____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

PREPOSITION, CONJUNCTION, ARTICLE TIP

Recognize a preposition when you see one.

GRAMMAR LECTURE 2

9 9 9 9 9 9

What is a preposition? Preposition positioning. Omission of the preposition. Adverb of Preposition???? Common prepositional usages Important conjunctions Article: A, An or The

The fly is above the coffee.

The love that lies Verb

in her eyes. Preposition Noun

In the above sentence the word in express the relation between the verb lies and noun eyes. Examine another example. of dignity. She is very desirous Adjective Preposition Noun The fly is in the coffee. In the above sentence, of expresses the relation between the adjective desirous and noun dignity. In both the above examples the words in and of respectively, have been used as prepositions.

What is preposition?
The fly is behind the coffee. Preposition is a word which occurs before a noun or a pronoun and which expresses the relation between it (Noun or Pronoun) and some part of the remaining sentence.

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 1

____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

Common Prepositions and Their Usage

at Precise Time at 2 oclock at 6.00 am at noon at lunchtime at bedtime at sunset at dawn at the moment in Months, Years, Centuries and Long Periods in August in winter in the spring in 1981 in the 1982s in the next year in the Ice Age in the past/future On Saturday on Wednesdays on 9 July on 31 Dec, 2006 on Diwali Day on Republic Day on my anniversary on Christmass Eve on Days and Dates

Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions: Expression at noon at the weekend at Diwali at the same time at present Example The sun shines at noon. I usually meet my friends at the weekend. I give gifts to my friends at Diwali. We purchased the books at the same time. Hes home at present. So go and meet him.

Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions: in
in the evening in the evenings in the afternoon(s) in the morning(s)

on
on Monday evening on Monday evenings on Sunday afternoons on Monday mornings

Eye Opener

When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in, on. I went to Delhi last July. (not in last July) He's coming back next Monday. (not on next Monday) I go home every Diwali. (not at every Diwali) We'll meet you this evening. (not in this evening)

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 2

____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

PREPOSITION POSITIONING
(a) A preposition usually precedes its object. E.g. is a great lover She Subject Verb of Preposition movies. object

The above arrow indicates the placement of the preposition before the object movies. (b) Examine the given sentences carefully: Who is the boy you were speaking of? Object Preposition This is the toy that you were searching for. Object Preposition It is beauty she is bent upon. Object Preposition Confused??? The prepositions in the above sentences follow the object. Well, they are correctly placed. In the case of; interrogative pronouns, relative pronouns and when an emphasis on the object is desired preposition is placed after its object.

OMISSION OF THE PREPOSITION

Prepositions like; from, for and in are often omitted when the sentences contain noun of time and place. This is further elucidated with the help of the following example: I cannot wait any longer. (Noun expressing time) Here longer is the noun expressing time so, there is no need to add any preposition. We dont use prepositions with words and phrases like: This morning This afternoon Home Every week Last Tuesday Next Year

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 3

____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

ADVERB OR PREPOSITION????
There are some words, which can function both as a preposition and as an adverb depending upon the sense they convey. Words like; since, after, before, in, etc can be used both as Adverbs and as Prepositions. Lets check out the following examples to see how in performs a double role of an Adverb and a Preposition. Consider the following Sentences. 1. Kindly come in. In this sentence in is functioning as an adverb. Since it answers the question where? 2. Ram is sitting in the car. In this sentence in functions as a preposition because it states the position of the noun Ram. Some important Clues regarding Preposition Usage

CLUE 1

Junior, senior, elder, inferior, superior, prior, interior, prefer are followed by to. But my senior officer, my junior officer, his prior approval, etc. are used without to. 1. 2. 4. Character is preferable to wealth. He is more senior to me not only in service but also in age. My senior officer is proposing to proceed on leave next week. (no error)

CLUE 2

The words need not, better, rather are not followed by to. 1. 2. You need not worry about your health. Something is better than nothing.

CLUE 3

The word Call at is used for place, whereas, Call upon or Call on is used for persons. 1. 2. All of us called at her office. They called upon us yesterday to discuss the Cash Credit Account.

CLUE 4

Different and Separation are followed by From instead of other words. 1. 2. Under these circumstances, I cannot bear separation from my sister. It is quite different from this.

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 4

____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

CLUE 5

Though in, at, and on have similar meanings, but there are conventions about their use. Generally speaking, in is used before large places such as a country, state, city etc. On is used before middle sized places such as a road, train, plane, ship, street, table etc. At is used to denote an exact spot (at the door) or the no. of the house (at 212, Almond Street). In is also used to denote very small places such as room, house, car etc. Example: Mr. John was staying in a room at Door no. 29 on Richmond Street

in Detroit on the West Coast in Michigan State in USA.

CLUE 6

There is difference between few, little and a few, a little. Few is used incase of countable nouns. Few means no and a few means some. Much and Less are used in the case of uncountable nouns, while fewer is used for countable nouns. Like, unlike are prepositions and Alike is an adverb. 1. 2. The twins look alike.

Unlike other turtles, marine turtles breathe air through their

lungs and lay eggs on land.

CLUE 7

The preposition between must always be followed by the conjunction and as in the phrases between Ram and Sham and always in two persons. In case of more than two persons among is used. Both among and amongst are used for more than two persons and things but amongst is used before a vowel. The preposition from must always be followed by to as in from Monday to Friday.

CLUE 8

Each other is used for two persons & things. Whereas, One another is used for more-than two. 1. 2. 3. All the five brothers were quarreling with one another over their fathers property. They were discussing the point with each other/They were discussing the point with one another. (no error) Ambika & Sonia are fast friends. They love each other very much.

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 5

____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

COMMON PREPOSITIONAL USAGES

abhorrence of abstain from access to account for acquainted with adapt to affection for alarmed at allot to ambition for anxiety for appeal to approach to aptitude for ask about/for assurance of attention to backward in beg for belong to beset with blame for boast of breakdown breakthrough busy with canvass for carry on cautious of check out coincide with commence on compare to complain of conceal from confer with confined to congratulate on consist of/in contemporary with contrary to conversant with convince of abide by accede to accompanied by accuse of/by acquiesce in addicted to afraid of alight from along with angry at apologize to appetite for approve of argue with assent to assure of authority on bargain with beg of/ beg from beneficial to beware of bless with born of break-in brushing down call on/at capacity for catching up cease from clamour for collide with comment on comparison with comply with concede to confidence in conformity with conscious of conspicuous for contempt for contribute to convey to cope with absorbed in acceptable to according to accustomed to acquit of adhere to aim at alliance with alternative to antidote to apology for apply to apprised of arrive at associate with atone for away from bear with believe in bereft of bigoted in blow-up break out/outbreak break-up build up candidate for care for/of caution against charge with clean up come down common to compassion for composed of condemn to confident of conform to consent to conspire against contended with control over convicted of correspond with

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 6

____________________________________________________________________ count on dabble in defer to delight in demand for deprive of desire for desperate of deviate from disagree with dispense with dissuade from divert from dressing down dwell on elicit from emerge from engaged to enter into envious of excel in expose to faith in familiar with favor with feel for fit for free from get at give away goings on grasp at greedy of guilty of hinge on honest in ignorant of impress on/upon indifferent to infected with innocent of interfere with invite to craving for deal with/in deficient in delighted with depend on derogate from desirous of destined to devoted to disastrous to dispose of distrust of divide between drop down eager to eligible for encroach on enlarge on entitled to equal to exemption from expostulate with faithful to famous for fearful of fight against fond of full of get over glad of good of/at grateful for grown up heedless of hint at hope for imbued with impute to indulgent to infer from insist on intimate with involved in crowned with defective in deliberate on deliver from dependent on/upon derogatory to despair of detrimental to differ with/from disgusted with dissent from distrustful of drenched with due to ear for embark on endow with enquire of entrust to escape from experienced in fail in false to fatal to feed on fill with fondness for furnish with gifted with glance at grapple with grateful to grumble at hindrance to hold up hostile to implicated in indebted to infatuated with inflict on inspired with intrigue with irrelevant to

Top Careers & You

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 7

____________________________________________________________________ jest at kind to lead to liable for listen loyal to mourn for obedient to occupied with open to painful to passion for persist in plunge into pray to pretend to previous to prior to prohibit from prop up proud of put down ready for reduce to regardless of rely on repent of resolve on revert to rule over sell out set back show off slave to sorry for stipulate submit to sue for superior to surrender to take over thankful to tolerant of join in land in let down lie in long for meddle with negligent of object to occur to operate on part with pay for pertinent to point at prefer to prevail on prey upon productive of prolong by protect from provide with quarrel with recoil from refer to rejoice at remonstrate with replete with responsible to rich in satisfied with send for set up sick of slip up speak for stoop to subsist on sufficient for supply with suspicious of taste of think of touched with jump at laugh at let out liking for look at mobbed by notorious for obliged to offensive to overcome with partial to peculiar to pine for popular with prepared for prevail over pride in proficient in prompt in protest to pry into quick at recover from refrain from relevant to renowned for repugnant to restricted to rid of search for sensible of short of similar to slow in/at stick to strike at succumb to suitable to sure of sympathize with testify to tide over trample on/upon

Top Careers & You

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 8

____________________________________________________________________ trifle with vain of victory over walk out welcome to wonder at write up trust with versed in vie with wanting in wish for worthy of yearn for turn out victim of void of weary of withdraw from write off yield to

Top Careers & You

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 9

____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

COMMON PHRASAL (PREPOSITION) USAGES

at peace with at the rate of (by means of) by order of by virtue of for (the) love of for the good of in accordance with in aid of in charge of in conflict with in consideration of in exchange for (instead of) in obedience to in place of in recognition of in response to in sight of in support of in the event of in the matter of in token of on account of on the chance of on the strength of on/under the to the satisfaction of the expense of at the risk of by force of by reason of (because of) for lack of for the purpose of in addition to in answer to in combination with in conjunction with in contrast to/with in honor of in memory of in opposition to in proportion to in relation to in return for (able to see) in the course of in the form of in the wake of (as a sign of) on behalf of on the occasion of (relying upon) pretence of to the surprise of the head of by dint of by means of by the side of by/with the help of for the benefit of for the sake of in agreement with in anticipation of in compliance with in connection with in defence of in lieu of in need of in peril of (in danger of) in pursuit of in remembrance of in (search of in spite of in the custody of in the habit of (behind, following) in/with the hope of on the basis of on the part of on/to the right/to the left of to the joy of

with an eye to (with an intention of)

Conjunction
A conjunction is a word that joins two words, phrases, or clauses. Some commonly used conjunctions are: And, but, or, nor, for, yet, so,

The teacher asked him that why he was late. The teacher asked him why he was late.

Joining words: Rakesh and Suresh drafted the blue prints. Joining phrases: During the day and throughout the evening, Andrea worked. Joining clauses: Our sales representative made the sale, and the secretary prepared the papers.

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 10

____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

Some Important Conjunctions are given below: Conjunctions of Place Conjunctions of Time : : where, wherever, whatever. when, while, after, before, as soon as, no sooner than, till, until, whenever, since. Conjunctions of Purpose Conjunctions of Condition Conjunctions of Concession Conjunctions of Manner Conjunctions of Reason : : : : : so that, in order that, lest. if, unless, provided that though, although, even though, but, however, yet, in spite of how why, because.

Rule 1. The following conjunctions are used in pairs: Though yet Such that As so Neither Nor Not only but also Whether or Lest should 1. 2. 3. Hardly When So, as as Rather, other - than Either or One ones No sooner than Both - and Scarcely before or when Such as

Though Ram played well still he lost the match. (yet) Hardly had he gone out than it started raining. (when) No sooner did he reach the station then train whistled off. (than)

Rule 2. Although the conjunctions because, since & for are used to give the reason for an action or situation. There is great difference in their use. (a) Because is generally used when the reason is the most important part of a sentence. 1. (b) Some people envy me because I am a very successful artist. Since is used when the reason is already known or is less important than the chief statement. 2. (c) 3. Since you refuse to co-operate, I shall have to take legal steps. The servant must have opened the box, for no one else had the key. 'For' suggests that the reason is given as an afterthought

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 11

____________________________________________________________________

Top Careers & You

TIP
This little story should help you understand the difference between the and a, an: A boy and a girl were walking on the Mall. The girl saw an icecream parlour and she wanted to have an icecream. She asked the boy to buy the icecream with chocolate sauce on it. He said: Do you think the shop will accept the payment through credit card? I dont have my valet.

Article: A, An or The.
Most of the time we are confused regarding when do we say; the man" and when do we say "a man"? Lets solve this mystery out. The and a/an constitute "articles". We divide them into "definite" and "indefinite" like this: Articles Definite the Indefinite a, an

The dictionary meaning of the word "definite" is to be sure, certain. "Definite" refers to something particular. Once you are clear with the meaning of the word; definite, you can easily guess what indefinite means. You are right its simply the opposite of definite. It means not sure, not certain. "Indefinite" is something in general. When we are talking about one thing in particular, we use the. When we are talking about one thing in general, we use a or an.
Think of an office. In the office there is one boss and hundreds of workers.

So, normally we could say: I saw the boss in the morning. I saw a worker in the morning.

Look at these examples: the a, an I was born in a city. He never has an omelet for dinner. We all ordered a drink. We took an umbrella. Have you got a spoon?

The capital of India is Delhi.

I have found the pen that I lost. Have you cleaned the bike? There are six apples in the basket. Please switch off the fan when you leave.

But remember we can use the or a/an for the same word. It depends on the situation.

_____________________________________________________________________ Page : 12