Prepositions
A preposition describes a relationship between other words in a sentence. In itself, a word like
"in" or "after" is rather meaningless and hard to define in mere words. For instance, when you do try
to define a preposition like "in" or "between" or "on," you invariably use your hands to show how
something is situated in relationship to something else. Prepositions are nearly always combined with
other words in structures called prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases can be made up of a
million different words, but they tend to be built the same: a preposition followed by
a determiner and an adjective or two, followed by a pronoun or noun (called the object of the
preposition). This whole phrase, in turn, takes on a modifying role, acting as anadjective or
an adverb, locating something in time and space, modifying a noun, or telling when or where or
under what conditions something happened.
Prepositions of place
Preposition of Explanation Example
place
in inside I watch TV in the living-room
I live in New York
Look at the picture in the book
She looks at herself in the
mirror.
She is in the car.
Look at the girl in the picture
This is the best team in the
world
at used to show an exact position or I met her at the entrance, at the
particular place bus stop
table She sat at the table
events at a concert, at the party
place where you are to do at the
something typical (watch a film, movies, at university, at work
study, work)
on attached Look at the picture on the wall
next to or along the side of (river) Cambridge is on the River Cam.
used to show that something is in a The book is on the desk
position above something else and A smile on his face
touching it. The shop is on the left
left, right My apartment is on the first
a floor in a house floor
used for showing some methods of I love traveling on trains /on the
traveling bus / on a plane
television, radio My favorite
program on TV, on the radio
by, next to, not far away in distance The girl who is by / next
beside, near
to / besidethe house.
between in or into the space which separates The town lies
two places, people or objects halfway between Rome and
Florence.
behind at the back (of) I hung my coat behind the door.
in front of further forward than someone or She started talking to the man in
something else front of her
under lower than (or covered by) the cat is under the chair.
something else
below lower than something else. the plane is just below the the
cloud
over above or higher than something She held the umbrella over both
else, sometimes so that one thing of us.
covers the other. Most of the carpets
more than. are over $100.
across from one side to the other. I walked over the bridge
overcoming an obstacle She jumped over the gate
above higher than something else, but not a path above the lake
directly over it
across from one side to the other of She walked across the
something with clear limits / field/road.
getting to the other side He sailed across the Atlantic
through from one end or side of something They walked
to the other slowly through the woods.
to in the direction of We went to Prague last year.
bed I go to bed at ten.
into towards the inside or middle of Shall we go into the garden?
something and about to be
contained, surrounded or enclosed
by it
towards in the direction of, or closer to She stood up and
someone or something walked towardshim.
onto used to show movement into or on I slipped as I stepped onto the
a particular place platform.
from used to show the place where What time does the
someone or something starts: flight fromAmsterdam arrive?
Prepositions of time
Prepositions of time - here's a list of the time words that need 'on', 'in', 'at' and some
that don't need any preposition. Be careful - many students of English use 'on' with months (it
should be 'in'), or put a preposition before 'next' when we don't need one.
Preposition of
Explanations Example
time
days Many shops don't
weekend (American English) open on Sundays.
on What did you do on the
weekend?
months / seasons / year I visited
morning / evening / afternoon Italy in July, in spring, in 1994
period of time In the evenings, I like to relax.
in
This is the first cigarette I've
had in three years.
night It gets cold at night.
weekend (British English) What did you do at the weekend?
at used to show an exact or a There's a meeting at 2.30 this
particular time: afternoon / at lunch time.
from a particular time in the past England have not won the World
since until a later time, or until now Cup in football since1966
used to show an amount of time. I'm just going to bed for an hour
for or so.
back in the past; back in time The dinosaurs died out 65 million
ago from the present: years ago.
at or during a time earlier than She's always up before dawn.
before
used when saying the time, to It's twenty to six.
to mean before the stated hour
telling the time five past ten
past
It's only two weeks to Christmas.
until a particular time, marking
to end of a period of time
from used to show the time when The museum is open from 9.30
something starts to 6.00 Tuesday to Sunday.
up to (the time that) We waited till / until half past six
till / until for you.
by not later than; at or before She had promised to be
back by five o'clock
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/prepositions-of-time.html
https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepositions
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-videos/prepositions-
time
DEGREE OF COMPARISION
Comparison is a feature in the morphology of some languages,
whereby adjectives and adverbs are inflected or modified to produce forms that indicate the relative
degree of the designated properties.
The grammatical category associated with comparison of adjectives and adverbs is degree of
comparison. The usual degrees of comparison are the positive, which simply denotes a property (as
with the English words big and fully); the comparative, which indicates greater degree
(as bigger and more fully); and the superlative, which indicates greatest degree (as biggest and most
fully).[1] Some languages have forms indicating a very large degree of a particular quality
(called elative in Semitic linguistics).
Comparison can be made using the three forms of the adjective.
Adjective is a word and it qualifies a noun. It gives more information about the noun.
eg. The lion is a strong animal. Rita is a beautiful girl.
Adjectives are of three degrees. (1) Positive (2) Comparative (3) Superlative
eg. David is a rich man.
eg. Cancel is more dreadful than cholera.
eg. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world.
Study the following models.
Positive Comparative Superlative
John is taller than any other John is the tallest boy in the
boys in the class. class.
Very few boys in the class
are astall as John.
John is taller than most other John is one of the
boys in the class. tallest boy in the class.
Adjective and Adverbs have three degrees, Positive, Comparative and Superlative.
The Pasitive Degree is used to denote the mere existence of quality.
The Positive Degree of an adjective in comparison is the adjective in its simple form. It is used
to denote the mere existence of some quality of what we speak about. It is used when no
comparison is made.
It is a tall building.
Apple is sweet to taste.
The Comparative Degree is used to compare the qualities of two persons or things.
The Comparative Degree denotes the existence of a higher degree of the quality than the
positive. It is usedwhen two things (or two sets of things) are compared.
This building is taller than any other building.
Apple is sweeter than pear.
The Superlative Degree denotes the existence of the highest degree of the quality. It is used
when more than two things are compared.
This is the tallest building.
Apple is the sweetest fruit.
The Superlative Degree is used when more than two nouns or things are compared.
Johnsy is kind (Positive Degree)
Johnsy is kinder than Rosy (Comparative Degree)
Johnsy is the kindest of all (Superlative Degree)
By adding ‘er’ and ‘est’
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
bright brighter Brightest
black blacker Blackest
bold bolder Boldest
clever cleverer Cleverest
cold colder Coldest
fast faster Fastest
great greater Greatest
high higher Highest
kind Kinder Kindest
long Longer Longest
small Smaller Smallest
strong stronger Strongest
sweet Sweeter Sweetest
tall Taller Tallest
young younger Youngest
By adding ‘r’ and ‘st’
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
brave Braver Bravest
fine Finer Finest
large Larger Largest
nice Nicer Nicest
noble Nobler Noblest
pale Paler Palest
simple Simpler Simplest
wise Wiser Wisest
white Whiter Whitest
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
costly Costlier Costliest
dry Drier Driest
easy Easier Easiest
happy Happier Happiest
heavy Heavier Heaviest
lazy Lasier Lasiest
mercy Mercier Merciest
wealthy wealthier Wealthiest
By doubling the final consonants
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
big Bigger Biggest
dim Dimmer Dimmest
fat Fatter Fattest
hot Hotter Hottest
thin Thinner Thinnest
By using more and most
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
active more active most active
attractive more attractive most attractive
beautiful more beautiful most beautiful
brilliant more brilliant most brilliant
careful more careful most careful
courageous more courageous most courageous
cunning more cunning most cunning
difficult more difficult most difficult
famous more famous most famous
faithful more faithful most faithful
proper more proper most proper
popular more popular most popular
splendid more splendid most splendid
Irregular Comparisons
POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
bad Worse Worst
evil Worse Worst
good Better Best
ill Worse Worst
far Farther Farthest
well Better Best
late Later Latest
little Less Least
much More Most
many More Most
near Nearer Nearest
old Older Oldest
old Elder Eldest
Comparison between two things.
Positive Comparative
Johnsy is as clever as Rosy Rosy is not clever than Johnsy
Benjamin is atleast as tall as Jane Jane is not taller than Benjamin
Comparative Positive
Lazar is brighter than Stalin Stalin is not so bright as Lazar
Superlative Comparative Positive
Akthar is the richest man Akthar is richer than any other No other man in Kanpur is so
in Kanpur man in Kanpur rich as Akthar
Superlative Comparative Positive
London is one of the biggest London is bigger than most Very few cities in England
city in England other city in England are so big as London
Superlative Comparative Positive
Sheakespear is the greatest Shakespeare is greater than No other dramatist is so
of all dramatists all other dramatists great as Shakespeare
Positive Comparative
Lazar is as strong as Lenin Lenin is not less strong than Lazar
Positive Comparative Superlative
Some boys in our class are at
Some boys in our class are not Benjamin is not the most
least as intelligent as
intelligent than Benjamin intelligent boy in our class
Benjamin
1. When we compare two objects, persons, qualities, degrees etc. tha tare some respects equal,
we may use the comparion of equality. This is formed by the use of
as... adjective / adverb... as
eg. Your house is as large as mine.
2. When we compare unquals, we may use the comparative degree of the adjective or adverb
with than
eg. His new book is more interesting than his earlier books
3. When the comparison is negative, we use
so...adjective/adverb...as
eg. Your house is not quite so large as mine.
4. In some adverbial clauses of comparison both subject and verb are dropped.
eg. He is more shy than (he is) unsocial.
Some people think more about their rights than (they do) about their duties.
5. In clauses of comparison introduced by than that ‘should’ is used.
eg. I am already to do the work myself rather than that you should have to do it.
6.Comparison and contrast are also expressed by the use of
the...the...with comparatives.
eg. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish.
The more he read, the less he understood.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Iron is the most useful of all Iron is more useful than any No other metal is so useful
metals. other metal. as iron.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Tom is the cleverest of all Tom is cleverer than any other No other boy in the class is
boys in the class. boy in the class. so clever as Tom.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Rain water is the purest Rain water is purer than any No other water is so pure as
water. other water. rain water.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Paris is one of the busiest Paris is busier than most other Very few cities in England
cities in England. cities in England. are as busy as Paris.
Positive Comparative Superlative
Very few animals are as fast Cheetah is faster than most Cheetah is one of the
as cheetah. other animals. fastest animals.
Superlative Comparative Positive
Food ball is one of the most Foot ball is more interesting Very few games are as
interesting games. than most other games. interesting as foot ball.
Comparative Positive
Paris is hotter than England. England is not so hot as Paris.
Positive Comparative
John is as tall as David. David is not taller than John.
Comparative Positive
The Blue Mountain Express runs faster than The Green Express does not run so fast as the
the Green Express. Blue Mountain Express.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_%28grammar%29
http://www.weblearneng.com/the-degrees-of-
comparisonhttp://www.weblearn.in/degrees_of_comparison/
