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CAT 2009 Online Preparation

A Closer Look at Prepositions

Author: lucyinthesky

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A Closer Look at Prepositions

A preposition is a part of speech. It links a noun, pronoun or phrase to other words in a sentence. They are the words that indicate location - whether it is a physical location or a location in time.

Physical location	The banana is on the floor. The banana is in the trash can. The banana is beside the apple.
Location in time	At noon, I'm going out for lunch. In the winter, I drive to work. During my fast, I was extremely hungry.

More examples of prepositions

above
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
in
out
near
next

about
according to
along
apart from
around
as
at
despite
during
in addition to
in case of
instead of
into

like
near
next
of
off
on
outside
over
past
regarding
round
since

through
throughout
till
to
toward
under
underneath
unlike
until
upon
with
within
without

The components of a preposition
When you're using a preposition, you're relating it to other words in the sentence. It's hard to say "in" if you don't know what the context is. What is in? What is this thing in? It's difficult unless you have other words. This string of words is called a prepositional phrase. Creating a prepositional phrase usually consists of:

preposition + optional modifiers + noun or pronoun

For example: "The kettle is below the stove."
In this sentence, below is the preposition which describes a physical location. The is a modifier which identifies which stove is being referred to. Stove is the noun which links the preposition. Therefore, the kettle is below the stove.

This is where it gets tricky…

For students, especially those who are learning English as a second language, prepositions can create many troubles.

You say you are at the hospital if you are visiting a friend. But if you say you are in the hospital, that means you are sick. You watch a movie at the movie theatre, but you watch a show on television.

You can lie in bed, but you lie on a couch. These tiny little prepositions can completely screw up your sentence and its meaning, although chances are people will still understand what you are trying to say.

Idiomatic Expressions which include Prepositions

you agree to a proposal, with a person, on a price
argue about a matter, with a person
correspond to a thing, with a person
differ from something, or differ with a person
live at an address, in a house or city, on a street, with other people

Prepositions of Time

AT
Use at to designate a specific time.
"The bus is coming at 12 o'clock."

ON
Use on to designate days and dates.
"My sister will be here on Friday."
"I'm having a party on December 5th."

IN
Use in when describing non-specific times during a day, month, year or season.
I prefer taking baths in the morning.
It gets really hot in the summer.
My brother was born in 1960.
I'm going to move to France in August.

Prepositions of Place

AT
Use at for specific addresses.
"I live at 23 Maple Drive."

ON
Use on to designate names of streets (less specific than at).
"I live on Maple Drive."

IN
Use in when describing areas of land - this includes towns, counties, cities, states, countries and continents.

"I live in New Delhi."
"New Delhi is in India."
"I was born in Canada."