10 th Edition, © 2011, Cengage Learning Chapter 12 Prepositions

Commonly Used Prepositions Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-2 about after along with at between but by except for whom in into of on to

Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-3 Use objective-case pronouns as objects of prepositions. Everyone except Leslie and her arrived early. Just between you and me, sales are declining.

They should have (not of ) walked to the restaurant We could have (not of ) received free tickets. Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-4  Do not substitute the preposition of for the verb have. Typical Problems With Prepositions

Christine borrowed the pen from (not off of ) Brandon. Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-5  Do not replace the preposition from with the words off or off of. Typical Problems With Prepositions

Give the cash receipts to the courier. Sales reps received laptops and cell phones too. The car was too small to carry the equipment. Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-6  Do not use the word to in place of the adverb too, which means “additionally” or “excessively.” Typical Problems With Prepositions

Challenging Prepositions Among, between Beside, besides Except In, into, in to Like Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-7

Among, Between Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-8 Among is used to speak of three or more persons or things; between is used for two. Profits will be divided among the nine partners. Responsibility will be divided between the vice president and the general manager.

Beside, Besides Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-9 Beside means “next to”; besides means “in addition to.” The carpool parking lot is beside the office. You have another option besides this one.

Except Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-10 Use the preposition except to mean “but” or “excluding.” Use the verb accept to mean “receive.” All pages except three must be copied. We will now accept applications for the position.

In, Into, In to Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-11 In indicates a position or location. Into as one word means three things:  Entering into something. She plans to go into accounting. We will move into new facilities May 1.

In, Into, In to Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-12  Making contact. Unable to stop, he ran into the back of the car in front of him. BUT Please turn the report in to your boss on time.  Changing the form of something. The caterpillar changed into a butterfly.

Like Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-13 The preposition like should be used to introduce nouns or pronouns. Do not use like to introduce clauses. Don’t you think Rachel looks like her? They look as if (not like ) they could be sisters.

Necessary Prepositions Be sure to include those prepositions necessary to clarify a relationship. Be particularly careful when two prepositions modify a single object. Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-14

Examples Our appreciation for and interest in the project remain great. (Do not omit for.) What style of printing do you prefer? (Do not omit of.) She graduated from high school last year. (Do not omit from.) Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-15

Unnecessary Prepositions Omit unnecessary prepositions. Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-16 I’m not sure when the meeting is scheduled (not scheduled for ). Boxes were left outside (not outside of ) the door.

Terminal Prepositions In formal writing, careful writers avoid ending clauses with prepositions. Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-17 Less FormalMore Formal What topic did he lecture on ? On what topic did he lecture? To whom do you wish to speak? Whom do you wish to speak to ?

Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-18 agree on mutual ideas agree to a proposal agree with a person “Idioms” are word combinations that are peculiar to a certain language. In English learn to use specific prepositions with particular words. Here are a few examples: Idiomatic Expressions

Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-19 angry at a thing angry with a person correspond to a thing correspond with a person differ from things differ with persons different from (not than ) Idiomatic Expressions

Chapter 12, Guffey-Seefer, Business English, 10e, Copyright 2011 Cengage Learning, All Rights Reserved12-20 expert in plan to (not on ) to retroactive to (not from ) sensitive to talk to (tell something) talk with (exchange remarks) Idiomatic Expressions