Preposition And Its Importance, Crucial Role It Plays In The English Language
What Is A Preposition?
Prepositions are an essential part of the English language. These brief words are placed in front of nouns to create connections between people, objects, time, and places within a sentence. By describing location and movement, possession, time, and the manner in which an action is performed, they essentially tie the phrase together. Some of the most frequently used prepositions in English are of, to, for, with, on, and at. Though they may appear complicated to explain, they are an everyday part of language and are used without much thought.
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Importance Of Preposition
Influence on meaning
Prepositions play an essential role in conveying the desired meaning in a phrase; if the wrong preposition is employed, the entire meaning can drastically change. For example,
- ‘He spoke to me in French.’
- ‘He spoke about me in French.’
The first line, featuring the preposition ‘to’ before me, suggests that the phrase is an exchange between him and me, spoken in French and without a specific subject matter. However, the addition of ‘about’ before me in the second line shows that the topic of the conversation is indeed me, with the language still being French. Therefore, the precise preposition must be incorporated to preserve the original intention behind the statement.
Structure
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Prepositions are integral to structuring sentences in a meaningful way. Take the phrase ‘She went the hall quickly’ as an example. Without a preposition, the statement’s intended meaning becomes unclear and can lead to multiple interpretations such as whether she entered, exited, traversed around or transversed the hall. It is thus vital to include the correct preposition, depending on what the speaker wants to communicate, in order to properly convey the message and complete the sentence.
Grammar
Prepositions are a fundamental part of any language’s grammar. If a preposition is omitted from a sentence where it is required, the phrase will be incorrect grammatically, regardless of whether the listener understands its meaning. As an example, ‘He lives in New Delhi’ is an incorrect statement and needs a preposition to be correctly expressed. Although the reader/listener can infer the intended meaning of the phrase, which is that he resides in New Delhi, it still remains an incorrect sentence.
Preposition Examples
When reading the following phrases, observe how changing the prepositions, or even replacing them with a different type of preposition, can affect the association between the rest of the words. Notice that the prepositions have been italicized for emphasis.
- I prefer to read in the library.
- He climbed up the ladder to get onto the roof.
- Please sign your name on the dotted line after you read the contract.
- Go down the stairs and through the door.
- He swam across the pool.
- Take your brother with you.
Types Of Prepositions
Prepositions of Time
A few basic temporal prepositions, such as at, on, in, before, and after, are often utilized to provide clues about the timing of something that has happened, is happening or will take place. Despite the variety of propositions, this can be rather confusing.
Examples of time prepositions are highlighted in the following texts for easy identification.
- I will meet you at 7 o’clock.
- She always exercises in the morning.
- We have a meeting on Monday.
- I’m going on vacation during the summer.
- Let’s finish the work before sunset.
For years, months, seasons, centuries, and times of day, use the preposition in:
- I first met John in 1987.
- It’s always cold in January
- The Second World War occurred in the 20th century.
Use the preposition for days, dates, and particular holiday days.
- We go to school on Mondays, but not on Sunday
- Christmas is celebrated on December 25th.
Understanding before and after is simpler than other temporal prepositions; both indicate when an event took place, is occurring, or will occur in relation to another occurrence.
Before I discovered this bar, I used to go straight home after work.
We will not leave before 3 pm.
David comes before Bryan in the line but after Louise.
Look at the table for a detailed understanding.
Prepositions Of Place
Complicating the issue, the most often used prepositions for denoting time – on, at, in – are also the most utilized to express position. Nonetheless, because the prepositions that denote location are more specific than those used to refer to time, the rules are easier to understand.
Examples of prepositions of location are highlighted in the following texts for easy identification.
- The cat is sitting at the table.
- We may meet at the fork in the road.
The guidelines are divided as follows:
When referring to something with a surface, on is used:
- The sculpture is displayed on the wall.
- The specials are listed on the menu, which is located on the table.
When referring to something that is inside or inside constrained borders, the word in is utilized. It might be anything, including a country:
- Jim is visiting his aunt in the hospital in France.
When referring to anything at a certain place, the word at is used:
- The lads are at the movie theater’s entrance.
Other location prepositions used in English include under, over, within, outside, above, and below. There is, however, less ambiguity because they relate to fixed situations rather than abstract ones.
- The cat is under the table.
- Put the sandwich over there.
- The key is locked inside the car.
- They stepped outside the house.
- Major is ranked above corporal.
- He is waving at you from below the stairs.
For more detailed examples please look at the table.
Prepositions of Movement
Grasping prepositions of movement is simpler than understanding prepositions of location and time because they are less ambiguous. They effectively illustrate the act of moving from one place to another. To is a widely-used preposition of movement, generally stressing that there is progression towards a certain target.
Examples of movement prepositions are highlighted in the following texts for easy identification.
- He has gone on vacation to France.
- She went to the bowling alley every Friday last summer.
In addition to more precise movements, prepositions such as through, across, off, down and into can add important contextual nuances to the dance. Though related, it is important to not confuse these prepositions with one another.
Moving from one side to the other is referred to as moving across.
- Mike traveled across America on his motorcycle.
- Rebecca and Judi are swimming across the lake.
Moving directly within something and out the other end is referred to as going through.
- The bullet Ben shot went through the window.
- The train passes through the tunnel.
Entering or seeing within anything is referred to as going into.
- James went into the room.
- They stare into the darkness.
Up, over, down, past, and around represent movement directions:
- Jack went up the hill.
- Jill came tumbling down after.
- The horse runs around the track all morning.
- A car zoomed past a truck on the highway
Hope this post provided you with extravagant clarity on what prepositions are and how you should use them carefully and effectively.
Catch you soon,
Post your queries in the comment section,
Janet