Lets Learn English – Prepositions

Prepositions often tell you where something is or when something happened.Prepositions are usually used in front of nouns or pronouns and they show the relationship between the noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. The meanings of prepositions can be vary. From https://www.talkenglish.com/vocabulary/top-50-prepositions.aspx  The top 50 prepositions are as follow:

Word Frequency Type
with 1062 (preposition)
at 624 (preposition)
from 622 (preposition)
into 301 (preposition)
during 103 (preposition)
including 58 (preposition)
until 54 (preposition)
against 46 (preposition)
among 37 (preposition)
throughout 27 (preposition)
despite 17 (preposition)
towards 16 (preposition)
upon 15 (preposition)
concerning 3 (preposition)
of 5220 (preposition, auxiliary verb)
to 4951 (preposition, adverb)
in 2822 (preposition, adverb)
for 1752 (preposition, conjunction)
on 1087 (preposition, adverb, adjective)
by 706 (preposition, adverb)
about 451 (preposition, adverb, adjective)
like 324 (preposition, verb, conjunction)
through 235 (preposition, adverb, adjective)
over 170 (preposition, adjective, noun)
before 141 (preposition, adverb, conjunction)
between 137 (preposition, adverb)
after 110 (preposition, adjective, adverb)
since 107 (preposition, adverb, conjunction)
without 89 (preposition, adverb, conjunction)
under 70 (preposition, adverb, adjective)
within 46 (preposition, adverb)
along 45 (preposition, adverb)
following 39 (preposition, noun, adjective)
across 36 (preposition, adverb, adjective)
behind 22 (preposition, adverb, adjective)
beyond 20 (preposition, noun)
plus 14 (preposition, adjective, noun)
except 6 (preposition, conjunction, idiom)
but 626 (conjunction, preposition, adverb)
up 296 (adverb, preposition, adjective)
out 294 (adverb, preposition, adjective)
around 101 (adverb, preposition)
down 94 (adverb, preposition, adjective)
off 74 (adverb, preposition, adjective)
above 40 (adverb, preposition, adjective)
near 13 (adverb, preposition, adjective)

 

By the way, for standard 3 – there are only five preposition introduction:

  • In front of
  • behind
  • in
  • under
  • beside

Credit to https://unilifeapps.curtin.edu.au/TheLearningCentre/Display?book=5&page=78 for explaining the common error of prepositions

1. Using the wrong preposition

2. Omitting the preposition

3. Using an extra preposition

Four more things to remember about prepositions

1. The verb ‘to be’ + preposition + adjective

This is a common construction in English.

 

2. Nouns that follow common prepositions

Common prepositions (at, in, on, out of, under, for, of) are often used in combination with nouns.

3. Verbs that have a predetermined preposition (or two)

Many of our approximately 4000 regular verbs and 200 irregular verbs can be used in combination with prepositions.

 

Other verbs are linked more closely to one or possibly two prepositions. Below is a short list of 10 verbs that have one (or 2) predetermined prepositions.

Do you know any more verbs like this?

4. Idiomatic verb forms

We do not always link verbs to just one specific preposition. In fact, some verbs, when used idiomatically, are linked to many different prepositions to give that verb a specific meaning. The example below is the verb to get, which means to obtain or receive. Idiomatically, the verb takes on a great many meanings.

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