When do i use preposition

But even when a preposition does not come before its object, it is still closely related to its object:. If it is a pronoun, it should therefore be in the objective form me, her, them , not subjective form I, she, they :. Prepositions have no particular form.

The majority of prepositions are one-word prepositions, but some are two- or three-word phrases known as complex-prepositions:. A preposition must have an object All prepositions have objects. Look at these example sentences: They are in the kitchen.

But even when a preposition does not come before its object, it is still closely related to its object: Who did you talk to? If it is a pronoun, it should therefore be in the objective form me, her, them , not subjective form I, she, they : This is from my wife and me.

When using a preposition, you must always have the subject and verb before it, and follow it with a noun. You should never follow it with a verb! You can use prepositions to show where an object is positioned, in relation to something else, such as whether it is placed on the surface of something, inside something, or in another position.

Different prepositions can be used to indicate time in specific ways:. In: this is used to express events taking place during lengthy periods of time, such as a month or year, for example:.

For: account, allow, search Be sure to account for any discrepancies. I returned the transcripts to the interviewees to allow for revisions to be made. They are searching for the missing dog. In: occur, result, succeed The same problem occurred in three out of four cases.

My recruitment strategies resulted in finding 10 participants. She will succeed in completing her degree. Of: approve, consist, smell I approve of the idea. The recipe consists of three basic ingredients. The basement smells of mildew. On: concentrate, depend, insist He is concentrating on his work.

They depend on each other. I must insist on following this rule. To: belong, contribute, lead, refer Bears belong to the family of mammals. I hope to contribute to the previous research. My results will lead to future research on the topic. Please refer to my previous explanation. With: dis agree, argue, deal I dis agree with you. She argued with him. They will deal with the situation. Ending a Sentence With a Preposition At one time, schools taught students that a sentence should never end with a preposition.

Ends with a preposition but is acceptable Unclear Revision: Paid for the car had not been. Unclear sentence. Ends with a preposition but is acceptable Overly Grammatical Revision: I would like to know from where she comes. Example: My research will focus on the community the students lived in. Revision: My research will focus on the community in which the students lived.

Example: I like the people I am working with. Revision: I like the people with whom I am working. Prepositional Phrases and Wordiness Like with pronouns , too many prepositional phrases can create wordiness in a sentence: Example : The author chose the mixed-method design to explain that the purpose of the study was to explore the leadership qualities of the principals in the schools as a means to gauge teacher satisfaction in the first year of teaching.

This type of sentence could be shortened and condensed to minimize the prepositional phrases and bring clarity to the writer's intent : Revision: The author chose the mixed-method design to explore the principals' leadership qualities and their impact on first-year teachers' satisfaction.

Unnecessary Prepositions If the preposition is unnecessary, leave it out. This creates more clear and concise writing. Example: Where are the plates at?

Revision: Where are the plates? Example: She jumped off of the balance beam. Everyday Grammar: In, On, and At. February 15, See comments Print. Embed share The code has been copied to your clipboard. The URL has been copied to your clipboard.

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Ashley Thompson was the editor.