Prepositions

what is a preposition?

think about the name:

preposition

pre… position

before a place pre… position

before a place pre… position I go to the cinema.

before a place pre… position I go to the cinema

before a place pre… position I go to the cinema.

the preposition describes the relationship between the verb and the place I go to the cinema.

to into out of past behind etc. I go the cinema.

preposition of movement or ? preposition of movement or adverb of direction

He goes into the office. He goes in.

preposition He goes into the office. He goes in. adverb

He goes out of the office.

He goes out of the office. adverb preposition He goes out of the office. He goes out. adverb

how to study prepositions

the smaller the word the less it translates

with prepositions (and articles) DON’T translate

learn the rules for: prepositions of time prepositions of place prepositions of movement

BUT memorise: dependant prepositions phrasal verbs common errors

basic prepositions of time

3 o’clock midnight the moment exact time at Monday 4th July my birthday Christmas day days and dates on March summer 1997 the ’60s the morning / afternoon / evening periods in weekends / the weekend Christmas / Easter night exceptions at

I arrived 8 pm. What did you do Easter? summer they go to the sea. We saw him Thursday. Did you see her last week? It was the morning. They study night. We finished the same time.

prepositions of place and movement

movement go / drive / walk verbs preposition + home place be / stay / work at / in be at home starting and stopping leave - leave - home arrive at / in / on arrive - home movement go / drive / walk to go - home

We went home. She walked The bus left She arrived work. the station. Rome. We stayed a hotel. When do they arrive Italy? They came back home. Did you stay home?

on for technology & in for paper

on the phone on a computer on the radio on the TV on an iPod

in a book in a magazine in the (news)paper BUT on the page

dependent prepositions after verbs

depend on listen to wait for increase / decrease by

dependent prepositions after adjectives

interested in good / bad at afraid of angry with angry about fed up with happy with married to similar to same as

nice / kind / rude of sb. (be) nice / kind / horrible to sb. eg. It was nice of him to give you a lift. He was horrible to his wife.

sorry about sth. sorry for doing sth. eg. Sorry about the noise last night. I’m sorry for not phoning you. NB. Sorry I’m late.

dependent prepositions after nouns

opinion of increase / decrease in possibility of

phrasal verbs

look at look for look after

get to get into / out of get onto / off

get on with sb. get sb. down get over sth./sb. get together check the meaning of these verbs in the OALD or Grammar Reference

give sth. away give sth. back give in give sth. out give sth. up give up check the meaning of these verbs in the OALD or Grammar Reference

! no preposition in Italian

listen to – ascoltare look at – guardare look for – cercare search for – cercare wait for – aspettare

! no preposition in English

call / phone etc. – telefonare a ask – chiedere a answer – rispondere a call / phone etc. – telefonare a

! some common errors

ask to sb. married with sb. pay sth. on the newspaper listen sth. good in sth. sorry for sth. increase in sth.

exercise

find and correct the errors

He listens music in MTV. I paid a beer to him into the bar. She got married with an Indian on ’64. The article on the paper was from a leading journalist. We went at her home in Monday. Sorry for my late on the morning. I answer to the phone on weekends.

He listens _ music in MTV. I paid _ a beer to him into the bar. She got married with an Indian on ’64. The article on the paper was from a leading journalist. We went at her home in Monday. Sorry for my late on the morning. I answer to the phone on weekends.

He listens to music in MTV. I paid for a beer for him at/in the bar. She got married to an Indian in ’64. The article in the paper was by a leading journalist. We went to hers on Monday. Sorry I was late in the morning. I answer _ the phone at weekends.

translating

fino a

until [time] up to [number] as far as [distance]

da

from [origin; starting point] by [passive] for / since [in Present Perfect]

at / to Bob’s [= Bob’s house] at / to the Chemist’s at / to mine [= my house] at / to Bob’s [= Bob’s house] at / to the Chemist’s [= the Chemist’s shop]

homework

Module 6, parts 12, 13 & 16

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