In a prepositional phrase where is the preposition place

As or like? As , because or since? As , when or while? Been or gone? Begin or start? Beside or besides? Between or among? Born or borne? Bring , take and fetch Can , could or may? Classic or classical? Come or go? Consider or regard? Consist , comprise or compose? Content or contents?

Different from , different to or different than? Do or make? Down , downwards or downward? During or for? Each or every? East or eastern ; north or northern? Economic or economical? Efficient or effective? Elder , eldest or older , oldest? End or finish? Especially or specially? Except or except for? Expect , hope or wait? Experience or experiment? Fall or fall down? Far or a long way? Farther , farthest or further , furthest?

Fast , quick or quickly? Fell or felt? Female or feminine ; male or masculine? Finally , at last , lastly or in the end? First , firstly or at first? Fit or suit? Following or the following? For or since? Forget or leave? Full or filled? Fun or funny?

Get or go? Grateful or thankful? Hear or listen to? High or tall? Historic or historical? House or home? How is …? If or when? If or whether? Ill or sick? Imply or infer? In the way or on the way? Late or lately? Lay or lie? Lend or borrow? Less or fewer? Look at , see or watch? Low or short? Man , mankind or people? Maybe or may be? Maybe or perhaps? Nearest or next? Never or not … ever? Nice or sympathetic? We can group them into three classes using concepts from geometry: point, surface, and area or volume.

Prepositions in this group indicate that the noun that follows them is treated as a point in relation to which another object is positioned. Prepositions in this group indicate that the position of an object is defined with respect to a surface on which it rests.

Prepositions in this group indicate that an object lies within the boundaries of an area or within the confines of a volume. Notice that although in geometry surface and area go together because both are two-dimensional, in grammar area and volume go together because the same prepositions are used for both.

In light of these descriptions, at , on , and in can be classified as follows:. Before going on, explain to yourself the spatial relations shown in each sentence. At calls for further comment. Because it is the least specific of the prepositions in its spatial orientation, it has a great variety of uses. Here are some of them:.

In 5a , the bank can be understood as a point defining Tom's location, much as in 1 above. It makes less sense to think of a fair as a point in 5b since fairs are usually spread out over a fairly large area. Probably at is used in this case just because it is the least specific preposition; it defines Sue's location with respect to the fair rather than some other place.

Nouns denoting enclosed spaces, such as a field or a window, take both on and in. We use since with a specific date or time. He's worked here since She's been sitting in the waiting room since two-thirty. Prepositions are sometimes so firmly wedded to other words that they have practically become one word.

In fact, in other languages, such as German, they would have become one word. This occurs in three categories: nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

A combination of verb and preposition is called a phrasal verb. The word that is joined to the verb is then called a particle. Please refer to the brief section we have prepared on phrasal verbs for an explanation. Idiomatic Expressions with Prepositions agree to a proposal, with a person, on a price, in principle argue about a matter, with a person, for or against a proposition compare to to show likenesses, with to show differences sometimes similarities correspond to a thing, with a person differ from an unlike thing, with a person live at an address, in a house or city, on a street, with other people Unnecessary Prepositions In everyday speech, we fall into some bad habits, using prepositions where they are not necessary.

It would be a good idea to eliminate these words altogether, but we must be especially careful not to use them in formal, academic prose.

Click HERE for a definition and discussion of parallelism. When two words or phrases are used in parallel and require the same preposition to be idiomatically correct, the preposition does not have to be used twice.

You can wear that outfit in summer and in winter. The female was both attracted by and distracted by the male's dance. However, when the idiomatic use of phrases calls for different prepositions, we must be careful not to omit one of them.

The children were interested in and disgusted by the movie. It was clear that this player could both contribute to and learn from every game he played. He was fascinated by and enamored of this beguiling woman.

You can sit before the desk or in front of the desk. The professor can sit on the desk when he's being informal or behind the desk, and then his feet are under the desk or beneath the desk. He can stand beside the desk meaning next to the desk , before the desk, between the desk and you, or even on the desk if he's really strange.

If he's clumsy, he can bump into the desk or try to walk through the desk and stuff would fall off the desk. Passing his hands over the desk or resting his elbows upon the desk, he often looks across the desk and speaks of the desk or concerning the desk as if there were nothing else like the desk.

Because he thinks of nothing except the desk, sometimes you wonder about the desk, what's in the desk, what he paid for the desk, and if he could live without the desk.

You can walk toward the desk, to the desk, around the desk, by the desk, and even past the desk while he sits at the desk or leans against the desk. All of this happens, of course, in time: during the class, before the class, until the class, throughout the class, after the class, etc.

And the professor can sit there in a bad mood [another adverbial construction]. Prepositions of Time: at, on , and in We use at to designate specific times.

Prepositions of Place: at, on , and in We use at for specific addresses.