PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions are mostly small single words used before a noun (at home), a noun phrase
(across the river) or a pronoun (for you). They may also consist of two or more words acting as
a single preposition called compound preposition (according to, due to, instead of) . The
prepositions are used to form relationships between the nouns and other words in a sentence by
linking them.
  There are many prepositions, most of which are single-word such
as above, along, behind, from, near, of, on, since, to,until, and with.
 A preposition is followed by a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun, each of which becomes the object
of the preposition. Only the noun can be the object; other parts of speech such as verb, adjective,
or adverb cannot be the object. 
 
 Examples:

o We woke up before sunrise.

(The noun sunrise is the object of the preposition before.)
o We often stroll along the beach.
(The noun phrase the beach is the object of the preposition along.)
o She waved to him.  
(The pronoun him is the object of the preposition to.)

 Sentence without preposition is meaningless. 

Prepositions are one of the eight parts of speech. It plays an important role in
forming relationship between words in a sentence. Without it, sentences become meaningless.
 
Examples:

o With preposition: Her mother is in the hospital.

o Without preposition: Her mother is the hospital.

o With preposition: I'm flying to London tomorrow.

o Without preposition: I'm flying London tomorrow. (London is a kite?) 

 
 
 
Removal of preposition
Sometimes a preposition does not form a necessary part of a sentence. It can be removed without
affecting the meaning of the sentence
 
 
Examples:

o You can go if you want to.

o You can go if you want.

o There is nothing to be afraid of.

o There is nothing to be afraid.

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Different types of prepositions

The different types of prepositions are used to provide us with different information with regards
to time (prepositions of time), place (prepositions of place), and direction (prepositions of
movement). Besides these three, there are others: prepositions of manner and prepositions of
cause and reason. The same preposition however can be used for the different divisions into
time, place and direction.
 
 
Different prepositions used to show time or place or direction.
Examples:

o I shall meet you at 2 o’clock tomorrow. (Indicates time: at 2 o’clock)

o The kettle is on the table. (Indicates a place or position: on the table)
o We walked to/towards the cinema. (Indicates direction: to/towards the cinema)

 
 

Same preposition used to show time or place or direction

Examples:

o I shall meet you at 2 o’clock on Sunday. (Indicates time)

o We will wait for you at the entrance to the cave. (Indicates place)
o A stranger pointed at the moon. (Indicates direction)

Prepositions of direction indicate that something is headed for or directed to

somewhere. Prepositions of direction include prepositions such as into,
on, onto, through, to, toward.  
Examples:

o We watched the bus disappear into the tunnel.

o A fly settled on my bread while I was eating it..
o My mom must have put the pumpkin onto someone else’s trolley in the
supermarket.
o The bullet had gone through his head, but he survived.
o The teacher has gone to the loo again.
o The snake slithered toward the bullfrog..

 
 

These prepositions show direction of movement from somewhere, and some of the
prepositions used here are away from, from, off, out. 
Examples:

o He warned them to keep away from his apple tree..

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o Two tigers walking around are reported to have escaped from the circus..
o The strong wind blew the wig off his head.
o Everyone ran out the door when the fire started. 

Prepositions of manner 
Prepositions of manner are about the way something happens or how something is
done. They often use the word by. Some examples of preposition of manner
are by, in, like, on and with.
 
 Examples:

o We couldn't afford to go there by taxi.

o The supplies were dropped by parachutes.
o He fell in his dash for the finishing line.
o Many say he laughs like a hyena.
o The tourists arrived on the island on a hovercraft.
o She reacted with anger to what he said.
 
 

Prepositions of cause and effect

Prepositions of cause and effect or reason are used to express the cause of
something or the reason that something happens, and the effect it has on another thing.
Some examples of these prepositions which include compound prepositions most
commonly used are: 
as, as a result (of), because (of), consequently, due to, for, from, hence, on
account of, since, therefore, and through.
 
Examples:
o As a result of 
o He cannot play football because of his swollen leg.
o The quarrel was due to the rudeness on both sides.
o They divorced for many reasons..
o Businesses don’t succeed from luck alone.
o She doesn’t eat much on account of her acute depression.

A simple preposition is a one-word preposition. A preposition can also come in a two-

word or a three-word combination, which is called a compound preposition. A
compound preposition functions as a single preposition. It consists of two words such
as according to, because of, different from, due to, andinstead of. Examples of
three-word compound prepositions areas far as, in addition to, in front of, and in
spite of.
 
There are words that are used only as prepositons as shown in the following table.
 
against concerning onto
amid despite toward
among during towards
at from unto

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bar into upon
beside of with
 
 
One-word prepositions: 
 
Examples:
o The children were against their mother riding a camel since she is allergic to
camel’s hair.
o There was a single duck amid a brood of chickens. 
o The mother called the three sons to divide the pizza among them.
o She began to think of getting married at the age of thirteen.
o Six cats slept atop a three-metre wall.
o She has eaten all my grapes, bar one. (bar = except for) 
o She was sure someone stood beside her but didn’t appear on the photo.
o He went to catch crabs in the dark and despite the weather..
o He got into a fight with the coach driver during the trip.
o He began to sing aloud from an old songbook.
o Most of his personal belongings including his pet goose were destroyed in the
fire.
o This is the third time my grandfather walked into me when he didn’t have his
glasses on.
o Last night, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the roof..
o The dining hall opens onto a cemetery.
o The police had very little information regarding the policeman's disappearance.
o The train is now heading toward the tunnel..
o The prisoner threatened to fast unto death to get his alcoholic drinks.
o They look upon him as a role model of how to teach adults to behave like adults.
o She believes her weight increases with each passing day. . 

 
 
Two-word compound prepositions:  
 
Examples:
o According to 

his mother, he often talked in his sleep.

o As of next week, all of you will eat less to lose weight.

o Her face was perfect aside from that one hairy mole.
o The bucks fought hard and it’s all because of a doe.
o We waste a lot of time arguing instead of agreeing.
o The detective didn’t know he was sitting next to a wanted man.
o Sometimes my grandfather cuts pictures out of my magazines.

 Three-word compound prepositions  

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Examples:

o The explosion could be heard as far as five kilometers away.

o We keep five dogs in addition to two cats.
o It’s his habit to doze off in front of the television.
o They continued with their search and rescue mission in spite of the bad
weather.
o He can’t sing any more on account of his failing health.
o The villagers carried pails of water on top of their heads.

A coordinating conjunction is used to join together words,phrases, clauses,

or sentences. There are seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so,
and yet. These words can be remembered by remembering FANBOYS (F = for; A =
and; and so on). The most commonly used of these conjunctions
are and and but. And connects similar ideas while but connects two contrasting ones.
Although coordinating conjunctions share the basic function of connecting words,
phrases, and clauses in a sentence, each of them has a specific meaning.  The
following show examples of the coordinating conjunctions being used.  
 For: We use for to express a reason or purpose. It has similar
meaning as because, since and as, and can be used in place of any one of
them.Examples:

o He finds it difficult to see clearly, for he is partially blind.

o He left early, for he had to be on time for the meeting.
And: We use and to add one thing to another.
Examples:

o They kicked and punched him. (Connecting words)

o Her mother bought her a strawberry ice cream and a bear lollipop. (Connecting
phrases)
Nor: We usually use nor before the second negative after the first one. We can
also use it as the last of a set of negatives.
Examples:

o The audience was not very impressed by their performances, nor their jokes.

o I notice your socks are never washed, nor your car.

 
 

But: We use but to introduce an additional phrase or clause that is different from what
has already been mentioned.
 
Examples:

o Without looking, he stepped on a dog’s tail, but he didn’t get bitten.

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o There were only small beans in the soup, but it is more delicious than the tomato
soup I had yesterday..
Or: We use or to show alternatives or different possibilities. 

Examples:We can go now with umbrellas or when it stops raining.

o Is that beef or mutton in the curry?

 
 
Yet: We use yet to add something surprising because of what has just been
mentioned.   
Examples: He is only a little boy, yet he is able to carry such a heavy load.

o I reached there half an hour late, yet no one else had turned up.

  So: We use so to mean for this reason. It has similar meaning as therefore.  

 Examples: The rain got heavier, so the match had to be abandoned.

o Her neighbor threatened to burn her house down, so she made a police report.

Avoid repeating unnecessary words when using conjunctions

Examples:
 The underlined words can be avoided as unnecessary.

o You need to know what rights you have. You also need to know how to use
them.
o You need to know what right you have and how to use them.

o This is an expensive machine. It is an immensely useful machine.

o This is an expensive but immensely useful machine.

o We didn’t believe a word he said. None of us believe his excuses as well..

o We didn’t believe a word he said, nor his excuses.  

o You can choose the white one. You can also choose the black one.
o You can choose the white one or the black one

A subordinating conjunction is a word that introduces a subordinate clause

which cannot form a sentence on its own. The subordinating conjunction connects
the subordinate clause, also called a dependent clause, to an independent clause to
form a sentence. 
 
The following examples show subordinate clauses in bold. Each subordinate
clause always begins with a subordinating conjunction. The rest of each of the
sentences not in bold is the independent clause, also called the main clause.
 

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Examples:

o These girls are already drunk although they have not drunk much.

o We had a bag of popcorn for dinner because we had nothing else to eat. 
o It's urgent that something be done before more villagers are trampled to death
by the elephants.
o She has aged a lot since the last time we met. 
o The whole ostrich-rearing business will fail unless we can stop the ostriches
from dying.
o My kitchen roof leaked whenever it rained.
o Even though she appears to be at least 25 pounds overweight, she can run
quickly upstairs.

 
 

As can be seen, the above subordinate clauses are introduced by subordinating

conjunctions: although, because, before,since, unless and whenever. A subordinatin
g conjunction can come at the beginning of a sentence and in more than one word as
shown in the last example: even though. But what is important to remember is that the
subordinate clause must not be used independently as a complete clause or a
sentence.
 
More examples of subordinating conjunctions: after, as, if, lest, now, once,
provided, supposing, than, though, till, until, when, where, whereas, wherever, whether,
 
Subordinating conjunctions of more than one word: as long as, as much as, as
soon as, as though, even if, if only, in order that, just as, now that, provided that, rather
than, so that.
  

An independent clause can be turned into a subordinate clause. 

 
Examples:

o I was very angry with him. I punched him on his nose. (Two independent
clauses)
o I was very angry with him, so I punched him on his nose.
(An independent clause is now a subordinate clause shown in bold). .
 

(For more examples of subordinating conjunctions, see List 12.) 

 

Subordinating conjunction is different from the relative pronoun.

Unlike the relative pronoun, subordinating conjunctions do not act as the subject of the
dependent or subordinate clause but are followed by the subject.
 

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The boys fly kites while the girls watch.
(The main clause is the boys fly kites, and the subordinating clause is while the girls
watch. The subject girls follow the subordinating conjunction while.)
The correlative conjunctions connect two words, phrases or clauses. Correlative
conjunctions as mentioned earlier are paired conjunctions, which means they do not
come in single words. They come in the form of pairs of words: either … or; neither …
nor; both … and; not only … but also, and whether … or. 
 
Examples:

o You can buy either this chick or that duckling.

o They claimed what they saw were neither humans normonkeys. 
o Both he and his brother are joint leaders of the street gang. 
o They stole not only a car but also two motorbikes. 
o I could not decide whether to marry her or her sister. 

  
 
Examples:
Here are some more correlative conjunctions:

o as … as: (used to compare one person or thing to another) Your dog

is as fat as mine.
o as many … as: (used to show an amount equals to another amount of people or
things) There are as manymen as there are women in the crowd.
o both … and

: (used to emphasize that two persons, things, or situations are true) The circus clown
is bothfat and short.

o no sooner … than: (used to show something happens and something else

happens immediately after) No sooner had a boy fallen into the river than someone
dove into the river to save him. 
o rather … than: (used to show one thing or something happens is preferred to
another thing or something else happens) She would rather go to bed than stay up
late to watch the movie. 
o scarcely … when: (used to show something has only just started or happened
when something else begins to start or happen) I had scarcely walked into the
street when it started to rain heavily.
o such … that: (used to show that because one thing is happening something else
happens) It was such howling not of a wolf that made my hair stand on end. 

 
  

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Either … or / neither … nor
When using either … or or neither … nor, ensure that the verb agrees with the subject
that is closer to it. This means if the two subjects are singular, the verb is singular; and
the verb is plural if both subjects are plural. But if one subject is singular and the other
one is plural, the verb can be singular or plural depending on the subject closer to it.
 
 
Examples:

o Either John or Johnny plays as goalkeeper in the match.

o Neither he nor his brother wants to be the goalkeeper.

o Either the boys or the girls have to sing first.

o Neither the boys or the girls are ready to sing first.

o Either the manager or the players are blamed for the poor performance.

o Either the players or the manager is blamed for the poor performance.

o Neither the players nor the manager is criticized for the loss.

o Neither the manager nor the players are criticized for the loss.

(For meaning of correlative conjunctions, see List 12 - Conjunctions.) 

 

The words, phrases or clauses used with a correlative conjunction must

be grammatically similar in form (parallelism).
 
Examples:

o No: He often goes not only to swim but also diving.

(The first pair is a verb to swim and the second part is a gerund diving.)
o Yes: He often goes not only to swim but also to dive. 
o Yes: He often goes not only swimming but also diving. 

 
 
Examples:

o No: I like the rainbow not only is it of different colours but also it curves.

(The first part uses a prepositional phrase [of different colours], while the
second part uses a verb [curves]. It will be correct to have both parts grammatically
parallel.)
o Yes: I like the rainbow not only is it of different colours but also it is of curved
shape.
(Now both are prepositional phrases: of different colours and of curved shape.)

 
 

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Error to avoid:
 
Examples:

o No: I couldn't go neither by bus nor by train.

(Neither is a negative word. It's wrong to add another negative word couldn't. Two
negative words make the sentence positive.)(Neither is a negative word. It's wrong to add
another negative word couldn't. Two negative words make the sentence positive.)
o Yes: I could go neither by bus nor by train.

 TWO-AND THREE-WORDS-ORDER
1) Two-word verbs
Some verbs are commonly used with a particular particle (preposition or adverb). We can call
these two-word verbs.
Example:
- She had to let out her dress because she’d put on weight. (= made it larger)
- The company’s debts were mounting up. (= increasing)
- Tommy’s fallen over again. Can you help him up?
2) Three-word verbs
Some verbs are commonly used with an adverb + preposition. These are three-word verbs.
Example:
- Do you think he’s really likely to go through with his threat? (= do it)
- They’d sold out of washing powder at the supermarket. (= it had all been sold)
NOTE 1: A good dictionary will tell you if a particle is a preposition or adverb and explain the
meaning of two- and three-word verbs.
NOTE 2: These two- and three-word verbs are sometimes called ‘phrasal’ and ‘prepositional’
verbs. It is often difficult to understand what they mean from the meaning of their separate parts.
3) Verb + particle + noun phrase
ç With some two-word verbs (verb + preposition), the noun phrase goes after the particle.
Example:
- I’m afraid that Simon met with an accident as he was driving home.
- The back door opens onto a small garden.
ç With other two-word verbs (verb + adverb), a noun phrase usually goes after the particle unless
the noun phrase is a pronoun.
Example:
- She followed out the instructions exactly. (rather than …followed the instructions out…)
- She read the instructions and followed them out precisely. (not …followed out them…)
4) Verb + noun phrase + particle
With a few two-word verbs (verb + adverb), a noun phrase is usually placed or must be placed
before the particle.
Example:
- She told the children off for stealing her apple. (rather than …told off the children…)
- Don’t forget to pull the door to when you go out. (not …pull to the door…)
5) Verb + particle + noun phrase or verb + noun phrase + particle
ç With some two-word verbs (verb + adverb), a noun phrase can go either before the particle or
after it.
Compare:
- Buying the new car has eaten up all my savings. or

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- Buying the new car has eaten all my savings up.
NOTE 1: We use verb + noun phrase + particle when the noun phrase is a pronoun.
Example:
- Pam had to get rid of her car, and she sold it off at a very low price. (not …sold off it…)
- I won’t be able to go to the party. You’ll have to count me out. (not …count out me.)
NOTE 2: We prefer verb + particle + noun phrase when the noun phrase is long.
Compare:
- She had to clean the kitchen up. (or …clean up the kitchen.)
- She had to clean up the mess on the kitchen floor. (rather than …clean the mess …up.)
6) Verb + adverb + preposition + noun phrase
ç With most three-word verbs, the noun phrase goes after the preposition.
Example:
- The government is to cut back on spending on the armed forces.
- He really looks up to his older brother.
ç However, a few three-word verbs have the noun phrase immediately after the verb. A second
noun phrase will go after the preposition.
Example:
- I helped Lucy on with her coat. (= help her to put it on)
- She tried to talk me out of the plan. (= persuade not to do it)

PREPOSITIONS AFTER VERBS (4)

1) Care about or Care for
We use care about or care for to talk about feeling affection for someone.
Example:
- If you really cared about/for me, you wouldn’t spend so much time away from home.
- Jim and Ann are always together. They seem to care about/for each other a lot.
ç Care about: We use care about to talk about something we are (not) concerned about.
Example:
- Frank cared about his clothes more than anything else.
- He doesn’t seem to care about the effect smoking has on him.
ç Care for: We use care for to say that we look after someone or something and keep them in
good health or condition. We can use take care of in the same way.
Example:
- Jean cared for her disabled mother until her death last year. (or Jean took care of…)
- You need to consider how easy it will be to care for the garden. (or …to take care of)
NOTE 1: We also use care for to mean ‘like’, particularly in negative sentences, and to mean
‘want’ in offers. Both these uses of care for are rather formal.
Example:
- I don’t care for the theater much.
- Would you care for a cup of coffee?
NOTE 2: We use care without preposition before how, if, what, when, etc. to mean that
something is (not) considered important or significant.
Example:
- I must buy it. I don’t care how much it costs.
- He often walks along the street singing loudly. He doesn’t seem to care who is around.
- I don’t care if you’re busy. I need the car today!
2) Shout at and Shout to
ç You shout at someone because you are angry with them.

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Example: Don’t shout at me, I’m doing my best!
ç You shout to someone who is a long way from you so that they can hear.
Example: The taxi driver shouted to someone across the street. ‘Is the station near here?’
3) Point at and Point to
ç We use point something at when we aim a knife, camera, finger, etc. in a particular direction.
Example: She pointed the knife at me and started to laugh.
ç We use point to when we say that a particular fact suggests that something else is true or will
happen.
Example: The increase in house prices points to an upturn in the economy.
NOTE: When you point at or point to something, you show where something is by holding out
your finger (we can also use point towards).
Example: The food’s over there, said Toni, pointing at/to/towards the corner of the room.
4) Throw at and Throw to
ç We throw something at something or someone to try to hit them.
Example: A monkey was sitting in the tree, throwing nuts at anyone who walked past.
ç We throw something to someone for them to catch it.
Example: Fletcher picked up the ball and threw it back to the goalkeeper.
5) Wonder about and Wonder at
ç If we wonder about doing something, we think about doing it in the future, or say that we want
to know about something or someone.
Example:
- I’ve been wondering about visiting Lynn.
- John has looked tired recently, and I’ve started to wonder about his health.
ç If we wonder at something, we say that we are surprised at it or impressed by it. This is literary
use.
Example: The children had their faces pressed to the glass of the cage, wondering at the tigers
they could see only inches away on the other side.
PREPOSITIONS AFTER VERBS (3)
1) Hear about or Hear of
We use hear about or hear of when we talk about gaining information about someone or
something.
Example:
- I hear about/of this restaurant through Pam.
- You don’t often hear about/of people with cholera in Britain.
NOTE 1: We use hear about (not ‘hear of’) to talk about getting some news about someone or
something.
Example:
- Have you heard about Jan’s accident?
- Did you hear about the match? I won!
NOTE 2: We use hear of (rather than ‘hear about’) to indicate whether we know about the
existence of something or somebody.
Example:
- You must have heard of the Amsterdam flower market. It’s famous.
- It was a book by an author I’d never heard of.
NOTE 3: We use hear from when we talk about receiving some communication—e.g. a phone
call or letter—from somebody.
Example:
- I heard from Pauline recently. She told me she’s moving back to Greece.
- When did you last hear from Don?
2) Laugh at and Laugh about

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We can say we laugh at an amusing person, thing or situation, or something we don’t take
seriously, when the amusing thin, etc., is present. We use laugh about when we are remembering
the amusing person, thing or situation at a later date.
Example:
- We spent a happy couple of hours laughing at photos from the party.
- The program was so funny! We laugh about it every time we think of it.
NOTE: If one person is the object of an0other person’s amusement, instead of sharing in the
amusement, and consequently suffers, we use laugh at. We don’t use laugh about in this way.
Example: When she fell off her chair, all her friends laughed at her and she started to cry.
3) Agree with, Agree to, Agree on, and Agree about
ç We use agree with to say that two people have the same opinion; to say that you approve of a
particular idea or action; or to say that two things match. We also use agree with to talk about
things that make us feel healthy or happy.
Example:
- Adam thinks we should accept the offer, and I agree with him.
- I agree with letting children choose the clothes they want to wear.
- Tom’s story agreed with that of his son.
- Being on holiday agrees with me. I feel great.
ç We use agree to to say that someone allows something to happen, or to say that someone is
prepared to do something.
Example:
- Once the government agreed to the scheme it went ahead without delay.
- He agreed to the idea of a barbecue on condition that he could do the cooking.
ç We use agree on to say that two or more people decide something.
Example: We agree on the time and place to meet.
ç We use agree about to say that people have the same opinion on a particular subject. When a
decision depends on people’s opinions, we can use either agree on or agree about.
Example:
- Something that everyone can agree about is that we all want to be happy.
- We couldn’t agree on/about the color to paint the kitchen.
PREPOSITIONS AFTER VERBS (2)
1. Learn about/of and Know about/of
We use either about or of with learn and know when we talk about something that happens to
somebody or something, or about a particular event. Of is more formal with these verbs.
Example:
- I have just leant about/of the death of Cr. Brown. (= found out about)
- What little is known about/of the plans suggests they will be unpopular.
2) Know and Know about/of
We use know + noun when we talk about personal experience of people and things. Otherwise,
we use know about/of + noun.
Compare:
- My uncle knew Churchill. and
- The whole country knew about/of Churchill’s love of cigars.
3) Learn about and Know about
We use learn about and know about (not ‘of’) when we talk about a particular subject that we
study.
Example:
- They began to learn about nutrition when they were at primary school.
- Ten years ago we knew little about black holes.
4) Ask about and Enquire about

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We use ask about or enquire (or inquire) about when we talk about getting information about
something or someone.
Example: He got angry when they started to ask about / enquire about his private life.
5) Ask after and Enquire after
We use ask after or enquire (or inquire) after to ask for information about a person (but not a
thing), particularly concerning their health. Ask/Enquire about is also used.
Example: I’m phoning to ask (or enquire) after/about Mrs. Brown. She’s in Ward 4.
NOTE 1: We use ask for (not ‘enquire for’) to ask someone to give you something or do
something.
Example: He finished the drink quickly and asked for another.
NOTE 2: We use enquire into (not ‘ask into’) some organization, event or a person we try to
find out facts in order to investigate them.
Example: The body has been set up to enquire into near-accidents reported by airline pilots.
6) Think of and Think about
Think of is preferred when we talk about something that suddenly enters your mind (it occurs to
you) and think about when you talk about something that you consider over a longer period.
Example:
- He suddenly thought of Hilary. Perhaps she would help. (rather than …thought about…)
- We have been thinking about Jan and her problems for a while. (rather than …thinking of…)
NOTE 1: We use think about (rather than ‘think of’) when we talk about concentrating on
something.
Example: Your job is to think about safety and nothing else.
NOTE 2: We use think of (not ‘think about’) to give opinions and ask about them, to talk about
an idea, and to talk about remembering something. We also prefer of in the pattern (be) thinking
of + ing to talk about intention.
Example:
- What do you think of my car? I’ve just bought it.
- I don’t think a lot of his work. (= it’s not very good)
- He thinks a lot of his sister. (= likes/respects her)
- He’s always thinking of ways to increase our sales.
- I know it’s here somewhere. I just can’t think of where I’ve put it.
- I’m thinking of selling y motorbike.
PREPOSITIONS AFTER VERBS (1)
These guidelines are not rigid. Winston Churchill once remarked. “This is the sort of English up
with which I will not put.”
Obviously, there will be exceptions to the rule, particularly when prepositions are used with
verbs. In the quote above, the verb-preposition form is to put up with. In writing, however, it is
best to recast the sentence to read “I will not put up with this sort of English.”
Prepositions are used with verbs to change the meaning slightly or to distinguish between people
and objects.
1. Accompany by and Accompany with
Example:
- The president was accompanied by his wife. (accompany by is used with a person)
- The president was accompanied with a postage-due notice. (accompany by is used with an
object)
2. Agree with and Agree to
Agree with—occur in opinion. (agree with a person)
Agree to—give assent. (agree to an idea or thing)
Example:
- I agree with Carl that we should operate tomorrow.

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- I agree to an operation for my ulcer.
3) Answer to and Answer for
Answer to—be accountable to a person; respond to
Answer for—be accountable for actions
Example:
- You’ll have to answer to the commission for your sales record. He’s 4 years old and answers to
the name “Fred.”
- You’ll have to answer for you decision to abort the mission.
4) Belong to and Belong with
Belong to—be a member of
Belong with—be classified or placed among
Example:
- They belong to the Secret Order of the Koala.
- These flowers belong with the plants classified as grasses.
5) Compare to and Compare with
Compare to—liken
Compare with—contrast for similarities and differences
Example:
- She compared my singing to a summer’s day?
- He compared the Russian military strength with the United States armed forces.
6) Concur in and Concur with
Concur in—agree (in an opinion)
Concur with—agree (with another person)
Example:
- The three judges concurred in their settlement of the case.
- I must concur with Jim that the settlement is fair.
7) Connect to and Connect with
Connect to—join (one object to another)
Connect with—make contact with (a person, group, idea)
Example:
- The first step is to connect the positive wire to the positive pole.
- If we drive overnight, we can connect with the first group by dawn.
8) Correspond to and Correspond with
Correspond to—match
Correspond with—exchange messages
Example:
- The handwriting on this letter corresponds to the handwriting on the earlier document.
- Janet has corresponded with a friend in Costa Rica for three years.
9) Differ from and Differ with
Differ from—be unlike
Differ with—disagree with
Example:
- The movie differed from the book in several ways.
- The figures in the government report differ with those in our study.
10) Promote and Promote to
Promote (with title, no preposition)—to increase in rank or status
Promote to—to raise to a higher rank or status
Example:
- She was promoted Lieutenant Commander.
- She was promoted to executive level for her work in computer sales.

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11) Wait for, Wait on, and Wait out
Wait for—to be ready or at hand for
Wait on—to serve
Wait out—colloquial expression meaning to remain inactive during the course of
Example:
- The general waited for the signal to attack.
- When my father was in school, he earned money waiting on tables.
- The fans waited out the rainstorm by taking shelter under the bleachers.
COMMON ERRORS TO AVIOD
Prepositions are among the most overworked words in the English language. Use the following
guidelines to avoid committing two of the more common errors.
1) Avoid putting unnecessary prepositions at the end of sentences.
Example:
Incorrect: Where are the boys at?
Correct: Where are the boys?
Incorrect: Can I go with?
Correct: Can I go? or Can I go with you?
Incorrect: Where did that cat get to?
Correct: Where is the cat?
2) In formal writing and business communications, avoid putting the preposition at the end of a
sentence.
Rewrite the sentence so that it has a correct prepositional phrase.
Avoid: They were not sure which city they were going to.
Better: They were not sure to which city they were going. (The preposition is now part of the
phrase to which city.)
Avoid: Ask not whom the bell tolls for.
Better: Ask not for whom the bell tolls.
PHRASAL PREPOSITIONS
Although most prepositions are one word, some consist of phrases and are called phrasal
prepositions. They are used frequently in spoken and written communication.
Here are some phrasal prepositions:
because of, in case of, instead of, by way of, in lieu of, on
account of, in care of, in spite of, on the side of…
Example:
- I stop smoking cigarette because of the bad result of it.
- They take the bus to Phnom Penh instead of riding motor bicycle.
NOTE:
- In care of is a common symbol used in correspondence. (in care of is a phrasal preposition that
serves as the subject of the verb is.)
- They traveled by way of Vermont. (The phrasal preposition by way of modifies the verb
traveled. The noun Vermont is the object of the phrase.)
TYPES OF PREPOSITION
DEFINITIN: Preposition is a word that is used to place before noun or pronoun to show the
relationship between them.
There are many prepositions in English. They are:
In, Into, Out of, On, Onto, Onto of, At, Off, Inside,
Outside, Above, Below, Over, Under, Underneath, In front
of, Behind, Opposite, Between, Near, Next to, Beside, By,
Along, Across, Through, Up, Down, Past, Around...
We divide prepositions into three important kinds.

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1) Preposition of Place
2) Preposition of Movement
3) Preposition of Time
1) PREPOSITION OF PLACE
There are many kinds of preposition of place like In, At and On...
Example
- I like swimming in the sea.
- She meets me at the station.
- He puts the picture on the wall.
Prepositions of place indicate where something is or where something happens
(across, in, inside, on, outside, under).
 
Examples:

o The newly built bridge across the river has just collapsed.

o His alarm clock went off twice and he is still snoring in bed.
o There was something like a snake or a rope inside the dark cage.
o There was a big fly on the bull’s nose.
o I fell asleep while waiting outside the clinic for my turn.

 Prepositions
of place also tell us the position of something in relation to another with
such words as behind, beside,between, in front, and near. 
Examples:
o Behind  his farmhouse was a large scary scarecrow. 
o I sat beside a snoring woman in the cinema.
o There is an awkward gap between her two front teeth.
o Someone parked a tractor in front of our house.
o Please don’t come near me; I have a bad cold.

2) PREPOSITION OF MOVEMENT
There are many kinds of preposition of movement like Into, Out of, Onto, Off...
Example
- I fall into the river.
- He comes out of the room.
- A cat jumps onto the table.
- A woman jumps off the bridge.
3) PREPOSITION OF TIME
There are three kinds of preposition of time. They are At, In and On.
 We use At with (Clock, Meal, Religious, Festival...)
Example
- We have breakfast at 6 o’clock.
- At breakfast they talk a lot.
- All my friends come to meet each other at my birthday.
 We use In with (Season, Month, Year, Century, Part of the day...)
Example
- It rains a lot in rainy season.

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- They will come back in June.
- Bopha gets married in 2007.
 We use On with (Day, Date...)
Example
- I fly to the USA on Saturday.
- She makes an appointment with me on the 2nd of May.
NOTE: We do not use In, On and At before these words (Next, Last, Every, Today, Tomorrow,
Still, Each, Some, Any and One).
There are some prepositions that are the same meaning but the usage is different.
 Those prepositions are Above, Below, Over, Under, On time, In time, At the end, In the end...
 We use “Over and Under” for thing that is higher or lower than another thing and it is direct
vertical.
Example:
- The mirror is over the sink.
- The sink is under the mirror.

 We use “Above and Below” for thing that is higher or lower than another thing but it is not
direct vertical relationship.
Example:
- The mirror is above the toilet.
- The toilet is below the mirror.

 We use “On time” to mean ‘at exactly the right time’.

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Example: The bus leaves at 6:00 every day, so the bus leaves on time.
 We use “In time” to mean ‘early enough’.
Example: I study English at 7:00 and everyday arrive at school at 6:40, so I come to study in
time.
 We use “At the end” mean ‘at the point where something stops’.
Example: At the end of the film I felt very happy.
 We use “In the end” to mean ‘finally or after some time’.
Example: I don’t know where to go today, but in the end I decided to stay at home.

1. Prepositions of Time
 Prepositions of time indicate the time and date or the period of time that
 

something happens. Some of the prepositions used

include around, at, by, during, from, in, on, since, throughout, anduntil. 
 
Prepositions of time used to indicate a particular time.
Examples:

o Our grandparents usually have a catnap at the same time around noon.

o I had a big argument with my grandma at lunchtime.
o The funeral should be over by five o’clock.
o The astrologer said I would be dead in five years.
o The boss is always sleepy on Monday mornings.

 
 

Prepositions of time indicate the period of time that something happens.  

Examples:

o I had a couple of terrifying nightmares during the night.

o She swears never to talk to me again from tomorrow.
o His girlfriend has been missing since last Sunday.
o He slept throughout the lecture.
o They said I was breastfed until the age of six.

 
 

Prepositions of time used to indicate a particular time in relation to another.  

Examples:

o I start to wonder whether I will be in Heaven or Hell after death.

o I usually need to go to the toilet before having my breakfast.

CONJUNCTION

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Conjunction is a word which is used to link a word or a group of words to the other part of the
sentences and it shows the relationship between them. There are four kinds of Conjunction as
follow:
1) Coordinating Conjunctions
2) Correlative Conjunctions
3) Subordinating Conjunction
4) Adverbial Conjunctions/Linking Adverbs
1) COORDINATING CONJUNCTION
Coordinating conjunction is used to join a single word like noun, pronoun, adjective, verb,
adverb, phrase or clause. There are seven Coordinating conjunctions that are
called FANBOYS.They are For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet and So.
Formula:
Sentence + , + FANBOYS + Sentence
Example:
1. She stares at me, for she loves me.
2. I know you, and I pity you, too.
3. He can’t dive a car, nor can you dive it.
4. She is honest with him, but he doesn’t believe her.
5. Don’t move, or I will kill you.
6. They didn’t learn their lessons, yet they passed their lessons.
7. We are tired, so we stopped playing football.
For: is used to show a reason or a cause.
Example: We come here, for we want learn English.
And: is used to show additional information.
Example: She misses me, and she also loves me.
Nor: is used to show impossible result.
Example: She doesn’t love you, nor does she pity you.
But: is used to show the differences.
Example: They have many friends, but he still feels lonely.
Or: is used to show another choice.
Example: Students must learn their lesson, or they will fail the exams.
Yet: is used to show unexpected result.
Example: We study hard, yet we still fail our exams.
So: is used to show the result.
Example: She is very beautiful and friendly, so every body falls in love with her.
2) CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTION
Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions which are used in pair and they emphasize the
elements that join together. There are four pairs of Correlative conjunctions as follow:
1) Both .........................and...............................
2) Either .......................or.................................
3) Neither.....................nor................................
4) Not only ..................but also.........................
Example:
- I drink both wine and beer. (noun with noun)
- She either eats cake or drink beer. (verb with verb)
- He is neither famous nor popular. (adjective with adjective)
- She speaks not only sweetly but also softly. (adverb with adverb)
3) SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTION

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Subordinating conjunctions are a word or phrase which is used to join the unequal elements. One
element is called “main clause” and another is called “subordinate clause” which cannot stand
alone. Those Subordinating Conjunctions are:
After, although, as, as much as, because, before, how, if, in
order that, since, than, that, unless, until, what, where,
when, which, why, who, whom, whose, whoever,
whatever...
Example:
- She is honest although she is poor.
- I hope to see you before you go somewhere tomorrow.
- He will kill himself unless she loves him.
- She loves whoever is humble and kind.
4) ADVERBIAL CONJUNCTIONS/ LINKING ADVERBS
Adverbial conjunctions/Linking adverbs are the adverbs that are used to join two independent
clauses. Adverbial conjunctions/Linking adverbs show the relationship between two sentences;
and in general, adverbial conjunctions/linking adverbs express the result, contrast,
or continuation.
Results Contrast Continuation
Accordingly Nevertheless Furthermore
As a result However Further
As a consequence Nonetheless In addition
Therefore Conversely Also
Thus Instead Beside
Hence On the other hand Moreover
Formula:
Sentence + ; + Linking Adverb + , + Sentence
Example:
- They have never learned their lessons; as a result, they fall their lessons.
- He tries to satisfy her; however, she doesn’t love him.
- You pity me; moreover, you give me some money.
- Please stop chatting; otherwise, I will punish.

A conjunction is a word that is used to join words, phrases, and clauses – both independent and
dependent clauses – in a sentence. A conjunction is made use of to write a compound
sentence or complex sentence. A complex sentence is one that contains an independent
clause and at least one subordinate clause. For example, the independent clauses that made up a
compound sentence can be joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
A conjunction can be a word (although, and, because, but, if,or, while) or a phrase (as
though, as well as, in order that, so that). There are three groups of conjunctions:
 

Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses.

Subordinating conjunctions join only clauses.
Correlative conjunctions are paired conjunctions.

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