Difference between revisions of "Language/English/Grammar/Prepositions"
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<div style="font-size:200%;">Preposition</div> | |||
Prepositions are short words (on, in, to) that usually stand in front of nouns (sometimes also in front of geund verbs). | |||
A prepositions describes a relationship between other words in a sentences. | |||
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 useyour 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. | |||
Prepositional phrases can be made up of a million different words, but they tend to be built the same: a preposition followed by a determiner and an adjective or two ; followed by a pronoun or noun (called the object of the preposition). | |||
This whole phrase, in turn, takes on a modifying role, acting as an adjective or an adverb, locating something in time and space, modifying a noun, or telling when or where or under what conditions something happened.... | |||
==Examples== | ==Examples== | ||
you can sit ''before'' the desk OR ''in front of'' the 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 desh ,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) | |||
The professor can sit ''on'' the desk (when he's being informal) or ''behind'' the desh, 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). | |||
Revision as of 12:11, 9 July 2018
Prepositions are short words (on, in, to) that usually stand in front of nouns (sometimes also in front of geund verbs).
A prepositions describes a relationship between other words in a sentences.
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 useyour 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.
Prepositional phrases can be made up of a million different words, but they tend to be built the same: a preposition followed by a determiner and an adjective or two ; followed by a pronoun or noun (called the object of the preposition).
This whole phrase, in turn, takes on a modifying role, acting as an adjective or an adverb, locating something in time and space, modifying a noun, or telling when or where or under what conditions something happened....
Examples
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 desh, and then his feet are under the desk or beneaththe 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).