Author Topic: Lesson #7 – The Prepositions Revisited  (Read 16413 times)

Joe Carillo

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Lesson #7 – The Prepositions Revisited
« on: June 13, 2009, 03:12:25 PM »
Prepositions are those function words that typically combine with a noun phrase to form a phrase that usually expresses a modification or predication. As connectives, prepositions like “in,” “on,” and “from” have to be tacked on to a noun phrase so we can properly modify it or elaborate on it when forming a sentence.

Example:
“This evaluation is based on more than perception or popularity; it demonstrates how brands, as key elements of corporate wealth, can and should be considerable factors in business strategy.”

In the above sentence, “on,” “as,” “of,” and “in” are prepositions that interconnect two ideas with each another.

In general, it is difficult to establish the logic of the usage of particular prepositions; they just became entrenched in the language through repeated usage. For this reason, we just have to commit the prepositions and their various usage to memory.

What’s the difference between a proposition and a conjunction?
A preposition typically establishes a relationship between ideas within the same clause, while a conjunction or conjunctive adverb typically establishes a relationship between clauses, between sentences, and across paragraphs.

Examples:
Preposition usage:
“They went into the room.”
(Here, there is only one clause, “they went into the room,” and the preposition “into” establishes the relationship between the grammar elements in that clause.)

Conjunction usage between clauses:
“They went into the room, but left just a few minutes later.”
(Here, there are two clauses, “they went into the room” and “(they) left just a few minutes later,” and the coordinating conjunction “but” links these two clauses and establishes the nature of their relationship.)

Conjunctive adverb usage between clauses:
“They went into the room; however, they left just a few minutes later.”
(Here, there are two clauses, “they went into the room” and “(they) left just a few minutes later,” and the conjunctive adverb “however” links these two clauses and establishes the nature of their relationship. Note the mandatory presence of a semicolon before “however” and the comma right after it.)

Conjunctive adverb usage between sentences:
“They went into the room. However, they left just a few minutes later.”
(Here, there are two clauses, “they went into the room” and “(they) left just a few minutes later.” They are set off as separate sentences but are linked by the conjunctive adverb “however,” which also establishes the nature of their logical relationship.)

Conjunctive adverb usage across paragraphs:
     “…They were so tired after the long trip, so right upon arrival from the airport, they went into the room.
     “However, they left just a few minutes later. They were so disgusted to find that the room was in total disarray. Someone had obviously ransacked the place…”

(Here, there are two clauses, “they went into the room” and “(they) left just a few minutes later.” The first clause ends the preceding paragraph and the second starts the next paragraph, with the conjunctive adverb providing the link, the transition, and the logical relationship between the two paragraphs.)

How a preposition works
For a preposition to complete a phrase, it typically needs an object, which will either be a noun or pronoun (there are two exceptions to this general rule, the phrasal verb and the prepositional idiom, but we will not discuss them here). The presence of this object is, in fact, what determines whether the connective being used is a preposition or something else.

For instance, look at what the function word “but” does in this other sentence: “No one but the convenor himself showed up.” Because “but” establishes an exception to an idea within the same clause, it is working as a preposition in that sentence. Its object is the noun “convenor,” and together with the entire phrase that follows it, “but the convenor himself showed up,” it forms what is known in English grammar as a prepositional phrase.

In contrast, “but” doesn’t work as a preposition but as a coordinating conjunction in this sentence: “The partners wanted to buy a brand-new car, but the bank declined to give them a loan.” Here, “but” doesn’t work to complete a phrase; instead, it links and contrasts two ideas found in two independent, coequal clauses.

KINDS OF PREPOSITIONS:
There are five general kinds of prepositions:
1. Prepositions of place and location: “in,” “at,” “on.”
2. Prepositions of motion: “to,” “toward,” “in,” “into.”
3. Prepositions of direction: “to,” “onto,” “into.”
4. Prepositions for specific points of time: “on,” “at,” “in,” “after.”
5. Prepositions for periods or extended time: “since,” “for,” “by,” “from…to,” “from…until,” “before, “during,” “within,” “between,” “beyond.”

In addition, there are also prepositions that establish logical relationships within the same clause:
6. Prepositions that establish the additive relationship: “besides” and “in addition to.”
Two prepositions work to allow the adding of similar information within the same clause.

Examples:
    “He is addicted to high-stakes gambling besides heavy drinking.”
    “The snatcher took my gold necklace in addition to my cellular phone.”

7. Prepositions that establish the causal or reason relationship: “due to,” “because of,” “as a result of,” “on account of,” and “in consequence of.” These prepositions introduce a reason within a single-clause sentence.

Examples: 
“This nation has not moved forward due to unabated political bickering.”
“Many people are getting colds on account of the humid weather.”
“The company lost a major customer in consequence of its continuing delayed deliveries.”

8. Prepositions that establish the comparative relationship: “despite,” “in spite of,”
“as opposed to,” “in contrast to,” “instead of,” and “notwithstanding.” They link opposing or contrastive ideas within the same clause.

Examples:
“He won his political battles despite the early setbacks.”
In spite of the stormy weather, the ship sailed out of port.”
“The female candidate for general manager has five years of experience as opposed to the male candidate’s three years.”
In contrast to most rivers in the region, the Marikina River is remarkably clean.”
Notwithstanding his financial acumen, the new CEO is not well liked.”

Next: Specific Rules for Preposition Usage

Billy.Hudson

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Re: Lesson #7 – The Prepositions Revisited
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2013, 10:25:09 AM »
You have corrected a lot of my grammar mistakes with this. Thanks!
"To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve."      choosehottubsdirect