The Prepositions

Preposition is also an important part of speech and also it plays a very interesting role in the construction of a sentence.

Now, just go through the following conversation:

[Tourists and guide]

Guide	Welcome friends! I am a guide here.
Tourists 1	Thank God! Finally, we got a guide.
Tourists 2	Great, we are lucky!
Guide	can I help for you, sir?
Tourists 3	O, No. ... not 'for you'. 'can I help you' - is correct.
Guide	Is it? thank you, sir.
Tourist 1	O.K, O.K, Shall we start to, now?
Tourist 2	Wonderful sentence, man!
Tourist 1	Why? Is it wrong?
Tourist 2	Very interestingly wrong. Why have you used 'to' there?
Guide	Then? How should we say sir?
Tourist 2	'Shall we start now?' is correct. you must not use 'to' after 'start'
Guide	This temple is carved on only one stone. This is special it.
Tourist 2	My God! He is killing English.
Tourist 3	Leave it. Guides are like this.
Tourist 4	What is wrong in his sentence?
Tourist 3	Clever! This temple is carved of only one stone. This is special about it
Tourist 4	O, Thank you.
Tourist 2	The servers in hotels are also like this!
Tourist 3	That is called butler English.
Tourists	(Laughs)
Guide	Please, don't laugh sir, we are not that much educated.
Tourist 1	yei, Take it easy man. we are not insulting you. It is just a joke. Sorry!
Tourist 2	O.K. Let's have some coffee and move on.

Now, let us see what is a preposition.

• The notebooks are on the table.
• Nehru was fond of children.
• She is sitting in the classroom.

In the above sentences on, of, and, in are used as prepositions.

(I) A preposition is a word used before a noun or a pronoun to show the relation between the preposition and the noun or pronoun. (object)

Example.

1. The children are looking at the blackboard.
2. He leaves for Ooty tomorrow.
3. We went to Mumbai last year.
4. She stood behind a tree.
5. They are listening to the music.

(II) Prepositions are sometimes used after the object (noun / pronoun)

Example:

1. Here is the novel that you are searching for.
2. That is the girl whom we are speaking of.
3. What they looking at?
4. This is the man whom I relied on.
5. This is the chance that I am looking for.

(III) The prepositions for, from, in, on are omitted before nouns of place or time.

Example.

1. She returned home yesterday. [not 'on yesterday']
2. Please, wait a minute. [not 'wait for a minute']
3. They finished the project last week. [not 'in last week']
4. Laura will bat tomorrow. [not 'on tomorrow']
5. We cannot live here. [not 'in here']

Exercises:

a) Underline the prepositions:

1. What are the children looking at?
2. We bought this car for  Rs.3 Lakhs.
3. They sat by the fire for a long time.
4. The bird is sitting on the wall.
5. The crane is waiting for its prey.

b) Say true or false:

1. We visited the fort in last month.
2. He finished his work yesterday.
3. Let us listen what he says.
4. He will finish his course in next year.
5. We can practice it tomorrow.

c) Choose the correct answer:

1. We went _______ the marked.
2. Mary goes ______ school _____ foot.
3. Jack went ______ the hill.
4. The man is searching ______ a place _____ take rest.
5. She kept her books ______ her school bag.

Answers:

a) Underline the prepositions:

1. What are the children looking at?
2. We bought this car for Rs.3 Lakhs.
3. They sat by the fire for a long time.
4. The bird is sitting on the wall.
5. The crane is waiting for its prey.

b) Say true or false:

1. We visited the fort in last month.- False (We visited the fort last month.)
2. He finished his work yesterday. - True
3. Let us listen what he says. - False (Let us listen to what he says.)
4. He will finish his course in next year. - False (He will finish his course next year.)
5. We can practice it tomorrow. - True

c) Choose the correct answer:

1. We went _______ the marked. (At/to)
2. Mary goes ______ school _____ foot. (For/to); (on/by)
3. Jack went ______ the hill. (At/up)
4. The man is searching ______ a place _____ take rest. (For/at); (to /in)
5. She kept her books ______ her school bag. (At /in)