4/23/2016
Prepositions|GrammarRules
Home
OrdertheBook
EnglishRules
EnglishUsageVideos
Quizzes
GrammarBlog
AboutJane
EditingServices
Links
Advertise
Contact
Prepositions
MoreGrammarRules:
Search
Definition
Aprepositionisawordorsetofwordsthatindicateslocation(in,near,beside,ontopof)
orsomeotherrelationshipbetweenanounorpronounandotherpartsofthesentence
(about,after,besides,insteadof,inaccordancewith).Aprepositionisn'tapreposition
unlessitgoeswitharelatednounorpronoun,calledtheobjectofthepreposition.
Examples:
Let'smeetbeforenoon.
Beforeisaprepositionnoonisitsobject.
Gmail for Work
Look more professional with
custom Gmail from Google
We'venevermetbefore.
Thereisnoobjectbeforeisanadverbmodifyingmet.
Rule1.Aprepositiongenerally,butnotalways,goesbeforeitsnounorpronoun.Oneofthe
undyingmythsofEnglishgrammaristhatyoumaynotendasentencewithapreposition.But
lookatthefirstexamplethatfollows.Nooneshouldfeelcompelledtosay,orevenwrite,That
issomethingwithwhichIcannotagree.Justdonotuseextraprepositionswhenthemeaning
isclearwithoutthem.
Start free trial
GrammarBook.comTh
17,087likes
Correct:ThatissomethingIcannotagreewith.
Correct:Wheredidyougetthis?
LikePage
Share
Incorrect:Wheredidyougetthisat?
Correct:HowmanyofyoucanIdependon?
Bethefirstofyourfriendstolikethis
Correct:Wheredidhego?
Incorrect:Wheredidhegoto?
Rule2a.Theprepositionlikemeans"similarto"or"similarlyto."Itshouldbefollowedbyan
objectofthepreposition(noun,pronoun,nounphrase),notbyasubjectandverb.Ruleof
thumb:Avoidlikewhenaverbisinvolved.
Correct:
Youlooklikeyourmother.
Thatis,youlooksimilartoher.(Motheristheobjectoftheprepositionlike.)
Incorrect:
Youlooklikeyourmotherdoes.
(Avoidlikewithnoun+verb.)
http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/probPrep.asp
1/3
4/23/2016
Prepositions|GrammarRules
Rule2b.Insteadoflike,useas,asif,asthough,orthewaywhenfollowingacomparisonwith
asubjectandverb.
Correct:Youlookthewayyourmotherdoes.
Incorrect:DolikeIask.(NoonewouldsayDosimilarlytoIask.)
Correct:DoasIask.
Incorrect:Youlooklikeyou'reangry.
Correct:Youlookasifyou'reangry.(ORasthough)
Somespeakersandwriters,toavoidembarrassment,useaswhentheymeanlike.The
followingincorrectsentencecamefromagrammarguide:
Incorrect:TheyareconsideredasanyotherEnglishwords.
Correct:TheyareconsideredasanyotherEnglishwordswouldbe.
Correct:TheyareconsideredtobelikeanyotherEnglishwords.
Remember:likemeans"similarto"or"similarlyto"asmeans"inthesamemannerthat."Rule
ofthumb:Donotuseasunlessthereisaverbinvolved.
Top5GrammarBlogPosts
Incorrect:I,asmostpeople,trytousegoodgrammar.
Capitalization of Academic Degrees
Correct:I,likemostpeople,trytousegoodgrammar.
Into vs. In to
Correct:I,asmostpeopledo,trytousegoodgrammar.
Writing Dates and Times
Apostrophes with Words Ending in
"s"
NOTE
Theruledistinguishinglikefromas,asif,asthough,andthewayisincreasinglyignored,but
Englishpuristsstillinsistuponit.
Titles of Books, Plays, Articles, etc.:
Underline? Italics? Quotation
Marks?
Rule3.Theprepositionofshouldneverbeusedinplaceofthehelpingverbhave.
Correct:Ishouldhavedoneit.
Incorrect:Ishouldofdoneit.
SeealsoCOUPLEOFOFFOFOUTOFOUTSIDEOF.
Rule4.Itisagoodpracticetofollowdifferentwiththeprepositionfrom.Mosttraditionalists
avoiddifferentthan.Althoughitisanoverstatementtocalldifferentthanincorrect,itremains
polarizing:AisdifferentthanBcomesacrossassloppytoalotofliteratereaders.Ifyoucan
replacedifferentthanwithdifferentfromwithouthavingtorewritetherestofthesentence,why
notdoso?
Polarizing:You'redifferentthanIam.
Unchallengeable:You'redifferentfromme.
SeealsoDIFFERENTFROM,DIFFERENTTHAN.
Rule5.Useintoratherthanintoexpressmotiontowardsomething.Useintotellthelocation.
Correct:Iswaminthepool.
Correct:Iwalkedintothehouse.
Correct:Ilookedintothematter.
Incorrect:Idivedinthewater.
Correct:Idivedintothewater.
Incorrect:Throwitinthetrash.
Correct:Throwitintothetrash.
AREYOUREADYFORTHEQUIZ?
Adsby Google
Exercises Rules WWWGrammar Meaning
http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/probPrep.asp
2/3
4/23/2016
Prepositions|GrammarRules
GrammarBook.comSiteMap
Home
OrdertheBook
EnglishRules
EnglishUsageVideos
FREEQuizzes
SubscriptionQuizzes
GrammarBlog
AboutJane
EditingServices
Links
Advertise
Contact
Get Gmail For Your Domain
Custom Business Email Address. Start With Free Google Apps Trial.
MaterialcreatedbyJaneStrausandGrammarBook.com.CopyrightbyJaneStraus/GrammarBook.com.Allmaterialscontainedin
thismembershipsubscriptionareamaybereproducedanddistributed.However,youmaynotalterthematerialorremovethis
noticeofcopyright.
http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/probPrep.asp
PrivacyPolicyAdvertisewithUs
Your#1SourceforGrammarandPunctuation
2016GrammarBook.com
3/3
