PREPOSITION
Introduction

• A proposition is a word used to show the way in which other words are connected. It is used to express basic
• relationships between words. You can express the relationships of time and place by the use of a preposition. As for

example,

• I can see you on Friday / in October / at 7 pm/ for an hour, etc.

• I’ll meet you at university / in Delhi/ outside the library / on the Delhi college campus, etc.

• Besides the relationships of time and place you can use prepositions to express many other different kinds of relationship,

such as

• Means: She came by train / on foot / in a motor-car, etc.

• Manner: She spoke with a smile / in a sweet tone.

• Reaction: I was shocked at his sudden death / by his cruel joke.

• Reason: I did it for my country / out of duty/ because of my countrymen.

A preposition is, then, a link in the chain of a sentence. It ties a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence. For
example,

• Write your address in the notebook.

• There is a rat under the bed.

• This piece of chalk is for you.

• This letter is from him.

Prepositions can be used in a sentence to show space, or time, or direction, or agency, or association, etc. As for
example,

• A few books have been placed on the desk. (showing space)

• He arrived before lunch. (showing time)

• I walk to town / towards the farm. (showing direction)

• It was done by the night watchman with a knife. (showing agency)

• He left without hope. (showing association)

• The use of different prepositions in a sentence gives us different shades of meaning. As for example,

• Meera danced for Govinda. (= for the sake of Govinda)

• Meera danced with Govinda. ( = They danced together)

• Meera danced after Govinda. ( = after Govnda had finished dancing)

• Meera danced behind Govinda (= after Govinda in the front)

A particular proposition can often be used to express different shades of meaning. For example,

• He will meet you after 2 o’clock. (later than)

• Put the direct object after the verb. (next in order to, following)

• It is a painting after Picasso. (in the style of)

• The police ran after the thief. (in pursuit of, in search of)

• She enquired after your health. (regarding)

• After all my care it was broken. (in spite of)

• Shut the door after you when you leave the room. (behind)ENGLISH

• I shall never speak to him after what he has said about me, (in view of, as a result of)

Sometimes the same word takes different prepositions to express various life situations. Take for example the word
‘die’ and ‘divide’.
Die

• He died of cancer.

• He died from the loss of blood.

• He died through neglect.

• He died in a train accident.

• He died by the own hand.

• He died for his country.

• Divide

• Divide this mango in half.

• Divide this mango into four parts.

• Divide forty by eight.

• Divide these apples between the two children.

• Let me divide the property among my four sons.

• Look at these, too:

Alive in every nerve; alive to every noble impulse; alive with fervor, hope, resolve; alive through all his being.
Alliance with a neighbouring people; against the common enemy; for offence and defence; alliance of, between, or
among nations.

• Agree in opinion with the speaker, to the terms proposed; persons agree on or upon a statement of principles, rules, etc.;

• we must agree among ourselves.

• A particular preposition can often be used to express more than one kind of relationship. For example we can use by/on

• for relationship of

• Time – by next month - on the appointed hour

• Place - by the window – on the tree top

• Means - by working overtime - on a bicycle

Kinds of Prepositions

• There are two kinds of prepositions. They are as follows:

• (i) Simple Preposition: Simple prepositions consist of only one word. For example,

• at, by, in, through, over, under, across along, above, about, before, behind, beyond, beside, without, concerning,

• considering, regarding, during etc.

• Note: concerning, considering, regarding, during etc. are also called Participle Prepositions.

• Now, look at the examples given below:

• He is at home.

• The tree was cut down by me.

• She has passed through many troubles.

• The sun shines over the earth.

• This road is under repair.ENGLISH

• His house is across the river.

• He walked along the river’s bank.

• A sword is hanging above his head.

• She is about to be married.

• The train starts before six o’clock.

• The bus is behind its time.

• Her hut is beyond those hills.

• He is standing beside me.

• I have come without any clothes.

• Let us talk with chairman concerning this matter.

• Considering his age, he should be given light punishment.

• We will go home during the Puja holiday.

• Have you anything to say regarding his appointment to this post?

Pending confirmation by the authorities concerned, the proposed meeting cannot be held.
(ii) Complex or compound preposition: Complex or compound prepositions consist of more than one word. for
example,

• On account of, in course of, on the point of, on the brink of, with an eye to, with reference to, out of, from within,

• from among, from under etc.

• Look at the sentences given below:

• His scheme failed on account of the failure of the crops.

• He happened, in course of conversion, to reveal this secret.

• The patient is on the point of death.

• Our country is on the brink of a serious disaster.

• We are working hard with an eye to the future.

• Have you anything to say with reference to this question?

• Why were you driven out of the house?

• A voice came from within my heart.

• He was selected from among fifty candidates.

• We saw a poisonous snake emerging from under the water.

• Preposition + gerund (verb+ing)

• A preposition always takes a gerund, not an infinitive. For example,

• Anand insisted on leaving at once.

• He was granted leave for visiting her uncle.

• There is no harm in repeating the experiment.

• He stopped me form going home.

• Ellipsis of a preposition

• ‘Ellipsis’ means ‘omission’. When two or more words require the same preposition, only one preposition is retained and

• the rest are omitted. For example,

• She is desirous of and confident of success

• She is desirous and confident of success.

• He has a taste for sports and a passion for sports.

• He has a taste and a passion for sports.

• No preposition is used between a transitive verb and its object. For example,

• He obeys his teachers. (not, obeys to)

• She resembles her mother. (not, resembles to)

• I have signed all letter. (not, signed on/to)

• He investigated the case. (not, investigated into)

• ‘In’ and ‘Into’

• ‘In’ denotes position or rest inside something ‘Into’ denotes motion towards inside from outside. For example,

• There is a frog in this well. (not, into)

• A cat has just fallen into this well. (not, in)

• He is in his room. (not, into)

• He came into my room. (not, in)

• ‘In’ indicates a state or condition. ‘Into’ indicates a change in state or condition. For example,

• He is in a good mood. (not, into)

• He flew into a rage. (not, in)

• In Into