Monday, January 15, 2018

PREPOSITIONS 1

PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions are words which begin prepositional phrases.
prepositional phrase is a group of words containing a preposition, a noun or pronoun object of the preposition, and any modifiers of the object.
A preposition sits in front of (is “pre-positioned” before) its object.
The following words are the most commonly used prepositions:
about
below
excepting
off
toward
above
beneath
for
on
under
across
beside(s)
from
onto
underneath
after
between
in
out
until
against
beyond
in front of
outside
up
along
but
inside
over
upon
among
by
in spite of
past
up to
around
concerning
instead of
regarding
with
at 
despite
into
since
within
because of
down
like
through
without
before
during
near
throughout
with regard to
behind
except
of
to
with respect to
                                    
        
It is useful to locate prepositional phrases in sentences since any noun or pronoun within the prepositional phrase must be the preposition’s object and, therefore, cannot be misidentified as a verb’s direct object.

To the store is a prepositional phrase.
Store is the object of the preposition to, not the direct object of the verb drove.
           

Car is the direct object of the verb drove.
To the grocery store is a prepositional phrase.
           
NOTE:
A word that looks like a preposition but is actually part of a verb is called a particle.

Held up is a verb meaning “to rob.”
Therefore, up is not a preposition, and bank is not the object of a preposition.
Instead, bank is the direct object of the verb held up.

To avoid confusing prepositions with 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:

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

The resulting sentence does not make sense.  Therefore, up is a particle in this sentence. 
   
The following examples illustrate the difference between prepositions and particles:

    
Some other examples of particles:
give in
turn in
pull through
wore out
broke up
go in for
put in for
bring up
found out
blow up
look up
make up
look over

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