Overview: Proposition | Basic English Grammar for Competitive Exams - Bank Exams PDF Download

Introduction of Proposition

A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object. Some examples of prepositions are words like "in," "at," "on," "of," and "to." Prepositions in English are highly idiomatic. Although there are some rules for usage, much preposition usage is dictated by fixed expressions. In these cases, it is best to memorize the phrase instead of the individual preposition.

Types of Prepositions

1. Single Prepositions: Prepositions which contain only one word are known as Single Prepositions. For eg- on, at, in, to for, of, from, up, etc.

• He was in the hotel for the party.
• She bought a gift for her son.
• The postmen left the parcel at the door.

2. Double Prepositions: When there is more than one word of prepositions present, it is known as Double preposition. For eg- Upto, within, etc.
Compound Preposition: Compound prepositions consist of two or more words.

• For Example: Participle Preposition: Participle preposition consists of words that end in “ing”. These are verbs which act as a preposition.

For Example:

• She talked regarding the social structure.
• Considering the fact that it is cloudy, it might rain tonight.
• Everyone attended the royal wedding, including the celebrities.

Rules Related to Prepositions

1. A preposition cannot be followed by a verb. Verb placed immediately after preposition must be in gerund form.

• Examples (a) He prevented me from drinking hot water.
  (b) He insists on trying once again.

2. When ‘object’ of the preposition is an Interrogative Pronoun What, Who, Whom, Which, Where etc., the preposition usually takes end or front position.

• Examples: (a)  May I know who were you talking to?
  (b) What are you thinking of?
  It used to be thought as ungrammatical, to end a sentence with a preposition, but it is now well accepted.

3. When ‘object’ of the preposition is a relative Pronoun ‘that’, the preposition takes end position.

• Examples: (a) Here is the magazine that you asked for.
  (b) This is the dish that she is fond of.

4. When the ‘object’ of the preposition is infinitive (to + verb), preposition is placed after infinitive.

• Examples: (a) This is a good hotel to stay at.
  (b) I need a pencil to write with.

5. In some sentences, preposition is attached with the verb.

• Examples: (a) I hate being laughed at.
  (b) This I insist on.

6. In interrogative sentences preposition comes in the beginning.

• Examples: (a) By which train did you come?
  (b) For whom was instructions given?

Functions of Prepositions with examples

1. Indicating location or position: Prepositions can be used to show the location or position of a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

• Example: The book is on the table.

2. Indicating direction or movement: Prepositions can be used to show the direction or movement of an action.

• Example: The cat jumped off the wall.

3. Indicating time: Prepositions can be used to show the time at which something happened or will happen.

• Example: I will meet you at 5 o'clock.

4. Indicating possession or ownership: Prepositions can be used to show that something belongs to someone or is owned by someone.

• Example: This is Ramesh's pen.

5. Indicating purpose or reason: Prepositions can be used to show the purpose or reason for something.

• Example: I am going to the market for groceries.

6. Indicating accompaniment: Prepositions can be used to show that someone is accompanied by someone or something.

• Example: She went to the party with her friends.

7. Indicating manner or method: Prepositions can be used to show how something is done or the manner in which it is done.

• Example: He completed the task with great dedication.

8. Indicating comparison: Prepositions can be used to show comparisons between two or more things.

• Example: She is taller than her sister.

Solved Exercise

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions.
1. Sarah is going to the beach ___ the weekend.

Sarah is going to the beach _on_ the weekend. (We use "on" for days and dates.)

2. The book is ___ the table.

The book is _on_ the table. ("On" is used for surfaces.)

3. I will meet you ___ 3 p.m.

I will meet you _at_ 3 p.m. ("At" is used for specific times.)

4. My birthday is ___ October.

 My birthday is _in_ October. ("In" is used for months and years.)

5. We have been friends ___ childhood.

We have been friends _since_ childhood. ("Since" is used to indicate a starting point in time.)

6. The cat jumped ___ the fence.

The cat jumped _over_ the fence. ("Over" is used to indicate movement above something.)

Exercise 2: Choose the correct preposition in the given sentences.

1. He is interested (in/on) learning new languages.

He is interested (in) learning new languages. (We use "in" after "interested" to indicate the subject of interest.)

2. She is afraid (of/from) spiders.

She is afraid (of) spiders. ("Of" is used after "afraid" to indicate the object of fear.)

3. They are going to the concert (in/at) the evening.

They are going to the concert (in) the evening. ("In" is used for parts of the day, such as morning, afternoon, and evening.)

4. The children are playing (in/at) the park.

The children are playing (in) the park. ("In" is used for enclosed spaces or areas.)

5. She is good (at/on) singing.

She is good (at) singing. ("At" is used after "good" to indicate the activity someone is good at.)

Exercise 3: Identify the prepositions in the following sentences and explain their usage.
1. The meeting will take place in the conference room.

_In_ the conference room. ("In" is used for enclosed spaces or areas.)

2. I found my keys under the couch.

_Under_ the couch. ("Under" is used to indicate something below another object.)

3. They walked across the bridge.

_Across_ the bridge. ("Across" is used to indicate movement from one side to another.)

4. She lives near the school.

_Near_ the school. ("Near" is used to indicate proximity or closeness.)

5. He left the keys inside the car.

_Inside_ the car. ("Inside" is used to indicate something within another object or space.)

Spotting Errors (Prepositions)

1. The board is comprised of five members, each of whom brings a unique perspective to the table.
Error: comprised of, to
Correct: composed of, at

The correct preposition to use with "composed" is "of," and the correct preposition to use with "brings" is "at." Therefore, the sentence should read: "The board is composed of five members, each of whom brings a unique perspective to the table."

2. I'm looking forward to meeting with the new CEO next week.
Error: forward to
Correct: forward to meeting

The phrase "looking forward to" must be followed by a gerund (-ing form of the verb). Therefore, the correct sentence is "I'm looking forward to meeting the new CEO next week."

3. He's been accused for embezzling funds from the company.
Error: accused for
Correct: accused of

The correct preposition to use with "accused" is "of." Therefore, the sentence should read: "He's been accused of embezzling funds from the company."

4. The new software has been customized according with the needs of the client.
Error: according with
Correct: according to

The correct preposition to use with "according" is "to." Therefore, the sentence should read: "The new software has been customized according to the needs of the client."

5. The conference is scheduled at the hotel on September 15th.
Error: scheduled at
Correct: scheduled to take place at

The sentence should read: "The conference is scheduled to take place at the hotel on September 15th."