Using the preposition of in English. Other important prepositions in English
Prepositions in English are a service part of speech. They reflect temporal, spatial, causal or other types of relationships between two significant words. In Russian, cases are used for these purposes, while in English, word order and prepositions are used to construct constructions. You should study the rules for using prepositions in English in order to correctly compose sentences.
All English prepositions can be divided into:
- Simple or simple;
- Compound or complex;
- Derived or production;
- Composite or composite.
The vast majority of prepositions have the Simple form. These include, for example, against (against, with, on, to, under), the preposition in (in, for, by, on, with), about (about, about, on, about, about).
Compound includes several components. These include whereupon (after which, as a result of which), within (in, inside).
Derived come from words of other parts of speech. These include, for example, concerning (about, on).
Composite uses when forming phrases. They consist of a word from another part of speech and one or two prepositions. These include, for example, because of (due to), with regard to (in relation). Any element of a compound preposition cannot be shortened or expanded - it is a single whole unit. The meaning of Composite is directly dependent on the significant word included in its composition.
Adverbs and prepositions in English
Some English prepositions have the same spelling as adverbs. They can be distinguished from each other only by the role they play in the design. Adverbs carry their own meaning and in some cases define the verb. In addition, adverbs, as a rule, receive logical stress. Prepositions only reflect the relationships between significant parts of speech.
To better understand the difference, consider an example:
The guests were led above. – The guests were taken upstairs. In this case, above is an adverb, since it has its own meaning and answers the question “where?”
There is only clear sky above me. “Above me there is only clear sky.” In this case, we will use above as a preposition, since it expresses the spatial relationship between 2 words.
Grammatical meaning
As mentioned above, English uses prepositions instead of cases. In this case, they are not translated, and the noun to which the preposition refers is placed in the required case.
Preposition of– corresponds to the genitive case (“whom? what?”). For example, This is the hat of Mr. Brown. - This is Mr. Brown's hat.
Preposition to– corresponds to the dative case (“to whom? to what?”). For example, You should give such a difficult task to a more experienced specialist. – You should give such a complex task to a more experienced specialist.
Preposition by answers the questions “by whom? how?". This is the active instrumental case. Nouns that are used in conjunction with this preposition are used to describe an actor or force that performs actions. For example, This book is written by a famous journalist. — This book was written by a famous journalist.
Preposition with answers the question “with what?”. This is the instrumental instrumental case. The noun with which this preposition is used characterizes the instrument of action. For example, Such toys are cut with a knife. – Such toys are cut out with a knife.
Preposition about– corresponds to the prepositional case (“about whom? about what?”). For example, Anna likes stories about spies. – Anna likes stories about spies.
The semantic meaning of prepositions
Some prepositions of the English language have several meanings, these include the prepositions in, to, at. And others, on the contrary, have only one, for example, till, among.
However, the same verbs in combination with different prepositions also have different meanings. For example, let's take the preposition to before verbs in English: to look for – “to search” and to look after – “to look after”.
Prepositions can have the following meanings, presented in the table below:
| Used values | Design in English | Translation |
| Attitude of isolation | to tell something from something | distinguish something from something |
| The meaning of the course of action | in a positive way | Optimistic |
| Similarity relation | You are like me. | You look like me. |
| Goals | I did it just for entertainment. | I did this just for fun. |
| The meaning of relativity | He is very smart for a kid. | He is very smart for a child. |
| Temporary relationships | after sunrise | after dawn |
| Relationship relationship | to take part in the contest | to take part in the competition |
| Causal relationships | dislike someone for being a coward | not loving someone because of their cowardice |
| Attitude to the field of activity | But I sing terrible!! | But I sing terribly! |
| Spatial relationships, including the meaning of movement | up the stream | upstream |
| Object relation (what the action is directed towards) | shout at somebody | yell at someone |
| Meaning of concession | in spite of bad weather | despite the bad weather |
| Origin, material | A table made of glass. | Glass table. |
| Relations corresponding to the instrumental case in Russian. A noun with the preposition by is used to describe an actor or force, with a preposition with - an instrument of action | Such kind of painting must be executed with a thin brush. This project was developed by one of our managers. |
This type of painting is done with a thin brush. This project was developed by one of our managers. |
| The meaning of belonging or being part of something | a decline in sales | decline in sales |
| Definition value | people under threat | people are under threat |
Where should the preposition appear in the sentence?
Typically, a preposition that expresses the relationship between 2 words comes between them.
For example: He plans to return in October. – He plans to return in October.
If there are one or more adjectives, a preposition is placed before them. This is the basic rule for how adjectives and prepositions are used:
For example: She is sitting under a big old apple tree. “She’s sitting under a big old apple tree.”
However, there are exceptions to this rule:
- Special questions when the preposition is at the end of the sentence. For example, Who am I supposed to send it to? - Who should I send this to? But some people want to put a preposition before a question word. This is necessary to give the design a more official sound. For example, To whom am I supposed to send it? – Who should I send this to? Both options are composed correctly.
- In subordinate clauses with prepositions and in sentences that begin with relative and conjunctive pronouns. For example, What I’m really surprised about is this nasty weather. – What I'm really surprised about is this terrible weather.
- In passive designs. For example, This problem must be taken care of. – This problem needs to be solved.
- In exclamatory sentences. For example, What a terrible thing to brag about! -What a terrible thing to show off!
- In some constructions with a gerudium or an infinitive. For example, He is impossible to work with. “It’s impossible to work with him.” It's a too noisy place to live in. “This is too noisy a place to live.”
Prepositions in English are quite easy to remember, and the rules of use are clear to everyone.
Common prepositions and how they are used
Below we will look at the most common prepositions and in what meaning they should be used.
The first meaning of the preposition is place. For example, Jack is at school now. Jack is at school now.
The preposition at, used in English, can have the meaning of time. For example, We will be back at 5 p.m. – We will be back at 5 pm.
The preposition on can be used to indicate place. For example, I love fresh snow on the ground. – I love fresh snow on the ground.
Used to indicate time. For example, They forecast sunny weather on Tuesday. – Sunny weather is predicted for Tuesday.
And also for on in English they are used to indicate the scope of activity. For example, After a short speech on modern ecology problems Mr. Litz answered several questions. – After a short speech on the topic of modern environmental problems, Mr. Litz answered several questions.
Belongs to the group “prepositions of place”. For example, I saw the remote in my room. – I saw the TV remote control in my room.
The preposition can also mean geographical location, but unlike at, which means a point on a map, in in English is used when talking about a large area with houses and streets.
For comparison:
We had a change of plane at Budapest on our way to Roma. – On the way to Rome we had a transfer in Budapest.
Pete lives in New York. – Pete lives in New York.
It is advisable to use these prepositions in English to indicate time. It is worth noting that in means a somewhat extended time period. For example, Gorky park is so beautiful in October. – Gorky Park is so beautiful in October. Here it is worth drawing a parallel with at, denoting a specific point in time. For example, We leave at 6 o’clock. – We leave at 6 o’clock.
The use of this preposition is advisable when it is necessary to indicate the topic of conversation. For example, I would like to tell you about the harm of smoking. – I would like to tell you about the dangers of smoking.
And also to indicate the direction or place where you should move. For example: Walk about the square and meet me in 10 minutes. – Walk around the square and meet me in 10 minutes.
If a rough estimate is given, this preposition is also used. For example, It must be about 2 o’clock. It should be about 2 o'clock now.
This preposition conveys the meaning “above or above.” For example, Our neighbor above is so loud. “Our upstairs neighbor is so loud.”
Its second meaning is “more than and above.” For example, Above 2000 visitors took part in the expo. – More than 2,000 visitors took part in the exhibition.
This preposition is the opposite of Above and means “below, under.” For example, I love flying on airplanes and seeing only clouds below me. – I love flying on airplanes and seeing only clouds below me.
The preposition is used when talking about time in the sense of “after.” For example, After we finish packing the furniture it must be loaded on the truck. “After we finish packing the furniture, it will need to be loaded onto the truck.
It also belongs to the group of “prepositions of place” and is used in the meaning “behind something or someone.” For example, Don’t run, the dogs will run after us. “Don’t run, otherwise the dogs will run after us.”
The preposition is the antonym of After and serves to indicate time in English in the sense of “before, before”, for example, You must tell me a tale before I go to sleep. - Before I go to bed, you must tell me a story. And also to indicate a place in the meaning of “before”, for example, You keep stopping before each shop window. – You always stop in front of every shop window.
A preposition that corresponds to an active force or person. In other words, it plays the role of the agentive instrumental case in the Russian language. For example, This violin was made by a famous master. – This violin was made by a famous master.
It can mean a period after which some action must be performed. For example, The plane will land by midnight. — The plane will land before midnight.
The preposition is also used when talking about a way or means of doing some work. For example, I’ve started my business by selling oranges. – I started my business selling oranges.
In addition, the preposition can mean place in the sense of “near, at, near.” For example, I know a lovely place by the lake nearby. I know a wonderful place near a lake nearby.
The preposition for is used to mean “for” when talking about any goal. For example, We’ve decorated the room for your return! – We decorated the room for your return!
Used when talking about compensation or price. For example, You did not even thank us for all our help. – You didn’t even thank us for all our help. You must pay for the dinner in Euros. – You must pay for lunch in euros.
A preposition is used when talking about a reason. For example, You were fired for always coming late. – You were fired for constantly being late.
When they talk about time in the sense of “during.” For example, I was on vacation for the last 2 weeks. - I spent the last 2 weeks on vacation.
A preposition is used when talking about an object in whose favor a certain action was performed. For example, I voted for another candidate. – I voted for another candidate.
This preposition belongs to a group called “prepositions of movement in English”. It is used when talking about the direction of action in the sense of “from whom or from where.” For example, I did not hear from him for 8 years. – I haven’t heard anything about him for the last 8 years.
It is also possible to use this preposition when we are talking about the starting moment of performing an action. For example, This bank is working from 10 to 16. – This bank is open from 10 to 16 hours.
This preposition acts as the genitive case and answers the questions “whom?” what?" and is not translated into Russian. For example, This is the dictionary of our teacher. – This is our teacher’s dictionary.
In addition, a preposition can highlight one object from a group. For example, One of your children has broken my window. - One of your children broke my window.
It is also suitable for use when talking about materials. For example, Such huts are made of clay. “Such huts are built from clay.
This preposition corresponds to the dative case in Russian and can mean direction. For example, Throw the ball to me! - Throw me the ball!
We have looked at the rules and use of basic English prepositions. To consolidate the material, you should independently compose several sentences with each preposition. In this way, you can learn to accurately use and place prepositions.
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In English, the role of prepositions is more important than in Russian, since in English these small words are entrusted with the huge task of not only managing and coordinating between words in a sentence, but also playing the role of cases, which, oddly enough, they cope with very well.
There is also some correspondence between the cases of the Russian language and the prepositions of the English language. Of course, they are not identical, but the analogy is already good. Preposition of- one of the most important prepositions. This preposition is an indicator of the genitive case. If it comes before a noun, then when translating we put the noun in the genitive case (if you forgot, it answers the question of who? what?). In addition to the genitive case indicator, it also performs other functions. Preposition of used:
1) after words denoting quantity;
2) in combinations “who of …”, “none of …”, “many of …” in the role of “from”;
Which of them is our president?- Which one is our president?
None of Germans like frost.- None of the Germans like frost.
3) usually neighbors and cooperates with out;
He went out of the room.- He left the room.
The driver got out of the car and started running round it.- The driver jumped out of the car and ran around it.
4) is used when talking about the origin of the nobility, in the meaning of “from.”
I know that noble knight. He is Sir Charles of Perigord and Lavendor.- I know this noble knight. This is Sir Charles of Périgord and Lavendor.
Here is a series of expressions with the preposition of:
a bar of chocolate - chocolate bar
a slice of sausage - a piece of sausage (cut off)
a piece of chalk - a piece of chalk
a sheet of paper - sheet of paper
a lump of sugar - a piece of sugar
a bit of information - piece (bit) of information
a pair of gloves - a pair of gloves
a can of meat - can (American: tin) of meat
a tin of fish - a can (Br.: can) of fish
a box of cereal - box of cereal
a bottle of milk - a bottle of milk
a pint of beer - a pint of beer
a bunch of grapes - a bunch of grapes
a loaf of bread - a loaf of bread
a jar of honey - jar (glass) of honey
a tube of mustard - a tube of mustard
a pound of potatoes - a pound of potatoes
a kilo of apricots - a kilo of apricots
a cup of coffee - a cup of coffee
a glass of water - glass of water
a group of students - group of students
a pack of wolves - a pack of wolves
a team of workers - team (team) of workers
Above you got acquainted with the accepted measures, volumes and units of measurement of various nouns. And of is present everywhere. Below is another list. This time words denoting quantity.
a great (good) deal of - large quantity (uncountable)
a lot of, lots of - a lot (countable and non-countable)
a great (large, small) amount of - large (small) amount (uncountable)
a great (large, small) number of - large (small) quantity (inc.)
plenty of - set (countable and uncountable)
a couple of - pair (original)
I would also like to mention combinations of cardinal numerals and plural nouns. In this form, they also cannot imagine their own existence without of:
hundreds of men and women- hundreds of men and women
thousands of slaves- thousands of slaves
millions of books- millions of books
billions of years- billions of years
Why I love English prepositions is the ability to completely change the meaning of the main word with the help of one small word. It was "watch" ( look at), and it became:
. "search" ( look for)
. "to have an opinion" ( look upon)
. "take care" ( look after)
. "forgive" ( look over)
. "track" ( look to).
Juggling English prepositions is aerobatics. If you learn this art, you will enrich your vocabulary and create a buzz of approval with your speech.
Many students of English treat prepositions with some arrogance, believing that it is like a student repeating the English alphabet at night. Underestimated. But in vain. Yes, prepositions are considered auxiliary, they don’t answer any questions, but they allow you to get different meanings from the same verb, form cases (yes, the same ones that exist in Russian) and do other interesting things. There is only one problem: there are a LOT of prepositions in the English language. But this does not mean that you need to learn them all right here and now. It is enough just to know the basic ones, as well as understand the division into groups.
Let’s not waste time on the fact that prepositions can be simple, monosyllabic, polysyllabic, consisting of several words, blah blah blah. Let's get straight to the point and provide not only tables of prepositions in English, but also visual examples in pictures. We will also look at the use of prepositions using examples.
1. Prepositions of place and direction (spatial)
2. Prepositions are temporary
Let's look at the most basic ones: about, after, at, during, for, in, on, till, within.
| about | about (approximately, roughly) | It's about 6 p.m. (It's about 6 pm now) |
| after | after | Summer comes after spring. (Summer comes after spring) |
| at | V | Let's meet at 10 a.m. (Meet me at 10 am) |
| during | during | She was sleeping during the whole lesson. (She slept throughout the lesson) |
| for | during | He laughed for 5 minutes. (He laughed for 5 minutes) |
| in | through | I'll be home in 10 minutes. (I'll be home in 10 minutes) |
| on | By | I usually go shopping on Fridays. (I usually go shopping on Fridays) |
| till | before | I won't go shopping till Sunday. (I won't go shopping until Sunday) |
| within | during, for | You must do it within a month. (You must do this in a month) |
3. Causal prepositions
because of- because;
on account of- as a result, because of;
thanks to- thanks to;
in accordance with- according to, in accordance with.
As you can see, the same preposition can be in different groups (for example, in or on can be both temporal and spatial). Moreover, if you open any dictionary (well, at least Yandex) and select any preposition, you will be surprised by the number of meanings. Let's say the most frequently used English preposition to can have 13 values (don't be lazy, take a look).
Let's talk a little about the nuances before inviting you to go into battle in the "tests" section, where the first linguistic tests of knowledge of prepositions await you.
Sing the prepositions!
Yes, yes, just sing or even read. When you are familiar with the basic prepositions, try yourself in the role of Eminem, Timati or any rapper you like. Still lacking an idea for a text? Mix prepositions! Knowing small and remote prepositions is very cool. Make sure of this by watching the video and feeling like a rising rap star.
ENGLISH PREPOSITIONS AND RUSSIAN CASES. Let's remember the second grade.
Genitive case (of whom? what?) - preposition of
Show me the plan of the house.
Dative case (to whom? what?) - preposition to
Give it to me.
Accusative case (who? what?) - without preposition
Give me a pen.
Instrumental case (by whom? with what?) - preposition with
She was cutting the letter with scissors.
Prepositional case (about whom? about what?) - preposition about
Don't speak about me.
PLACE OF PREPOSITION IN A SENTENCE
Every excuse, know its place!
In general, a preposition is supposed to be placed BEFORE a noun or pronoun (if the noun has an article or attribute, then it cannot be broken)
Put the book onthetable.
Give it to me.
The shop is behind green house.
You must do it with in two months.
In interrogative sentences (which begin with what, where, etc.) the preposition is placed at the end:
What city do you live in?
Who are you waiting for?
The remaining cases are associated with the use of prepositions in subordinate clauses and passive constructions. All this will be more relevant to study in the “Syntax” section.
It is very useful to learn tablets where the preposition has already merged with a specific noun. Useful in everyday communication.
| by | By mistake By accident By chance By the way By bus/train/car Day by day Step by step |
by mistake accidentally accidentally By the way by bus/train/car day after day step by step |
| for | For a walk/dance/drink/swim For breakfast/dinner |
go for a walk/dance/drink/swim for breakfast/lunch |
| in | In fact In case In the future In love In time In the morning/evening/afternoon |
In fact when in future in love during morning/evening/afternoon |
| on | On television On holiday/a trip On foot |
on TV on vacation/trip on foot |
| at | At home/work At night At present |
at home/at work at night Now |
By the way, about the last three prepositions. They won a special place in the sun and formed their own caste - prepositions of place. Why it is necessary to collect a dossier on them, no less than on a counterintelligence agent, will be told and proven by someone specially dedicated to them.
Just valuable advice: since it is impossible (and not necessary) to learn ALL prepositions at first, when you write out another new verb from the dictionary, mark yourself with at least 2 options with different prepositions.
For example:
Put- put
Put on- bet on (someone, something)
Put across- deceive
When this becomes a habit, one day you will be pleased to discover that the use of the verb comes out masterfully: in different meanings according to the situation. This will decorate your speech and get rid of all sorts of pauses and “mmm”, “uh”, “ahh”. In the meantime, the problem exists, you need to solve it, starting with passing a thematic test on prepositions.
Have you sorted the predogs into shelves in your head? Even the Sun has spots, so we suggest once again (which is not superfluous) to go through the prepositions by watching a video lesson on the topic. After viewing and several years of practice, you can safely assign yourself the honorary title of “guru”.
Use of prepositions - Use of prepositions in English
The main three categories of prepositions according to lexical meaning (use):
1. Prepositions of time
2. Prepositions of place
3. Prepositions of direction
In its pure form, there are practically no only prepositions of time, place or direction. The lexical meaning of a preposition directly depends on its position in a sentence, so in most cases the same preposition can have two or more lexical meanings.
Table of prepositions in English
Table of lexical meaning (use) of English prepositions
| Pretext |
Lexical meaning of preposition |
Example | Translation | |
|
at
[æt] |
time | in (in hours and minutes) | He came at 5 o"clock. | He came V five hours. |
| place | on, at, around | You can buy the cabbage at the market. | You can buy cabbage on market. | |
| Let's meet at the car. | Let's meet at/near cars. | |||
|
on
[?n] |
time | in (in days and dates) | We will visit Donald on Friday. | We'll visit Donald V Friday. |
| place | on | The TV remote control is on the sofa. | The TV remote is lying on sofa | |
| about any topic | oh oh | I like magazines on fishing. | I love magazines O fishing. | |
|
in
[?n] |
time | in (in months and years); after (after a certain period of time) | Dorothy was born in June. | Dorothy was born V June. |
| The examination will start in three hours. | The exam will begin through three hours, three o'clock. | |||
| place | V | Mr. Milton is not in the office at the monent. | At this time Mr Milton is not V office. | |
|
to
|
direction | in, on; to (where?) | They are going to the theatre. | They are coming V theater. |
| Philip is walking to work. Note: The word home is used without the preposition to. Philip is going home. |
Philip is coming on work. Philip goes home. |
|||
| She is coming to his car. | She comes up To your car. | |||
| Without translation | Give this pen to me. | Give me this pen ( to whom?) to me. | ||
|
into [??ntu?] |
direction | in (inside) | We are coming into the flat. | We're coming in V apartment. |
|
from
|
||||
| direction | from , from , from | My father is coming back from the theatre. | My father is coming back from theater | |
| Sylvia is coming back from work. | Sylvia returns With work. | |||
| Samuel is coming back from his friends. | Samuel returns from friends. | |||
| from | I have got a reprimand from the chief. I have got a letter from Lewis. What do you want from me? |
I was reprimanded from boss I received a letter from Lewis. What do you want from me? |
||
|
before
|
place | before, before | Lewis left the room before John. | Lewis left the room before John. |
|
until till [?n?t?l] |
time | before | She won't come back till the end of the month. | She won't come back before end of the month. |
|
about
[??ba?t] |
time | near | Walter returns home at about seven o'clock in the evening. | Walter returns home near seven o'clock in the evening. |
| place | about, around | Harry is wandering about the house. | Harry wanders around/near Houses. | |
| O | We are talking about a new movie. | We are talking O new movie. | ||
|
for
|
time | during | Nicole has been learning Spanish for two years. | Nicole is learning Spanish during two years. |
| direction | V ; to/without translation | The train left for London one hour ago. | The train has left V London an hour ago. | |
| My son has gone for a walk. | My son is gone on walk/( Where?) walk. | |||
| dative case in Russian (to whom?, to what?) | for /without translation | I have bought a gift for my girlfriend. | I bought a gift For his girlfriend/( to whom?) to his girlfriend. | |
|
of
[?v] |
genitive case in Russian (whom?, what?) | Without translation | Malcolm was invited for a meeting of ex classmates. | Malcolm was invited to a meeting ( whom?) former classmates. |
| prepositional case in Russian (about whom?, about what?) | o | We are talking of a new movie. | We are talking O new movie. | |
|
with
|
instrumental case in Russian (with whom?, with what?) | s/so ; together with/with | My husband is flying to Spain with his colleagues next week. | My husband is flying to Spain with/together with his colleagues next week. |
| An action occurs with/with the help of something. | Without translation | I moved the cabinet with my hands. | I moved the closet ( how?/How?) by hand. | |
| Actions come from/because of something. | from, with | She has turned pale with fear. | She turned pale from/with fear. | |
| The teacher widely opened his eyes with amazement. | The teacher opened his eyes wide from surprise. | |||
|
by
|
place | at /near (with) /near /about | Joseph stood for a while by the door and knocked. | Joseph stood for a while time near/at/near door and knocked. |
| instrumental case in Russian (by whom?, what?) This includes cases where an action is performed in a certain way. |
Without translation; with/without translation | Recently I have read a book that is written by a very famous writer. | I recently read a book written by a very famous writer. | |
| Her mother prefers traveling by car. | Her mother prefers to travel on car/( How?) car. | |||
|
after
[???ft?(r)] |
time | after | Isabel usually walks after breakfast. | Isabella usually walks after breakfast. |
|
since
[s?ns] |
time | With | Daniel has been learning Chinese since he graduated from school | Daniel is learning Chinese With graduation. |
|
during
[?dj??r??] |
time | in continuation, during. The use of this preposition in the lexical meaning of time resembles the preposition for. The difference is that for indicates the duration of an event, while during indicates the period of time during which the action occurred. |
Mark was sleeping during the film. | Mark was sleeping during film. |
|
between
|
place | between | My house is between the grocer and the parking. | My house is located between grocery store and parking. |
|
near nearby / [?n??(r)?ba?] |
place | about, near, at | My house is nearby the parking. | My home is near/at /near parking. |
|
in front of
[?n fr?nt ?v] |
place |
in front, opposite, in front | A school bus stopped in front of my house. | The school bus stopped against of my house/ before my home. |
|
behind
|
place | behind, behind, behind, after | He is behind the door. | He behind the door |
| Sharon is walking behind us. | Sharon is coming behind/behind us. | |||
| I am behind the woman in this queue. | I am standing behind woman/ behind women in this line. | |||
|
across
[??kr?s] |
place | through | Why is your dog looking across the road so wary? | Why is your dog staring? through the road so warily? |
|
above
[??b?v] |
place | above, above | There are thousands of dragonflies above our heads. | They fly over our heads thousands dragonflies |
| Neighbors above we are Portuguese migrants. | Neighbours above we are migrants from Portugal. | |||
|
over
[???v?(r)] |
place | above | Look! Our aircraft is flying over the sea. | Look! Our plane is flying by above by sea! |
|
under
[??nd?(r)] |
place | under | My dog likes sleeping under the table. | My dog loves to sleep under table |
|
below
|
place | under, below | Her flat is below Michael's. | Her apartment is located under apartment/below Michael's apartment. |
|
along
[??l??] |
place | along, along | Anthony is driving along the highway. | Anthony is coming By/along highway. |
|
round around / [??ra?nd] |
place | behind, around | Robbers turned round the corner. | The robbers turned the corner. |
| Alan is driving around the parking looking for some free place. | Alan rides around parking, looking for free space. |
|||
|
past
|
place | by | Lewis went past a flower shop and didn't buy flowers. | I passed by flower shop and didn't buy flowers. |
|
through
[θru?] |
place | through, through | Postman pushed the letter through the door gap. | The postman slipped a letter through/through door crack. |
|
out of
|
direction | from | Ann has just gone out of the room. | Ann just left from rooms. |
As you can see, prepositions in English- It is not so difficult.
Almost everyone who begins to learn a language encounters difficulties using English prepositions.
The fact is that when using English prepositions, very often we adhere to “Russian logic” and translate them literally. Because of this, we make a lot of mistakes.
In this article I will talk about 4 groups of English prepositions:
- prepositions of place,
- prepositions of direction,
- prepositions of time,
- prepositions of reason.
Prepositions of direction in English
Prepositions of direction are used to show the direction of movement of a person or object.
For example: “She left the house.”
| Pretext | Translation | Usage | Example | |
| Across | through |
Someone is moving from one side of something to the other. |
He was swimming across the river. |
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| Along | along, along | To go forward in the direction of the length of something. | Go straight along this street. Walk straight along this street. |
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| Down | down | Move from a high position to a lower one. | We skied down the slope. We skied down the slope. |
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| Up | up | Move from a low position to a higher one. | We are walking up stairs We go up the stairs. |
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| Round/around | around | Move in a circle, surround something. | They danced around a fir-tree. They danced around the Christmas tree. |
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| Into | V | To get inside something, to go somewhere. | She came into the building. She entered the building. |
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| Out (of) | from | To come out from somewhere, to move from the inside out. |
He went out of a restaurant. He left the restaurant. |
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| Through | through, through | From one side (entrance) move to the other side (exit). |
We will walk through the forest. |
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| To | To | Used to say where someone is going, towards what they are moving towards. | They are going to the cinema. They are going to the cinema. |
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Prepositions of time in English
Prepositions of time we need to indicate the time when something happened/is happening/will happen.
For example: “She will finish work before 5 pm.”
Let's look at the table of usage of these prepositions.
| Pretext | Translation | Usage | Example | |
| For | during |
Used to say how long an action or situation lasts. |
She was baking the cake for an hour. |
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| During | during, throughout | Indicates that an action or situation continued from the beginning to the end of a period of time. | They were studying during the night. They studied all night. |
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| Since | since then | We use it when we say that something is happening or has happened since a certain period of time in the past. | He has known her since childhood. He has known her since childhood. |
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| By | To | Indicates that an action will occur before or not later than a certain time or moment. | You have to send me the documents by the Friday. You need to send me the documents by Friday. |
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| Until/till | before | We use this word when something happens for a certain time and then stops. | Let's wait until Monday. Let's wait until Sunday. |
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| From...to | From to… | We use it when we say that something happened from one time period to another. | We work from nine to five. We work from nine to five. |
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| Before | before | We use it when we say that something happened before a certain action or event. |
Read instructions before use. |
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| After | after | We use it when we say that something happened after some event or after someone did something. |
You should rest after the exercise. |
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| Over | for, during | Used when you have been doing something (intermittently) for a period of time. | I am going to study English over my holidays. I'm going to study English during my holidays. |
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| Ago | back | Used to show how long ago something happened in the past. | They got married 5 years ago. They got married 5 years ago. |
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| Within | no later than; during |
Used when we say that an action must take place before a certain period of time occurs. We emphasize the limited period. | I will answer within three days. I will respond within three days. |
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| Up to | before | We say that something happened/is happening before a certain period. | He has kept the secret up to now. He kept this secret until this time. |
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| In | V | Used with months, with time of day, with years, with seasons, with long periods of time. | We met in 2001. We met in 2001. |
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| At | V | Used with clocks, with certain moments of the day, with weekends and holidays. | She will come at 6 o'clock. She will arrive at 6 o'clock. |
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| On | V | Used with dates, days of weeks, and special dates. | He was born on October 9. He was born on October 9th. |
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Prepositions of reason and purpose
Prepositions of reason and purpose we need to say why or why an action occurred.
For example: “She didn’t come because she was sick.”
Here are the main prepositions of this group.
| Pretext | Translation | Usage | Example | |
| Because of | Because, because of |
Used to say who or what causes something to happen or is the cause of something. Most often used in colloquial speech. |
He was absent because of illness. He left because of you. |
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| In accordance with | In accordance with, according to | Used when something happens according to a rule or law. |
We have finished the work in accordance with her instructions. In accordance with the law I have prepared a contract. In accordance with the law, I prepared a contract. |
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| On account of | As a result, due to | We use it when we say that something happened because of something. Especially due to some problems or difficulties. |
We couldn't sleep on account of the noise. The bus was delayed on account of a snowfall. |
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| Thanks to | Thanks, because | We use it when something happened because of someone or something. Most often it's something good. |
We have tickets to the game thanks to you. I found this apartment thanks to my friend. I found this apartment thanks to my friend. |
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| Due to | Because of, thanks | Used when something happened because of something (often with a negative connotation). Mostly used in formal, formal occasions. | The plane was delayed due to a technical problem. Due to a technical problem, the flight was delayed. The game was postponed due to rain. |
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| Through | Thanks, because | Used when something happens because of something. | I lost the picnic through
sickness I missed the picnic due to illness. He failed his exams through not studying enough. |
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| From | By, from |
Used to say why you think or believe something. Also used to say what causes something. |
I guessed from her accent that she is French. From what I"ve heard, the new exam will be more difficult. |
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| Of | From, because of, by | Shows the reason why something (usually bad) happened. |
The economy is the cause of the crisis. He died of a heart attack. |
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| For | For, for, because of |
We use it when we say that we do/use something for a specific purpose. Also when something happens because of or as a result of something. |
I have bought him a cake for his birthday. I bought him a cake for his party. We could hardly see for the mist. |
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So now you are familiar with English prepositions. Let's consolidate their use in practice.
Reinforcement task
Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments.
1. Cat in a box.
2. They walked along the street.
3. She was late because of the traffic jam.
4. The meeting will begin at 7 o'clock.
5. The ball is under the sofa.