Use of Prepositions

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Use of Prepositions

• Dr. Sarwet Rasul

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Review of Previous Lesson

• What is punctuation?
• Why to use punctuation?
• Introduction to common punctuation marks
• Detailed rules of the use of
• Full stop
• Comma
• Semi colon
• Colon
• Question mark
• Exclamation mark
• Quotation marks
• Parentheses
• Apostrophe
• Hyphen and Dash
• Ellipses marks

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Todays session

• What is a preposition?
• What are prepositional phrases
• English Prepositions Enlisted
• Detailed rules of prepositions
• Exercises and activities

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What is a preposition?

• A preposition describes a relationship between
  other words in a sentence.
• In itself, a word like "in" or "after" is rather
  meaningless and hard to define in mere words. For
  instance, when you do try to define a preposition
  like "in" or "between" or "on," you invariably
  use your hands to show how something is situated
  in relationship to something else.
• Prepositions are nearly always combined with
  other words in structures called prepositional
  phrases.
• http//grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/preposition
  s.htm

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What is a Preposition?

• A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases
  to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase
  that the preposition introduces is called the
  object of the preposition.
• A preposition usually indicates the temporal,
  spatial or logical relationship of its object to
  the rest of the sentence as in the following
  examples
• The book is on the table.
• The book is beneath the table.
• The book is leaning against the table.
• The book is beside the table.
• She held the book over the table.
• She read the book during class.
• www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/preposit
  .html

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Prepositional Phrase

• A prepositional phrase is made up of the
  preposition, its object and any associated
  adjectives or adverbs.
• A prepositional phrase can function as a noun, an
  adjective, or an adverb.
• Examples Each of the highlighted words in the
  following sentences is a preposition
• The children climbed the mountain without fear.
• In this sentence, the preposition "without"
  introduces the noun "fear."
• The prepositional phrase "without fear" functions
  as an adverb describing how the children climbed.
•  www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/preposi
  t.html

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Cont Examples

• There was rejoicing throughout the land when the
  government was defeated.
• Here, the preposition "throughout" introduces the
  noun phrase "the land." The prepositional phrase
  acts as an adverb describing the location of the
  rejoicing.
• The spider crawled slowly along the banister.
• The preposition "along" introduces the noun
  phrase "the banister" and the prepositional
  phrase "along the banister" acts as an adverb,
  describing where the spider crawled.

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ContExamples

• The dog is hiding under the porch because it
  knows it will be punished for chewing up a new
  pair of shoes.
• Here the preposition "under" introduces the
  prepositional phrase "under the porch," which
  acts as an adverb modifying the compound verb "is
  hiding.
• The screenwriter searched for the manuscript he
  was certain was somewhere in his office.
• Similarly in this sentence, the preposition "in"
  introduces a prepositional phrase "in his
  office," which acts as an adverb describing the
  location of the missing papers.

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Consider the Professors desk.

• You can sit before the desk (or in front of the
  desk). The professor can sit on the desk (when
  he's being informal) or behind the desk, and then
  his feet are under the desk or beneath the desk.
  He can stand beside the desk (meaning next to the
  desk), before the desk, between the desk and you,
  or even on the desk (if he's really strange). If
  he's clumsy, he can bump into the desk or try to
  walk through the desk (and stuff would fall off
  the desk). Passing his hands over the desk or
  resting his elbows upon the desk, he often looks
  across the desk and speaks of the desk or
  concerning the desk as if there were nothing else
  like the desk. Because he thinks of nothing
  except the desk, sometimes you wonder about the
  desk, what's in the desk, what he paid for the
  desk, and if he could live without the desk. You
  can walk toward the desk, to the desk, around the
  desk, by the desk, and even past the desk while
  he sits at the desk or leans against the
  desk.All of this happens, of course, in time
  during the class, before the class, until the
  class, throughout the class, after the class, etc
  .
• http//grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/preposition
  s.htm

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English Prepositions Enlisted

• There are about 150 prepositions in English.
• Yet this is a very small number when you think of
  the thousands of other words (nouns, verbs etc).
  Prepositions are important words.
• We use individual prepositions more frequently
  than other individual words.
• In fact, the prepositions of, to and in are among
  the ten most frequent words in English.
• http//www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-li
  st.htm

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Here is a short list of 70 of the more common
one-word prepositions.
aboard about above across after against along amid among anti around as at before behind below beneath beside besides between beyond but by concerning considering despite down during except excepting excluding following for from in inside into like minus near of off on onto opposite outside over past per Plus regarding round save since than through to toward towards under underneath unlike until up upon versus via with within without
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• Detailed Rules of Prepositions.doc

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Source http//www.englishpage
.com/prepositions/prepositions.html
Exercises Time Prepositions

• 1. Jane is arriving.. January2.....6 2 o'clock
  ..the afternoon.
  
  
  2. It snows here every year
  ..December. We always go outside and play in the
  snow.. Christmas day.3. Michael is leaving
  ..Friday.. noon.4. Frankie started working
  for her law firm.. 1995. 5. Franklin began
  working on the project ..yesterday.6.
  Normally,.. New Year's Eve, it's tradition to
  set a new year resolution .. midnight.7 Don't
  be ridiculous there were no telephones ..the
  seventeenth century! The telephone was invented
  ..the 1870s.8. The plane leaves tomorrow
  morning ..800 AM.9. The hills here are
  covered with wildflowers ..early spring.10. We
  met at the restaurant ..630 and stayed
  ..1030.

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Cont Answers Time
Prepositions

• 1. Jane is arriving.on.. January2..at...6 2
  o'clock in..the afternoon.
  
  
  2. It snows here
  every year in..December. We always go outside
  and play in the snowon.. Christmas day.3.
  Michael is leaving on..Fridayat.. noon.4.
  Frankie started working for her law firmin..
  1995. 5. Franklin began working on the project
  no preposition..yesterday.6. Normally,on..
  New Year's Eve, it's tradition to set a new year
  resolution at.. midnight.7 Don't be
  ridiculous there were no telephones in..the
  seventeenth century! The telephone was invented
  in..the 1870s.8. The plane leaves tomorrow
  morning at..800 AM.9. The hills here are
  covered with wildflowers in..early spring.10.
  We met at the restaurant at..630 and stayed
  untill..1030.

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Cont Time Prepositions

• 1. She always gets up early.. the morning, so
  she can make it to class.. time.2. I was sick,
  so I didn't go to work.. last Thursday, but I
  did go to work.. Friday.3. Mary stopped
  talking.. the middle of her story, and suddenly
  started to cry. I think we were all crying.. the
  time she finished telling us what had
  happened.4 Late...night, you can here coyotes
  howling in the distance.5. Just wait a second,
  I'll be there..a minute.6. I need to give my
  parents a call. I haven't talked to them.. over
  a month.7. Barbara is going to start her new
  job.. next September..8. The professor said..
  the first day of the course that there would be a
  big final test ..the end of the semester.9. I
  have been sitting here more ..than an hour. If
  they don't arrive.. the next ten minutes, I'm
  leaving.10. We were really worried.. first
  because the banks were closed Saturdays, so we
  couldn't exchange money. But.. the end,
  everything worked out because we were able to
  exchange money at the hotel.

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Answers

• 1. She always gets up earlyin.. the morning, so
  she can make it to class.in.. time.2. I was
  sick, so I didn't go to workno prep.. last
  Thursday, but I did go to work.on. Friday.3.
  Mary stopped talkingin.. the middle of her
  story, and suddenly started to cry. I think we
  were all crying.by. the time she finished
  telling us what had happened.4
  Late.at..night, you can here coyotes howling in
  the distance.5. Just wait a second, I'll be
  there..in.a minute.6. I need to give my
  parents a call. I haven't talked to themfor....
  over a month.7. Barbara is going to start her
  new job.no prepo... next September..8. The
  professor saidon.. the first day of the course
  that there would be a big final test at..the end
  of the semester.9. I have been sitting here
  more for..than an hour. If they don't
  arrive.in. the next ten minutes, I'm
  leaving.10. We were really worried.at... first
  because the banks were closedon.. Saturdays, so
  we couldn't exchange money. Butat.. the end,
  everything worked out because we were able to
  exchange money at the hotel.

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ContPosition Prepositions

• 1. The computer printer is ..table ..the
  computer.2. Shawn and Noel stood ..the tree
  waiting for the rain to stop.3. I didn't see
  the mailbox even though I was standing right
  ..it.4. Everybody was already sitting.. the
  table waiting for dinner to be served.5. Every
  evening, the dog sits ..the dinner table begging
  for food.7. Debra was sitting ..the computer
  surfing the Internet.8. I asked the woman
  standing ..me on the bus where I should get
  out.9. My car keys were ..the desk, but I
  couldn't see them because they were.. a
  magazine.10. When I went to buy the concert
  tickets, there was nobody ..ticket sales window.
  

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Answers Position Prepositions

• 1. The computer printer is on..table next
  to....the computer.2. Shawn and Noel stood
  under....the tree waiting for the rain to
  stop.3. I didn't see the mailbox even though I
  was standing right next to....it.4. Everybody
  was already sittingat.... the table waiting for
  dinner to be served.5. Every evening, the dog
  sits under..the dinner table begging for
  food.7. Debra was sitting at..the computer
  surfing the Internet.8. I asked the woman
  standing next to..me on the bus where I should
  get out.9. My car keys were on..the desk, but
  I couldn't see them because they wereunder....
  a magazine.10. When I went to buy the concert
  tickets, there was nobody at...ticket sales
  window.

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Cont Location Prepositions

• 1. We have DSL Internet access ..work, but I
  don't have a high-speed connection.. home.2.
  The kids are learning about the Civil War their
  history class ..school.3. Toby was ..the
  hospital for two weeks after his motorcycle
  accident .the freeway.4. Jane and Debbie saw
  dolphins ..the ocean while they were having a
  picnic the beach.5. Fred loves to go camping
  ..the desert, but Kyle prefers to camp ..the
  mountains.6. The conference was held ..a ski
  resort ..Telluride, a small town southwest
  Colorado.7. You can buy stamps ..the post
  office.. Delancy Street.8. The old man who was
  standing ..the corner yelled at the kids who
  were playing .the street.9. While they were
  hiking ..Ridgeback Mountain, Laurelle and Frank
  saw a bear ..the woods.10. They have a small
  house. a lake in the countryside. When I visit
  them, I always love to sit.. the shore and
  watch the kids swimming ..the lake.

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Answers Location Prepositions

• 1. We have DSL Internet access at..work, but I
  don't have a high-speed connectionat.. home.2.
  The kids are learning about the Civil War
  intheir history class at..school.3. Toby was
  in..the hospital for two weeks after his
  motorcycle accident on.the freeway.4. Jane
  and Debbie saw dolphins in..the ocean while they
  were having a picnicat the beach.5. Fred
  loves to go camping in..the desert, but Kyle
  prefers to camp in..the mountains.6. The
  conference was held at..a ski resort
  in..Telluride, a small town southwest
  inColorado.7. You can buy stamps at..the
  post officeon.. Delancy Street.8. The old man
  who was standing at..the corner yelled at the
  kids who were playing in.the street.9. While
  they were hiking on..Ridgeback Mountain,
  Laurelle and Frank saw a bear in..the
  woods.10. They have a small houseon. a lake
  in the countryside. When I visit them, I always
  love to siton.. the shore and watch the kids
  swimming in..the lake.

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Cont Mixed Prepositions

• Complete the text below by choosing the correct
  prepositions . Suddenly Uncle Henry stood
  ... "There's a cyclone coming, Em," he
  called his wife. "I'll go look after the
  stock." Then he ran toward the sheds where the
  cows and horses were kept. Aunt Em dropped her
  work and came the door. One glance told her
  of the danger close.. hand. "Quick,
  Dorothy!" she screamed. "Run for the cellar!"
  Toto jumped of Dorothy's arms and hid
  under the bed, and the girl started to get him.
  Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap
  door the floor and climbed down the ladder
  .the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto
  .last and started to follow her aunt. When
  she was halfway across the room there came a
  great shriek ...........the wind, and the house
  shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat
  down suddenly .the floor.

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Answers Mixed Prepositions

• Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up...
  "There's a cyclone coming, Em," he called
  tohis wife. "I'll go look after the stock."
  Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and
  horses were kept. Aunt Em dropped her work and
  came tothe door. One glance told her of the
  danger closeat.. hand. "Quick, Dorothy!"
  she screamed. "Run for the cellar!" Toto jumped
  outof Dorothy's arms and hid under the bed,
  and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly
  frightened, threw open the trap door inthe
  floor and climbed down the ladder into.the
  small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto
  at.last and started to follow her aunt. When
  she was halfway across the room there came a
  great shriek from...........the wind, and the
  house shook so hard that she lost her footing and
  sat down suddenly upon.the floor.

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Review of todays session

• What is a preposition?
• What are prepositional phrases
• English prepositions enlisted
• Detailed rules of prepositions
• Time, location and position prepositions
• Exercises and activities

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• Thank you very much!