Preposition Part- III

SOME OTHER RULES OF PREPOSITIONS AND WORDS FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITIONS

Static position (in contact with the surface; touching something)

• There is a cap on his head.

• There are cups on the table.

• close to a place

• There is a market here on the main road.

• There are trees on either side of this canal.

• means of travel (public vehicle in transit)

• They are on the train to Puri.

• He is on the plane to Amsterdam.

• Note: in/on

‘in’ indicates a static position, ‘on’ indicates movement / in transit.

For example,

• She is sitting in the bus / plane.

• She is on the plane to Bangalore.

• Direction

• You can see the zoo on the left.

• He pulled a dagger on the traveller.

• There is now a focus on eradicating corruption in public life.

Place (a definite point in space)

• She is at home.

• He is at the cinema

• Place of learning or work or worship

• She is at Oxford.

• They are at office.

• They are at church.

• means of travel or transport

• I am going to Srinagar by bus.

• a person as an agent or doer

• ‘Adonis’ is a poem by Shelley.

• ‘Shakuntalam’ was written by Kalidasa.

• Energy, power, natural phenomenon as an agent

• In the 18th century the streets of London were lighted by oil lamps.

• He was struck by lightning.

• Part of one’s body or clothes

• I seized him by the collar.

• She caught her by the hair.

• Means of doing something (by + gerund)

• She earns a lot by signing folk songs.

• He amuses himself by drawing cartoons.

• Mode of payment

• He gets his salary by cheque.

• Relationship or ownership

• He is cousin of mine.

• She is friend of Rani.

• Part of whole (of an institution or organization)

• Rajiv is a member of this club.

• Mili is a teacher of this school.

• Cause

• They died of cholera.

• She is proud of her noble birth.

• Time

• Their first child was born within a year of their marriage.

• I made many resolutions on the first of January.

• Age

• He is a boy of eighteen (years).

• material

• This is a house of stone.

• This window is made of glass.

• Note: ‘with’ not ‘of’ is used to indicate an ingredient:

• We make sweets with sugar.

• Separation (away from something)

• She fell off the horse / ladder.

• Keep off the grass, please.

• at a distance from something

• My house is off the main road.

• State or condition (not engaged in an activity)

• He is off duty now.

• It is off season now for coolers.

• Off is the opposite of on.

• Turn off the light.

• Switch off the fan, please.

• Separation

• It is really painful to part with someone you love.

• I can’t afford to dispense with his services.

• Verbs Followed By Appropriate Prepositions

• abide by a promise

• abound in or with fish

• abstain from wine

• accede to a request

• accord with or to a thing

• account to a person for money entrusted

• accuse of a crime

• acquit (someone) of a charge

• accuse (someone) of a crime

• adapt (oneself) to circumstance

• adhere to a plan

• admit of an excuse, to a secret

• agree to a proposal

• agree to a person

• aim at an object

• alight from a carriage on the ground

• allot to a person

• allude to a matter

• answer to a person

• answer for conduct

• apologize to a person

• apologize for rudeness

• appeal to a person

• appeal for redress or help

• appeal against a sentence

• apply to a person for a thing

• appoint a person) to a post

• apprise of a fact

• approve of an action

• argue with a person for or against a point

• arrive at a place

• arrive in a country

• ask for a thing

• ask of a person

• aspire after worldly greatness

• aspire to fame

• atone for a wrong

• attend to business

• attend on a person

• avail oneself of an opportunity

• beg pardon of a person

• beg for help from someone

• believe in a person or creed

• belong to a person

• bestow (something) on someone

• beware of a mad dog

• blame a person for something

• boast of something

• borrow from a person

• bow to a person or thing

• break into a house

• break bad news to a person

• break with a person

• bring a thing to light

• bring a thing under notice

• burst a thing to light

• bring a thing under notice

• burst into flame

• buy something from someone

• call on a person

• call at a place, a house

• call for an explanation

• care for a person or thing

• catch up with someone

• caution a person against a danger

• charge a man with a crime

• clear a man of blame

• cling to a person or thing

• come across a person or thing

• come across a person or thing

• come by a thing (obtain)

• come in for punishment (receive)

• come to light (be revealed)

• compare with (for similar things)

• compare to (for dissimilar things)

• compensate a person for his loss

• compete with a person

• compete for a prize

• complain against a person or thing for something

• complain to a person

• complain to a pain, etc.

• comply with one’s wishes, request, order

• conceal facts from anyone

• conceded to some demand

• confer on a subject with a person about something

• confide a secret to a person

• confide in a person’s honesty

• confine to a room

• confirm to opinion

• congratulate a man on his success

• consent to some proposal

• consist of something

• consult a person on or about some matter

• contribute to a fund

• converse with a person about a thing

• convict a person of a crime

• convince a person of a fact

• cope with a situation

• correspond with a person (write)

• cure a man of a disease

• cut a thing in or to pieces

• cut a thing in half

• dabble in politics

• dash against anything

• deal in commodities

• deal with a person (trade with)

• deal with a subject (discuss it)

• debar

• from doing something

• decide on something

• decrease in size

• defend a person from an attack

• delight in something

• deliver a person from danger

• depend on a person or a thing

• deprive a person of a thing

• despair of success

• deviate from a certain course

• differ wit

• h a person on a subject

• differ from someone or something

• digress from a point

• dilate on a subject

• dip into a book

• disagree with a person or thing

• disapprove of anything

• dispense with a man’s service

• dispose of a thing

• dispute with a person about any thing

• dissuade a person from doing something

• distinguish one thing from another

• distinguish between two things

• divide in half

• divide into four parts

• drink to a person’s health

• dwell on a subject

• elicit from a person

• embark on (board the ship)

• embark in business

• encroach on one’s rights

• engage in fight

• enter upon a career

• enter into an agreement

• entrust a person with something

• entrust a thing to a person

• escape from prison

• exchange one thing for another

• exempt a person from a rule

• exult in victory over a rival

• fall in an attempt

• fall among thieves

• fall on the enemy (attack)

• fall in love with a person

• feed on something

• feel for a person in his trouble

• feel for the weal against the strong

• fight with or against a person

• flirt with a person

• fly into rage

• furnish a person with a thing

• furnish a thing to a person

• gaze at or on a thing or a person

• get over an illness

• get at facts (find out)

• get by heart (learn)

• get on with a person

• get out of debt

• get through an examination

• glance at a book

• glance over a letter