PREPOSTIONS FOR NOOBS

DEAR STUDENTS : Very often we as teachers at CEI are asked this question by our young trainees: ( sometimes not so young ) HOW DO I KNOW WHICH PREPOSITION TO USE , IN OR AT ? HOW DO I GO ABOUT PREPOSITIONS ? I OFTEN MAKE MISTAKES . I NEVER KNOW WHICH I SHOULD USE .... SOME WORDS ABOUT PREPOSTIONS THAT GOOGLE MAY NOT SAY : PREPOSTIONS , as their prefix indicates, PRECEDE NOUN PHRASES THERE IS A RAT IN THE CELLAR CELLAR IS A NOUN IT IS PRECEDED BY IN AND THE CELLAR NEEDS AN ARTICLE THE AND THE CELLAR FORM A NOUN PHRASE BECAUSE THIS IS MADE UP OF TWO WORDS THE AND CELLAR THE NOUN PHRASE IS PRECEDED BY THE PREPOSTION IN WHAT DOES THIS INDICATE ? PLACE The place is the cellar that phrase must be preceded by IN because you are indicating the PLACE It s not the same as There is a rat in the street You wouldn t be so worried, would you ? BOTH IN THE STREET AND IN THE CELLAR are preceded by IN THIS IS THE PLACE OR THESE ARE THE PLACES THE WORD PREPOSITION , WE SAID IS PRECEDED BY PRE WHICH ANTICIPATES THE NOUN PHRASE THEN YOU HAVE THE WORD POSTION POSTION WHAT DO YOU ASSOCIATE IT WITH? POSTION IS PLACE There are other PREPOSTIONS that indicate PLACE

ON, AT, BEHIND, BELOW, ABOVE, OVER, ACROSS, OUT OF, INTO, UNDER

These are PLACES EXAMPLES THE BOAT IS PASSING UNDER THE BRIDGE THE PLANES ARE FLYING OVER THE CITY THE STUDENTS ARE PLAYING IN THE PATIO THE LADY IS SITTING ON THE CHAIR THERE IS A MC DONNAL DS STORE IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE / NEXT TO MY HOUSE/ BESIDE MY HOUSE THE THIEF WAS ARRRESTED AND STOOD BETWEEN THE TWO POLICEMEN ARGENTINA IS BETWEEN CHILE AND URUGUAY THE PANAMA CANAL IS BETWEEN TWO OCEANS THE ATLANTIC AND THE PACIFIC THE MONEY WAS IN THE MAN S SAFE AND ITS KEYS WERE IN HIS POSSESSION (POCKET MY LOVER CAME INTO MY ROOM AND I WAS VERY HAPPY!! THE BOY WAS STANDING ON THE PAVEMENT WAITING FOR THE BUS THERE WAS A LOT OF DUST ON AND UNDER THE DESK . THE PLACE WAS VERY DIRTY THERE WAS A PAINTING ABOVE THE WINDOW ( ON THE WALL) THERE IS SOME WATER IN THE GLASS AND A PILL ON THE TABLE BESIDE IT . SHE S GOING TO TAKE HER PILL . THE MAN WALKED ACROSS THE STREET TO MEET HIS LOVER WHO WAS ON THE OPPOSITE PAVEMENT ( SIDEWALK) tHE FISH ARE IN THE RIVER THE FISHES THAT THE FISHERMAN HAS CAUGHT ARE OUT OF THE RIVER NOW THEY ARE ON HIS TABLE HE IS GOPING TO COOK THEM IN THE EXAMPLES ABOVE , NO OTHER PREPOSITION COULD BE POSSIBLE YOUR TURN NOW TASK WRITE SIMILAR SENTENCES TO ILLUSTRATE THE PREPOSITIONS MENTIONED READ THEM ALOUD IN YOUR GRAMMAR CLINIC CLA