Prepositions

PREPOSITIONS

We use a preposition to describe a relationship between a noun, pronoun, or phrase to other words in a sentence. Prepositions are challenging to learn because we say we are at the hospital to visit a friend who is in the hospital. We lie in bed but on the couch. We watch a film at the theater but on television. Differences also exist between British and North American speakers.

This lesson is going to focus on several aspects of prepositions:

¨ Noun + preposition collocation

¨ Adjective + preposition collocation

¨ Verb + preposition collocation

¨ Unnecessary prepositions

Noun + preposition collocation:

the following chart shows prepositions that normally follow these nouns

approval of
awareness of
belief in
concern for
confusion about
desire for

fondness for
grasp of
hatred of
hope for
interest in
love of

need for
participation in
reason for
respect for
success in
understanding of

Adjective + preposition collocation:

the following chart shows prepositions that normally follow these adjectives

afraid of
angry at
aware of
capable of
careless about
familiar with

fond of
happy about
interested in
jealous of
made of
married to

proud of
similar to
sorry for
sure of
tired of
worried about

Verb + preposition collocation:

the following chart shows prepositions that normally follow these verbs

apologize for
ask about
ask for
belong to
bring up
care for
find out

give up
grow up
look for
look forward to
look up
make up
pay for

prepare for
study for
talk about
think about
trust in
work for
worry about

The following prepositions normally follow these verbs:

• agree to a proposal, with a person, on a price, in principle

• argue about a matter, with a person, for or against a proposition

• compare to to show likenesses, with to show differences (sometimes similarities)

• correspond to a thing, with a person

• differ from an unlike thing, with a person

• live at an address, in a house or city, on a street (in BrE), with other people

A verb and preposition is called a phrasal verb if it creates a special meaning when used together.

Unnecessary Prepositions

In everyday speech, we fall into some bad habits, using prepositions where they are not necessary. It would be a good idea to eliminate these words altogether, but we must be especially careful not to use them in formal letters.

• She met up with the new coach in the hallway.

• The book fell off of the desk.

• He threw the book out of the window.

• She wouldn't let the cat inside of the house. or use "in"

• Where did they go to?

• Put the lamp in back of the couch. use "behind" instead

• Where is your college at?

We don't use prepositions with words and phrases like this:

this morning
this afternoon
home
every week
last Tuesday
next year

With the words home, downtown, uptown, inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs, we use no preposition.
Grandma went upstairs.
Grandpa went home.
They both went outside.


For more prepositions go to the following lessons of level Intermediate:

25, 26, 27, 28