Saturday, May 12, 2012

Exclusive use of preposition

through
 
 1. He's walking through a revolving door.
(Click here to see how I make this word. You must put your tongue to your teeth to make the "th" sound.)
through the door
 2. He's going through the drive-thru to pick up some food. drive thru
 3. Buses and cars drive through the city.
driving
 4. She rode through the forest on her horse. riding
 5. The sun is peeking through the clouds.
sun
 6. I ride my bike through this tunnel almost every day. tunnel
 7. Whales swim through the ocean.
whale
 8. He's swimming through the water.
swimming
 9. They're looking through some albums at a used record shop.
shopping
 
within
 
 1. If it rains tonight, they'll stay dry within the tent.
(within = inside)
couple setting up tent
 2. Within this cake, there's a creamy filling.

cake
 3. The last time I bought a dozen eggs, there were a couple of broken eggs within the carton.
(dozen = 12)
carton of eggs
 4. A pitcher keeps the ball within his mitt until he's ready to throw it.
mitt
 5. After they first met, they got married within six months.
(within = inside an amount of time)
weddin
 6. He usually gets tired of running within ten to fifteen minutes.
couple jogging
 7. If you get food from a fast-food restaurant, your order will be ready to go within just a few minutes.
fast food
 
with

Harold and Janice went to a movie with each other last night.
couple
He wants to spend the rest of his life with her.
couple
Ali went to a swimming pool yesterday with his son.
family
Pierre has lived with his wife for over 40 years.
man and wife
She went on a long bike ride with her father.
bikes
 Even though they're very busy, they try to eat dinner with each other every night.
eating
 He eats his food with chopsticks.
chopsticks
He likes to eat with his hands.
watermelon
She gets around town with the help of a seeing-eye dog.
seeing eye dog
I painted a table with these paint brushes.
brushes
She went on vacation with her laptop so that she could keep in touch with the people she works with. woman with computer
I met a woman today with purple hair and a pierced chin. girl
 
to

 He brought his radio to the beach.
at the beach
 They have been married to each other for five years.
man and woman
 He walks to school every day. After school he walks home.
school
 He's listening to the ocean in this shell.
listening
 George rode to the town on his horse.
riding
 This is the entrance to Rudolph's house.
entrance
 He needs to write a letter to his aunt, but he doesn't know what to write.
(note: the other uses of "to" are in the form of infinitives--not prepositions.)
What are infinitives? Click here and then come back.
school
 Last year we took a trip to New York.
statue of liberty
 Next year we hope to go to Venice.
venice
 If you walk all the way to the top of this hill, you are in very good shape.
top of the hill
 He needs to bring his cat to the vet. trip to the vet
 This student didn't pay attention to the teacher and now he doesn't know what to do. not paying attention
 
out

 1. I usually walk out the door every morning at 7:00 a.m. to go to work.
door
 2. Tina's cat fell out the window, but it's okay.
window
 3. There's a big yard out back.
out back = the backyard
out front = the front yard
backyard
note: There are not very many uses for the preposition "out." It's more often used with "of" -- "out of" -- or the word "out" is used as an adjective or as an adverb, or it's used with gerunds as seen in the example below.
out + (gerund)
She's out shopping.
She's out grocery shopping.
out = outside the house
woman with groceries
The word "out" is often used as an adjective:
We don't have any more milk. We're all out.
out = no more
milk
 The lightbulb is out.
out = 1. not working; broken; 2. no electrical power.
 She likes to go out on the weekends.
 She went out last night.
 go out = leave the house
woman
The word "out" is used with many different idioms and expressions and can have many different meanings as an adjective or as an adverb.
For example, the sentence, "He's out" could mean...
 1. He's a baseball player playing offense, and he has to leave the field.
 2. He's openly gay (homosexual). Instead of keeping it a secret, he tells people the truth about himself.
 3. He's no longer a part of the organization. Someone fired him, told him to leave, or decided not to include him in something.
 4. He's not in the office. He's out at lunch, or he's doing some other activity outside the office.
 
on

He has a laptop computer on his desk.
His feet are also on his desk.
office worker
 My friend Pedro lives in an apartment on this street.
street
 She has a ring on her finger.
ring
He has a hat on his head.
He also has some sunglasses on his face.
man wearing a hat
He's not going to be on time.
running late
 She's riding on a skateboard.
skateboarder
  He's riding on his father's shoulders.
father and son
 The news is on TV.
 She's reporting about a house that is on fire .
tv
 These children are running on the beach.
running on beach
ketchup on his tie
He spilled ketchup on his tie.
There will be stain on his shirt and on his tie if he doesn't clean them.
 
of
 
 1. Hundreds of people on bikes appeared at the event. people on bikes
 2. There's a box of cereal on the kitchen table.
note: It's very hard to hear this preposition, but it's important to know how to use. Many people who speak English as a second language make mistakes with "of."
 3. Here's a gallon of milk.
milk
 4. I'm going to have a can of soup for lunch.
can
 5. He's tired of doing paperwork. man
 6. He's sick of his computer.
stress
 7. This is an interesting work of art.
art
 8. They're very fond of each other.
couple
 9. This block has been treated and safey baited where needed as of 4-25-08
(The city put down rat poison on 4-25-08)

The word "of" is often used with packages of food and drinks. Click on the video, or click here to see it on YouTube.
 
next to

 They're sitting next to each other in the movie theater.
couple
 The dog is next to the river
dog
 The baby giraffe is next to his mother.
giraffes
 The boy is sitting next to his father.
in the kitchen

 There's a church next to this house.
house and church
 There's a new building standing next to a very old building.
urban
 She's going to sleep next to her baby.
mother and baby

 He's sitting next to the window.
next to window
 
near
 
 1. She's sitting near the pool.
near the pool
 2. The golf ball is very near the cup.

golf ball

 3. They're standing near the fountain.

near fountain
 4. This lake is near the mountains.
mountains and a lake
 5. They're fishing near the lake. fishing
 6. They're standing near the bike path. people near a bike path
 7. She's near the age of 70. woman reading
 8. He's not sitting near anyone. not near anyone
 9. She's near her computer. woman
 
like
 
 1. This looks like a very old building.
Note: When used as preposition, "like" means "similar to."
old building
 2. A racoon looks like a cross between a cat and a dog.
racoon
 3. He dresses like a gangster.
bad guy
4. When Vanessa sings, she sounds like Katy Perry.
singer
5. Sue draws pictures like a five-year old child, but she's an adult.
rhinocerous drawing
 6. He seems like kind of an odd kid.
customer in store
 7. This coffee tastes like crap.
coffee
 
 
into
 
 1. Throw the can into the recycling bin.
 2. These animals are headed into the water for some relief from the heat.
 3. She's diving into the water.
 4. This road leads into the mountains.
 5. Some heavy fog moved into the city from the ocean.
 6. They came into the music store to look for albums and CDs.
 7. They're very into new music.
They're also very into each other.
(When used as an idiom, "into" means "to like." I'm into rock'n'roll. She's into yoga. We're into Indian food.)
 8. He looked into the bubbling pot to see what was cooking inside.
 9. Around Halloween, many people carve pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns.
 10. As she was walking, she broke through the ice and fell into the freezing water.
"into" is similar to "in" but not exactly the same.
 
instead of
 
 1. Instead of sports, he likes academics.
or ...
He likes academics instead of sports.
(instead of = something replaces another thing; something is preferred over another thing.)
student
 2. He chose a military career instead of going to college.
or
Instead of going to college, he chose a military career.
(note: "Instead of" is often followed by a gerund.)
boot camp

 3. It's better for your health to eat a lot of vegetables instead of a lot of meat.

vegetables
 4. I prefer antique radios instead of new ones.
radio
 5. He wants to work for himself instead of working for someone else. bike
 6. They've decided to go to work by bike today instead of by car. people riding bikes
 7. We had rain showers today instead of the sunny day predicted by the weatherman. rain
 8. Instead of going out for lunch, he usually eats at his desk, or he skips lunch completely. office worker
 9. He likes skateboarding instead of other sports.
skateboarder

 
inside

 1. There are six horses living inside the barn.
barn
 2. Something is living inside this cave, but he's not sure what it is.
cave
 3. There's a lot of junk inside my desk.
inside desk
 4. The inside of their house is really beautiful.
("Inside" in this example is used as a noun.)
furniture inside
 5. The medicine is inside the syringe.
medicine
 6. She doesn't want to work inside the office today because it's so nice outside. woman talking
 7. Most of the meetings at her company are held inside this conference room. office
 8. The fire inside this stove is really hot.
stove
 9. When the red flag goes up on the mailbox, that means there's mail inside the mailbox. mailbox
 
in front of

 
 1. They're standing in front of their house.

 2. This dragon statue is in front of a temple.
 3. The fountain is in front of the building.
 4. They sat in front of the TV and watched a movie last night.

 5. He's sitting in front of his computer.

 6. A dolphin leapt out of the water right in front of us.
 7. Sometimes It's not polite to laugh in front of other people, especially when they're trying to do something serious.
8. He tries not to smoke in front of his kids because he doesn't want them to pick up the habit.
 9. This dog is walking in front of its owner.
10. The teacher is standing in front of the class.
 
in

They're both sitting in a hot tub.
hot tub
This candy comes in many different flavors. candy
He's interested in staying healthy, so he exercises regularly.
man
Is the doctor in this afternoon?
(in = available to see patients.)
doctor
She has a cigar in her hand.
This picture is not in color. It's in black and white.
His company has been in business for more than 20 years.
in business
This zebra lives in a zoo. The zoo is located in San Diego.
They're in love with each other.
woman
She works in an office.
She's in a very good position with the company.
woman working
 
from

 Aza and her friends moved to the United States from Russia. aza
 This flag is from Turkey.
turkish flag
A: Do you know where pineapples come from?
B: No, I don't. Where?
A: They come from tropical areas, like Hawaii.
pineapple
Sweat is dripping from his forehead. sweat
They're looking down on the city from an observation deck.
view from a mountain
 My friend, Vanessa, got this fresh bread from the bakery. We had it for lunch.
bread
 He's a mean dude. He comes from a bad family.
mean dude
 This picture is from a trip I took to Chicago. It's a large metal sculpture by Picasso.
picasso
 The cars are leaving from the ferry.
They came to this island from the mainland.
cars
 
for
 
1. She's posing for a picture.
woman
2. Window boxes are great for growing flowers. window box
3. Brocolli is good for you.
brocolli
4. He's making some food for his friends. man
5. He works for a bank.
He needs to wear a suit for his job.
banker
6. This anteater is looking for some food. antearer
7. He's looking for a bathroom.
man looking for bathrom
8. You need to get some oil for your car.
oil
9. He's buying some cotton candy for his son.
man buying tix

 
except


 1. He likes to play all sports except soccer.
(except = but not. He doesn't like to play soccer.)
basketball player
 2. Except for when it snows, they spend a lot of time outdoors.
Note: This example uses "except" as a conjunction.
cabin

 3. Normally, I eat healthy food except for donuts.

donut
4. Except for his keyboarding skills, he's pretty good at using a computer.
keyboard
5. I remembered to bring everything today except my keys. I forgot them at home.
keys
 6. The mail is picked up from this mailbox every day except Sunday.
mailbox
 7. He gets along with everyone except his wife.
(He doesn't get along with his wife.)
man drinking
 8. She gets along with everyone except her husband.
(She doesn't get along with her husband.)
woman with beverage
 9. This soup tastes good except it needs salt.
(The soup doesn't have any salt in it.)
*This example uses "except" as a conjunction. A clause, "it needs salt" follows "except."
salt
 
during
 
 1. She's at work during the day. woman working
 2. There were a couple of people talking during the movie.
people watching a movie
 3. He was a soldier during World War II.
soldier
 4. He plays a lot of golf during the summer.
man golfing
 5. They get together during the day for tea. drinking tea
 6. He tries to take a nap during the afternoon.
man sleeping
  7. During the day, she goes to school.
school
 8. She likes to spend time outside during the summer.
girl at a pool
 9. He worked on his computer during the flight.
computer
 
down

 
 1. She's walking down the steps.

(note: the word "steps" is preferred over "stairs" in this case because the location is outside.)
woman walking down steps
 2. They're canoeing down the river.
canoe
 3. The train is coming down the track.
train
 4. Water is flowing down the side of a cliff.
(This is a waterfall.)
waterfall
 5. She's sliding down the railing on her skateboard.
     girl
 6. Don't let your money go down the drain.
(down the drain: water goes down the drain, but when it's money, that means you are wasting your money or you are not spending it wisely.)
money
 7. The buffalo is lying down in the dirt.
buffalo
 8. These children are lying down in the snow.
children
 9. He's upside down.
upside down
 10. So is he. This monkey is hanging upside down.
upside down
 
despite

 
 1. Many people never try making their own bread despite the simplicity of the bread-making process.
bread
 2. Despite the low-cost of commuting by train versus commuting by car, many Americans still choose to drive a car to work.
train

 3. Tony is going to use an axe to cut down a tree in his backyard despite a lack of experience with axes.

axe
4. Despite a weather forecast of heavy rain, Dave and Belinda decided to go camping.
camping
5. Beekeeping is an interesting and important occupation despite the dangers of getting stung by bees.
beekeeper
 6. Despite the feelings of his coworkers, Robert turns the radio up a little too loud when he's at his desk.
listening to radio
 7. I woke up late this morning despite setting my alarm clock for 5:30 a.m.
alarmclock
 
by
 
 1. She's sitting by her computer and talking on the phone.
(by = next to)

 2. These beautiful buildings are by the water.
Would you like to live or work by a river or a lake?
 3. These office buildings are by a park.
 4. They're sitting by each other and watching a movie.
 5. You can learn English by going online.
(by = method. When "by" means method or way, it's usually followed by a gerund.)
What's a gerund?
 6. You can split wood by using an axe.
 7. He's a loan shark. By making loans at high interest rates, he has become very rich. However, he's not a good person to do business with.
8. He's a surfer. He rides on ocean waves by using a surfboad.
 9. You can get around this city very easily by bus.
(by = method of transportation: ...by bus, ....by train, .....by car, .....by taxi, .....by plane, etc.)
10. The fastest way to get around this city is by subway.
11. He needs to get to his meeting by 5:30.
(by = before)
12. These buildings used to stand side-by-side until they fell down.
(side-by-side = together)
 
but
 1. He teaches nothing but music all day long.
campus life
 2. All but one person left the movie theater.
child in a movie theather

 3. He left the house this morning wearing nothing but a hat and shoes. (The police soon arrested him.)

man in hat and shoes
4. He takes nothing but cash for the work that he does.
(He only takes cash.)
money
5. You should stay away from that guy. He's nothing but trouble.
bad dude
 6. She does everyone's job but her own. She needs to do her own work before she helps others.
woman
 7. All but one country on the planet share a continent with other countries. Only Australia is by itself.
australia
 8. Before someone testifies in a court of law or a hearing, the person is asked, "Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
judge's gavel
 
beyond
 
 1. The sun is going down beyond the horizon.
(beyond: past; after)
sunset
 2. Most small children don't go on baby swings beyond the age of two or three.
baby

 3. Golf is a great game for people beyond the age of 65.

man with golf club
 4. If you go beyond these signs, you might crash into another car.
do not enter sign
 5. Beyond this pasture, there's a river and some small mountains.
beyond the pasture
 6. If they can't get beyond their differences, they might split up.
couple having a fight
 7. He can't play very much on the guitar beyond a few simple chords.
man playing guitar
 8. Do you think life exists beyond our planet? space
 9. Human beings can go beyond the planet Earth to explore new places. space exploration

 
beside
 
1. They're standing beside each other.
They're standing next to each other.
(beside = next to)
* Beside" is not the same as "besides." Be careful not to confuse these two words.
 2. The opera house in Sydney is beside the ocean.
 3. The cathedral is beside the river.
 4. The bacon is beside the eggs.
 5. He sat beside the window and waited for the truck to come.
6. In many cities, modern buildings are right beside older buildings.
 7. He's standing beside the computer.
 8. Do you want to sit beside the water and have lunch?
 
  This young mother wanted to have her picture taken while sitting between her daughters.
family
  Which flag is flying between the American and the Canadian flags?
three flags
  The man sitting between the other two men feels uncomfortable because there's not much room on the bench for all three of them.
three men
 The bridge beween these two bluffs provides a safe crossing.
bridge
  The relationship between a doctor and a patient is confidential.
tongue
 There's a very narrow walkway between these two buildings.
two buildings
  The fight between these two men resulted in the death of one of them.
fight
 This dog is sticking his nose between the bars on the window.
 There are many differences between these two men, but they're still good friends.
differences
 A handshake is often used to indicate an agreement between two people.
handshake
 A plate sits between a knife and a fork. (Although the fork usually goes on the left and the knife usually goes on the right. place setting
 
behind in

 1. He fell behind in his rent, so his landlord told him to leave.
(fall behind in: to be late in making payments or the completion of work)
behind in the rent
 2. He's behind in some of his classes, so his parents found a tutor to help him.
(When a person is "behind in" a class, he or she is having trouble completing or understanding the work that is assigned.)
tutor
 3. He's behind in his yardwork.
man with pitchfork
 4. The jockey doesn't want to fall behind in the race. jockey racing
 5. Woodrow Wilson probably would have fallen behind in the election results in 1916 if he hadn't been against U.S. involvment in World War I. He changed his mind in 1917 after Germany attacked U.S. ships.
woodrow wilson

below

 
 1. This man is standing below the transmission tower.

man
 2. This building is very tall. There are many buildings below it that are shorter.
buildings
 3. Below the ground, the subway carries people around the city.
subway
 4. Her head is above the water. The rest of her body is below the water.
woman swimming
 5. The airplane is flying above the clouds. Below the clouds, it's raining. clouds
 6. These fish are far below the surface of the water. fish
 7. When the temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and there's snow on the ground, you can make a snowman.
winter
 8. In boxing, it's against the rules to hit your opponent below the belt.
(below the belt = below the waist)
boxers
 9. She works below the assistant manager. He's not her supervisor, but he tells her what to do. workers

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