Questions tagged [prepositions]
Prepositions are function words like "to", "over", "through", "in". The meaning of a sentence can be dramatically altered by choosing the wrong preposition. Questions need to include enough information for the intended meaning to be deduced.
4,249 questions
0
votes
1
answer
331
views
Do we ever use "treatment with" instead of "treatment of"?
I'm trying to understand the syntax/meaning in the following sentence:
The poet was distinguished by concise treatment with the paraphernalia of fire that were characteristic of the genre.
My ...
- 69
0
votes
2
answers
88
views
Is "[...]by only no state-prison offenses correct[...]?
In the first chapter of Walden, Economy, Thoreau writes:
It is very evident what mean and sneaking lives many of you live, for my
sight has been whetted by experience; always on the limits, trying to ...
- 1,782
-1
votes
1
answer
79
views
What role does the preposition “with” play in this sentence?
What role does the preposition “with” play in this grammatical sentence?
Cheating is the way of man. We deny that all wars are based on deception.
It can certainly be a big part of it. However, with ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
370
views
Is it correct to say "he led me through a path"?
Is it correct to say: "he led me through a path in the forest"?
Here, path has been used as a synonym of 'road' or 'street' and is trying to convey the idea that you are traversing a path in ...
- 21
-1
votes
2
answers
71
views
Grammatical error in the expression "what would occur without"
Background
There is a system called YOLO which identifies objects in an image. For instance, YOLO can identify dog, bicycle, and car as objects in the image.
Internally YOLO uses a neural network ...
- 131
-1
votes
2
answers
73
views
How to properly phrase a sentence in which the two key words of the OR clause use different prepositions
Given these two sentences:
The mixin is a method of adding to the properties of a Javascript class.
The mixin is a method of removing from the properties of a Javascript class.
I'd like to combine ...
- 3,039
0
votes
2
answers
51
views
Where should I put the prepositional phrase? [closed]
Where should the prepositional phrase go in this sentence?
A student with an adventurous mind like me cannot be happier than this.
or
A student like me with an adventurous mind cannot be happier ...
- 1
0
votes
2
answers
69
views
Does the preposition "to" work here? "I was glad to change schools to people"
I came across this sentence from a book by an American author but the line doesn't sound right to me, in particular with "to people who"
So I was glad to change schools to people who were ...
- 804
0
votes
1
answer
192
views
What is the meaning of 'was to be knocked clean through the chimney'?
How often my wife was at me about that projected grand entrance-hall of hers, which was to be knocked clean through the chimney,
What is the meaning of the highlighted section?
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
78
views
Is 'Coming' used as participle preposition?
"Coming less than a year after the ignominious US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Moscow's absorption of Ukraine would have further undermined the credibility of US as a global power. "
This is ...
- 81
1
vote
1
answer
1k
views
The activity starts next week or starts from next week?
Which one is correct, the activity starts next week or starts from next week? And why?
Longman Dictionary has this entry for 'start' in this sense:
intransitive, transitive: to begin happening, or to ...
- 842
2
votes
0
answers
111
views
"The exam sheet should only be used to write answers (on)"
Do I need the prepositions in these sentences?
The exam sheet should only be used to write answers (on).
The blanks should only be used to write answers (in).
The equipment should only be used to ...
- 804
1
vote
2
answers
90
views
Why can a sentence finish in a preposition? [duplicate]
I've seen a lot of sentences that finish in a preposition.
For example,
She never took a taxi, even though she could afford to.
Why isn't this sentence like this?
She never took a taxi, even though ...
- 11
0
votes
3
answers
149
views
Something registered against your ID
Recently I read an article with the title :
How to check all the phone numbers registered against your identity card.
Is use of preposition against correct here? I thought why not use the ...
- 101
1
vote
2
answers
364
views
Which preposition is better in “get down (off / from) something”, off or from? [duplicate]
Consider these two possibilities:
A cat couldn't get down off the tree in the parking lot.
A cat couldn't get down from the tree in the parking lot.
It seems like from fits better. But what about ...
- 195
0
votes
1
answer
105
views
When can adjectives directly follow prepositions? "to the point of unnoticeable"
I think it's possible for them to fade away to the point of unnoticeable.
This is a line I'm writing. "To the point of unnoticeable" just sounds natural enough to me not to bat an eye about ...
- 804
0
votes
1
answer
103
views
Order of time from certain time to general time [duplicate]
Here is the time order that I found quite confusing in a sentence, following with the sample sentence that I saw from a piece of teaching material:
The school party is on June 8th at 8 o'clock in the ...
- 1
-1
votes
0
answers
15
views
Is it substitute by or substitute for by [duplicate]
Original sentence:
You substitute A for B.
Which of these is correct transformation of that sentence?
B is substituted by A.
B is substituted for by A.
- 173
0
votes
0
answers
255
views
What preposition I should use with the word "application"?
Which one of the following three sentences is correct? I am not sure what preposition I should use with the word "application". Thanks.
My job is to facilitate the application of this new ...
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
52
views
Grammar "at" or "in"
I wish to send my personal statement to a university and I had a problem writing it.
I wanted to know if I should use "in the Lally School of Management" or "at the Lally School of ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
498
views
Obvious to/for you
What's the difference between using to and for with an adjective to separate it from a pronoun?
I have found some similar questions about this topic, yet all those are not exactly about this concrete ...
- 77
0
votes
1
answer
898
views
Being a friend to someone vs Being a friend of someone [closed]
What's the difference between these two sentences?
He is a close friend of my sister.
He is a close friend to my sister.
- 1
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Understanding something vs. understanding 'of' something? [duplicate]
"Understanding something" or "understanding of something"? Is there a general rule? Or does it depend on the context? If it is context dependent, what about this sentence:
...
- 839
0
votes
1
answer
52
views
Sick [with/by] dengue [closed]
Which preposition is correct for this meaning(that the disease that "attacked" me was dengue)
▪︎ I tell my friend what the disease "attacked" me is by saying this, "I was sick ...
user470503
0
votes
1
answer
55
views
Which preposition should I use after "one-sided"?
I have this sentence:
In this animation, the referee is one-sided (towards | to | for) the team with blue jerseys.
Out of these three prepositions ("towards", "to" and "for&...
- 619
3
votes
1
answer
122
views
With adjective uses of the to-infinitive like 'a place to live in', is the preposition 'in' necessary?
a house to live in
a place to live in
Does the second example essentially need the preposition 'in'?
In the first example, the noun 'house' is a specific place, so I've known to use to-infinitive it ...
- 149
2
votes
2
answers
164
views
How acceptable are prepositional phrase complements to PPs themselves? [closed]
https://linguisticsgirl.com/prepositional-complement-english-grammar/
gives these examples for PPs accepting another PP as complement:
My mother thought about under the bed.
She is worrying about in ...
user163011
0
votes
1
answer
392
views
Verbatim in comparative sentence. Which preposition should I use?
Looking at some examples of the usage of the word verbatim, I found cases where you talk about a single object (a piece of text for example) and use verbatim as an adverb as a synonim of "exactly,...
- 402
8
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Does "have experience..." take a preposition?
I often struggle with whether "experience + noun/gerund" should include a preposition — and no matter how much digging I do in style manuals, dictionaries, and web search results, I never ...
- 103
2
votes
2
answers
410
views
Indian English language prepositions [closed]
What is difference between preposition here (In and To)?
Why we use : Israel ambassador to India.
Why don't we use : Israel ambassador in India.
- 29
-1
votes
1
answer
86
views
initiation into/to/of programming [closed]
I would like to translate a name of a course "Initiation à la programmation" in French to English. The course aims at presenting students with the very basic concepts of programming and make ...
- 103
0
votes
3
answers
244
views
What does "Stack Exchange" function as in "I love Internet forums, for example Stack Exchange"?
Notice that in the sentence
I love Internet forums, like Stack Exchange
"like" is a preposition and "Stack Exchange" is its object.
Substitute "like" with "for ...
user468388
0
votes
1
answer
64
views
Preposition “under” and “above”
Situation: Susan and Jane live in the same flat. Jane’s room is 201, on the 2nd floor, while Susan’s is 301, on the 3rd floor.
Is it correct to say “Susan’s room is above Jane’s and Jane’s room is ...
- 53
1
vote
1
answer
635
views
The use of subsequent to something
I wanted to know whether the expression below is used correctly. More specifically, is it a good idea to use "subsequent" at the beginning of a sentence or not? I've seen multiple examples ...
- 15
0
votes
2
answers
157
views
Where to put “to” in this sentence?
The wide range of problems this plan has —- from problem x, to problem
y, to problem z —- shows that it will not be practical.
Should I use ‘to’ with all of those nouns which come after ‘from’ in ...
- 3,505
0
votes
3
answers
109
views
Is "at the beginning" possible without of?
Dictionaries state that "at the beginning" is often used with of. For example, at the beginning of the month/book/movie and so on. But I assume of isn't obligatory, right?
Cambridge ...
- 19
1
vote
1
answer
64
views
What does "with" mean here? And is the "which" clause illegal?
Recently I read this sentence from a text book Differential Games written by a native US professer:
Small circles indicate that it is P's move, that is, with the minimizing player rests the decision ...
- 13
0
votes
4
answers
306
views
Preposition after "Credited" [closed]
Which is grammatically correct between to and as? If both are available, which is more natural?
Ex1) You made a serious blunder in the CD booklet! The track1 composer is mistakenly credited as/to Mr. ...
- 171
-1
votes
1
answer
175
views
Is "a rant on <topic>" equivalent to "a rant about <topic>"?
Is it correct to rant on something? Or is ranting about the only correct usage of the word? E.g. "He's been ranting on his landlord all evening".
- 237
-1
votes
0
answers
381
views
What prepositions does ‘are concerned’ take? [closed]
What is the most appropriate preposition to go with the verb phrase are concerned in the following sentence from some test or homework?
Although ballet and modern dance are both concerned [ in / to / ...
1
vote
0
answers
60
views
Open somebody a whole new world [closed]
Context: our software aims at helping graphic designers to better design.
So I think it is grammatically correct to say "Our software will open a whole new world for graphic designers".
But ...
- 103
0
votes
1
answer
829
views
'Help determine' vs 'help in determining'
I'm not a native English speaker and I'm having trouble understanding the usage of a preposition in the following example
These models can help regulate and determine pattern formation
These models ...
- 111
0
votes
1
answer
71
views
Should you duplicate prepositions when using conjunctions? [closed]
Should you duplicate prepositions when using conjunctions?
Example sentence:
I swam across the river to exercise and to relax.
Grammatically, I believe it makes equal sense as the following sentence:...
0
votes
0
answers
66
views
Preposition drop in classifier constructions
Not being a native speaker, I’m rather intrigued by the conditioning environment of the rule which allows one to drop the preposition of in English classifier constructions of the form (1) (like e.g. ...
- 529
-2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Do you provide support "to" or "for" a task? [closed]
I would like to know which is correct?
This software provides comprehensive support to user tasks.
This software provides comprehensive support for user tasks.
- 103
2
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Which preposition should be used in this translation? "Analysis… through/with/by neural networks"
I am not a native English speaker, so I have a quick question.
I have to translate my thesis' title into English.
This is the German sentence:
Analyse und Anomalieerkennung elektrischer Verbraucher ...
- 84
0
votes
2
answers
75
views
Does "…with vaccine misinformation now a key concern" mean "…and vaccine misinformation is now a major concern"? [closed]
Misinformation continually threatens efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic, with vaccine misinformation now a key concern.
I am confused about the usage of "with". When I translate the ...
12
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Preposition of the word "short-sighted"?
I have a message "It is so short-sighted ... John to leave school".
I can't decide to fill in the three dot, "for" or "of".
My Friend told me that "[short-sighted] ...
- 121
0
votes
1
answer
56
views
adverb placement and usage of preposition "of" when used together
Related question to adverb placement
Which is the correct placement of "of" in phrases like "consists roughly of".
Linked question enumerates these possibilities:
"primarily ...
- 113
0
votes
1
answer
115
views
Is the position of preposition "to" correct in "To what they are compared…"?
I'd like to know whether the following sentence is grammatically acceptable.
To what they are compared defines their relationship.
Should I say "What they are compared to defines their ...
- 19