo, everyone was present.
excluding • It costs $70, excluding $10 for delivery. (Total =
$80.)• We open every day excluding Christmas Day.

following • We had coffee following lunch.• He couldn’t work following his illness.
for (also conj.) • This is for you.• Do you want to go for a walk?• You use a corkscrew for opening bottles.• Cigarettes are bad for you.• I’m saving for a new car.•
Is this the road for Rome?• They passed me over for John.• Is this the train for Cambridge?• I bought it for $10.• We worked for three hours.• Keep walking for
two kilometers.
from • Where do you come from?• This letter is from my wife.• I bought this car from Henry.• They prevented me from entering.• My car is different from yours.•
We worked from Monday to Wednesday.• Paper is made from wood.• It can cost anything from $5 to $15.• The police took my driving license from me.• He died
from overwork.

given • He is in very good health, given his age.• Given the time, you ought to leave now.
gone (UK) • It’s certainly gone 11 o’clock. It must be 11.30.
• He’s gone 50. He must be nearly 60 years old.

in • Monkeys live in the jungle.• John is the man with his hand in his pocket.• I live in an apartment.• She lives in Bangkok.• Tara was born in 1977.• Trains were
invented in the nineteenth century.• I’ll come back in two weeks.• Let’s meet in the morning.• There are 60 seconds in a minute.
including • The price is $70 including $10 for delivery. (Total= $70.)• There were four of us, including the baby.
inside • It was dark inside the tunnel.• My modem is inside my computer. It’s an internal modem.
into • John went into that shop.• If you heat ice it turns into water.• We cut the cake into ten pieces.• Five into ten makes two.

less • 10 less 3 = 7.
like • She is like her sister.• She sings like a bird.• It’s not like John to complain.• Do it like this.• I feel like swimming.• It looks like rain.• I want something cold,
like iced-coffee.

minus • 10 minus 3 = 7.• The temperature is minus 30 degrees centigrade.

near • The school is near the post office.• It’s 20 December. We are very near Christmas Day.
notwithstanding • Notwithstanding the low price, I don’t want it.• They went swimming, notwithstanding the rain.• They went swimming, the rain
notwithstanding.

of • I live in the house at the end of the road.• Where is the key of the car?• Do you like the work of Shakespeare?• What was the cost of this book?• He lives in
the City of Westminster.• It was kind of you to help me.• This is the cause of the problem.• He died of cancer.• Most tables are made of wood.• Can I have a cup
of coffee?• I know some of these people.• I don’t know any of these people.• He lives south of London.• He lives in the south of London.
off • Please take your shoes off the table.• Keep off the grass.• It fell off the table and broke.• They live in a street off Fifth Avenue.
on • Please don’t put your shoes on the table.• The picture is on page 7.• We live on a busy road. It’s very noisy.• She is sunbathing on the beach.• Is there water
on the Moon?• I need a book on bio-chemistry.• My birthday is on Monday.• I start work on 7 May.• Let’s meet on the weekend. (US)• I’ll see you on Christmas
Day.• You must be on time.• He broke his leg on getting out of the car.
onto (US)• The cat jumped onto the chair.• The police are onto us. (slang)
opposite • There is a post office opposite my house.• She sat opposite him and looked into his eyes.
outside • I don’t live in London. I live outside London.• It was very cold outside the car.• This is outside my scope.
over • We are flying over the mountains.• Put the blanket over the bed.• The cat jumped over the wall.• Let’s discuss it over dinner.• The king ruled over the
country for many years.• The town is just over the border.• It cost over $50. It was $53.25.• There is rain over the whole country.• It took over an hour to do my
homework.• The population has increased over the past twenty years.• Can you stay with us over Christmas?

past • I saw you yesterday when we drove past your school.• The post office is just past the police station.• Don’t work past your bed-time.• This is difficult. It’s
past me.• It’s nearly ten minutes past five. 5.09 to be precise.
pending • We cannot supply you pending payment.• Pending his return, we can do nothing.• There were many arguments pending the negotiations.
per • The speed limit is 70 miles per hour.• The carpet costs $10 per square metre.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 7

per • The speed limit is 70 miles per hour.• The carpet costs $10 per square metre.
plus • 2 plus 2 = 4.• There will be three of us, plus the baby.
pro • Are you pro capital punishment?• He is generally pro new ideas.

re • Re: your letter dated 21 May• I want to talk you re the proposed meeting.
regarding • I would like to speak to you regarding my homework.• Regarding John, let’s talk later.
respecting • I would like to speak to you respecting my homework.• I am writing to you respecting our latest products.
round • I live round the corner.• They all sat round the fire.• There is a hedge round the house.

save (formal) • All save Mrs Jones were present.

saving (formal) • Saving yourself, nobody thanked me.
since (also conj.) • I haven’t seen Josef since Monday.• Mr Brown has worked in a bank since 1985.

than (also conj.) • He is a writer than whom there is no finer.• Your car is bigger than my car.
through, thru (US)• The train goes through a tunnel.• I can see light through the keyhole.• You have been through a difficult experience.• You went through a red
light.• The error occurred through my own stupidity.• They worked Monday through Thursday. [US]
throughout • It is raining throughout the whole country.• He worked throughout the day, and most of thenight.
till (also conj.) • I work from 9am till 5pm.• Please wait till I come.
to • Could you give this to Kob?• My car does 10 miles to the litre.• To his surprise, the door was open.• The museum is open from Monday to Friday.• The time
is ten to five. [4.50]
touching • Touching your homework, I think we need tospeak.
toward (US), towards (UK)• He drove off toward(s) the mountain.• I’d better go. It’s getting toward(s) midnight.• He contributed $100,000 toward(s) the new
building.• It’s the first step toward(s) peace.• He has a positive attitude toward(s) his work.

under • The mouse ran under the chair.• The bucket is under the sink.• Submarines can travel under water.• We drove under a bridge.• I have a T-shirt under my
pullover.• Who do you work under? Who is your boss?• I am under orders from the President.• What is the subject under discussion?• Under the company rules,
we can’t do that.• Please buy it if it’s under $50.
underneath • The nurse put a pillow underneath his head.• There is a big cellar underneath our house.
unlike • That’s very unusual. It’s unlike Andrea to be so rude.• This problem is unlike any we have met before.
until (formal, also conj.)• They continued the meeting until 11pm.• Please wait until I come.
up • Jack and Jill ran up the hill.• There is a post office up the street.
upon (formal) • Please don’t put your shoes upon the table.• There are now no dinosaurs upon Earth.• I need a book upon bio-chemistry.• We met upon a
Monday.• He broke his leg upon getting out of the car.

versus • He was the judge in the case of Gore versus Bush.• We should choose peace versus war.
via • We flew from Paris to Bangkok via Dubai.

with • Do you live with your parents?• He’s been with EnglishClub.com for two years.• I discussed it with her.• With your permission, I’d like to go.• If you mix
red with yellow you get orange.• Muriel is the girl with black hair.• Do you want to come with us?• I made this chair with my own hands.• You’ll forget her with
time.
within • There is a modem within the computer.• I will finish within 30 minutes.• He lives within 10 miles of his work.• It’s not within my power to help you.
without • I want trousers without buttons.• I came without my wife because she is working.• He watched without speaking.
worth • This car is worth $10,000.

Some grammars among simple prepositions distinguish so-called participle prepositions. Participle preposition is a participle (verb
forms ending with ‘-ing’, ‘-en’ or ‘-ed’), which also acts as a preposition. The prepositions assuming, barring, concerning, considering, during,
excluding, failing, following, including, involving, notwithstanding, pending, regarding, respecting are examples of -ing prepositions, while given, barred, granted,
provided are examples of -en and -ed prepositions. These prepositions are often difficult to identify because, at first, they look like
participle phrases. However, it is the role they carry out that distinguishes them. Upon closer examination, it could be seen that they
are used not in a verbal structure, but in a prepositional phrase structure. They will signal a forthcoming noun or its substitute.

Following the dinner, there will be a dance. The weeks following the riots were extremely tense. The dog kept following him home.
He has admitted committing several crimes, including two murders. Including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, I've got a week off work. All the neighbors were
there including the new one.
Considering the weather, we got here pretty quickly. His tact was exemplary, especially considering the circumstances. Considering his age, he did a great job.

Unlike simple prepositions, complex prepositions (also known as phrasal prepositions) consist of two to four words including at least
one simple preposition. For example, by way of looks like a combination of by way, and of + object. However, by way of should be
considered as a whole. In other words, a complex preposition is a word group which have a meaning that cannot be derived from the
meaning of the parts and which functions like an ordinary one-word preposition.

Complex prepositions can be divided into two groups: two-word complex prepositions (a word + a simple preposition), such as apart
from (also known as compound prepositions), and three-word and four-word complex prepositions (a simple preposition + a noun +
a simple preposition), such as by means of (also known as phrasal prepositions). The three-word and four-word prepositions are very
similar in structure, except that the four-word prepositions contains an article (the or a). Here is a relatively complete list of both types
(37+45).

Two-Word Complex Prepositions: 37 Total

1) according to, 2) adjacent to, 3) ahead of, 4) along with, 5) apart from, 6) as for, 7) as of, 8) as per, 9) as regards, 10) as to, 11) aside from, 12) away from,
13) because of, 14) but for, 15) close to, 16) contrary to, 17) due to, 18) except for, 19) far from, 20) in between, 21) inside of, 22) instead of, 23)
irrespective of, 24) next to, 25) opposite to, 26) out of, 27) outside of, 28) owing to, 29) pertaining to, 30) prior to, 31) pursuant to, 32) regardless of, 33)
subsequent to, 34) thanks to, 35) together with, 36) up against, 37) up to.

Three-Word and Four-Word Complex Prepositions: 45 Total

1) as a result of, 2) at the expense of, 3) by means of, 4) by virtue of, 5) by way of, 6) for the sake of, 7) in accordance with / to, 8) in addition to, 9) in back
of, 10) in case of, 11) in charge of, 12) in comparison with / to, 13) in common with, 14) in connection with / to, 15) in contact with, 16) in contrast with / to,
17) in exchange for, 18) in favor of, 19) in front of, 20) in lieu of, 21) in (the) light of, 22) in line with, 23) in need of, 24) in place of, 25) in the process of,
26) in reference to, 27) in regard to, 28) in relation to, 29) in respect to, 30) in return for, 31) in search of, 32) in spite of, 33) in terms of, 34) in view of, 35)
on account of, 36) on behalf of, 37) on the matter of, 38) on top of, 39) to the left of, 40) to the right of, 41) to the side of, 42) with reference to, 43) with

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 8

on account of, 36) on behalf of, 37) on the matter of, 38) on top of, 39) to the left of, 40) to the right of, 41) to the side of, 42) with reference to, 43) with
regard to, 44) with respect to, 45) with the exception of.

Phrasal prepositions are often symptoms of wordiness. For example, on top of and in spite of could usually be replaced with atop and
despite, and in regard to and with regard to could usually be replaced with regarding or about. Other phrasal prepositions are not
easily shortened. For example, there is no natural-sounding, briefer alternative to instead of. The wordy formulations are
characteristic of legalese and bureaucratese and often sound out of place in informal writing.Try to banish the compound preposition
from your style:

Compound Expression Simple Expression

at that point in time then
at this point in time now
by means of by
by reason of because of
by virtue of by, under
during the course of during
for the purposes of [+ noun] for the purposes of [+ gerund] for infinitive phrase
for the reason that because
from the point of view of from, for
in accordance with by, under
inasmuch as since
in a manner similar to like
in excess of more than, over
in favor of for
in order to to
in receipt of received
in relation to about, concerning
in routine fashion routinely
in terms of in
in the event that if
in the nature of like
in the immediate vicinity of near
in close proximity with near
on the basis of by, from
prior to before
pursuant to under, according to
similar to like
subsequent to after
with a view to to
with reference to about, concerning
with regard to about, concerning
with respect to on, about, for, in, concerning, with, to, or some verbal expression

There are several exceptions, however, where the complement is moved and the preposition is left stranded by itself. The stranding is
obligatory when the complement is transformed into the subject of the sentence:

Your case will soon be attended to.

This ball is for you to play with.
The picture is worth looking at.

In questions and relative clauses, the prepositional complement may be a pronoun or adverb that is fronted. In that case, the
preposition is normally stranded:

Who are you waiting for?

Where are you coming from?
I am the person (that) you are waiting for. (In relative clauses the pronoun may be omitted."

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Page 9