Prepositions in English Grammar

Prepositions in English Grammar In English grammar, a preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Prepositions are words like in and out, above and below, and to and from,  and theyre words we use all the time. How useful are prepositions? Just look at how many prepositions are italicized in this simple sentence from E.B. Whites Charlottes Web: For  the first few days  of  his life, Wilbur was allowed to live  in  a box  near  the stove  in  the kitchen. Prepositions in English Grammar Prepositions are one of the basic  parts of speech  and are among the words that we use most when composing sentences. They are also a member of a closed word class, meaning  that it is very rare for a new preposition to enter the language. There are only about 100 of them in English. Prepositions often refer to location  (under  the table), direction (to  the south), or time (past  midnight). They can also be used to convey other relationships: agency (by), comparison (like, as . . . as), possession (of), purpose (for), or source (from, out of). Simple Prepositions Many prepositions are made up of only one word and are called  simple prepositions. These include short and very common words like  as, at, by, for, and of.  You also use prepositions such as about, between, into, like, onto, since, than, through, with, within, and without to show a relationship between words. There are many occasions where you might confuse prepositions. For example, sometimes it is difficult to know when you should use  in, into, on, or at.  This is because their meanings are very similar, so you have to look at the context of the sentence. Many prepositions have an opposite as well. For instance, you can use  before or after, inside or outside, off or on, over or under, and  up or down.   Quite a few prepositions express the relationship of things in space. Examples of these include aboard, across, amid, among, around, atop, behind, beneath, beside, beyond, near, over, round,  and upon. Prepositions can also refer to time. Among the most common are  after, before,  during, till,  and  until. Other prepositions have unique uses or can be used in multiple ways. Some of these include  about, against, along, despite, regarding, throughout, toward,  and  unlike. Complex Prepositions In addition  to  the simple prepositions, several word groups can perform the same grammatical function. These are called  complex prepositions. They are two- or three-word units that combine one or two simple prepositions with another word. Within this category, you have phrases like  in addition to  and such as.  Whenever you say  thanks to or in between, you are also using a complex preposition. Identifying Prepositional Phrases Prepositions are not in the habit of standing alone. A word group with a preposition at the head followed by an  object  (or  complement) is called a  prepositional phrase. The object of a preposition is typically a  noun  or  pronoun:  Gus put the horse  before the cart. Prepositional phrases add meaning to the nouns and verbs in sentences. They usually tell us  where, when,  or  how and the words of a prepositional phrase can often be rearranged. A prepositional phrase may do the work of an  adjective  and modify a noun:  The student  in the back row  began to snore loudly. It may also function as an  adverb  and modify a verb:  Buster fell asleep  during class. Learning to identify prepositional phrases is often a matter of practice. After some time you will come to realize how frequently we rely on them. Ending a Sentence With a Preposition You may have a heard the rule that you should never  end a sentence with a preposition. This is one of those rules that you dont have to put up with. It is based on the etymology of preposition, from the Greek for put in front, as well as a false analogy to Latin. As long ago as 1926, Henry Fowler dismissed the rule about preposition  stranding as a cherished superstition ignored by major writers from Shakespeare to Thackeray. In fact, in A Dictionary of Modern English Usage he said, the remarkable freedom enjoyed by English in putting its  prepositions  late and omitting its relatives is an important element in the flexibility of the language. Essentially, you can ignore this rule, and you can cite Fowler to anyone who tells you otherwise. Go ahead and end your sentence with a preposition if you want to. Prepositions Functioning as Another Part of Speech Just because you see one of the prepositions weve mentioned used, does not mean that they are being used as a preposition. It depends on the circumstances, and this is one of those tricky parts of the English language, so dont let these fool you. Certain prepositions (after, as, before, since, until) serve as  subordinating conjunctions  when theyre followed by a  clause: You better get out of town  before  sundown. (Before  is used as a preposition.)Many people run out of ideas long  before  they run out of words. (Before  is used as a conjunction.) Some prepositions (including  about, across, around, before, down, in, on, out,  and  up) also moonlight as  adverbs. These are sometimes called  prepositional adverbs  or  adverbial  particles. Beth walked  up  the driveway. (The preposition up is followed by the object.)Beth looked  up. (The prepositional adverb up  is modifying the verb looked.) Deverbal Prepositions Transitive prepositions that take the same form as -ing participles or -ed participles are called deverbal prepositions. It is a rather short list, but it is important to understand that these are also prepositions. according (to)allowing (for)barringconcerningcountingexceptingexcludingfailingfollowinggivengonegrantedincludingowing (to)pertaining (to)regardingrespectingsavingtouchingwanting Source: Fowler H.  A Dictionary of Modern English Usage. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 1965.