Prepositions

 THE PREPOSITION

1. The bird is in the cage. 

2. He is fond of coffee. 

3. My friend is falling off the horse. 

In sentence 1, the word in shows the relation between two things-bird and cage In sentence 2, the word of shows the relation between the attribute expressed by adjective fond and coffee. 

In sentence 3, the word off shows the relation between the action expressed by the verb falling and  the horse . 

The words in, of, and off are here used as Prepositions.

Definition :

A Preposition is a word placed before a noun or a pronoun to show in what relation the person or thing denoted by it stands in regard to something else. 

The word Preposition means "that which is placed before'

It will be noticed that-

In sentence 1, the Preposition joins a Noun to another Noun:

in sentence 2, the Preposition joins a Noun to an Adjective. 

In sentence 3, the Preposition joins a Noun to a Verb.

The Noun or Pronoun which is used with a Preposition is called its Object. It is in the Accusative case and is said to be governed by the Preposition.

Thus, in sentence 1, the noun cage is in the Accusative case, governed by the Preposition in.

A Preposition may have two or more objects; as, 

 1  The road runs over hill and plain.

In questions beginning with a preposition + what, whose, whom, which and where 

Examples

1. To whom were you thinking?

2 Which shelf does he keep it in? 

A Preposition is usually placed before its object. 

Note 1

When the object is the Relative Pronoun that, the Preposition is always placed at the end.

Examples

1 What are you looking at?

2 That is the girl (whom) I was speaking of.

The Preposition is often placed at the end when the object is an interrogative pronoun (as in sentences 1or a Relative pronoun understood (as in sentence 2).

KINDS OF PREPOSITIONS

 Prepositions are following kinds 

(1) Simple Prepositions

At, by, for, from, in, of, off, on, out, through, till, to, up, with 

Examples

1 They succeeded in escaping.

2 She is at home.

3 The book is on the table. 

(2) Compound Prepositions 

These prepositions  are generally formed by prefixing a Preposition

Usually a =no or be = by ) to a Noun, an Adjective or an Adverb. 

About, above, across, along, amidst, among, amongst, around, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, inside, outside, underneath, within, without

Examples

1 The plane is above the clouds.

2. The students are waiting inside the classroom.

3. The old woman is walking across the road.

(3) Phrase Prepositions 

Groups of words used with the force of a single preposition.

according to

In accordance with

In place of

in addition to

in reference to

in (on) behalf of

in regard to 

In spite of

in case of

in comparison to

instead of

In compliance with

 In the event of

by means of

in consequence of

on account of

by reason of

in course of

owing to

by virtue of

in favour of in front of

with a view to.

by way of

with an eye to

In lieu of

with reference to

along with

for the sake of

in order to

with regard to

 

1  In case of need, phone 32567.

2  ln course of time he saw his mistake.

3  On behalf of my students I thanks all of you. 

4. There is a big hospital Infront of my house.