Prepositions

                Good day! I will be discussing about preposition. We have just finished the Modifiers module. We learned that adjectives tell which one, what kind, how much and how many about a noun or pronoun. We learned that adverbs tell where, when, how, and what to extent about verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Preposition is the most difficult topic in all discussion. Advanced learners of English find prepositions difficult. One preposition in our native language might have several translations depending on the situation.

                           Preposition

What is preposition?

-It is a word that shows the relationship between a word in the sentence and the word that is the object of the preposition.

Examples:

in = preposition; school = noun

from = preposition; us = pronoun

by = preposition; chewing = gerund

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE

(Position and Direction)

                        

  PREPOSITIONS OF AGENT

                   

  PREPOSITIONS OF INSTRUMENTS

Let us have the ON, IN, AT :

On

-used to express a surface of something.

Example: The paper is on my desk.

-used to specify days and dates.

Examples: The garbage truck comes on Wednesdays.

                 I was born on the 14th day of July in 1997.

-used to indicate a device or machine.

Examples: He is on the phone right now.

               She has been on the computer since this morning.

-used to indicate a part of the body.

Examples: The stick hit me on my shoulder.

                   She kissed me on my cheek.

-used to indicate the state of something.

Examples: Everything in this store is on sale.

                    The building is on fire.

In

-used for unspecific times during a day, month, season, year.

  Examples: She always reads newspapers in the morning.

                     In the summer, we have a rainy season for three weeks.

-used to indicate a location or place.

Examples: She looked me directly in the eyes.

                  I am currently staying in a hotel.

-used to indicate a shape, color, or size.

Examples: This painting is mostly in blue.

                   The students stood in a circle. 

-used to express while doing something.

Example: In preparing for the final report, we revised the tone three weeks.

-used to indicate a belief, opinion, interest, or feeling.

Examples: I believe in the next life.

                  We are not interested in gambling.

At

-used to point out specific time.

Example:  I will meet you at 12 p.m.

-used to indicate a place.

Examples: There is a party at the club house.

                  There were hundreds  of people at the park.

-used to indicate an activity.

Examples: He laughed at my acting.

                  I am good at drawing a portrait.

Prepositional Phrase

-It is a group of words containing a preposition, a noun or pronoun (object of the preposition).

Examples:            in school       on the floor

                             from us           with nuts 

Preposition + Optional Modifier(s) + Noun, Pronoun, or Gerund

Here are some examples:

at school

at = preposition; school = noun

from us

from= preposition; us = pronoun

by chewing

by = preposition; chewing = gerund

under the stove

under = preposition; the = modifier; stove = noun

in the crumb-filled, rumpled sheets

in = preposition; the, crumb-filled, rumpled = modifiers; sheets = noun

Prepositional Phrases Act 

as 

Adjectives and Adverbs 

•     If prepositional phrase is describing a noun, the phrase is functioning as an adjective telling which one, what kind, how much, and how many about a noun or pronoun.
•      If prepositional phrase is describing a verb, adverb, an adjective, then its functioning as an adverb  telling where, when, how, and to what extent about verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a word in the sentence and the word that is the object of the preposition.

Sometimes the answers to those questions take more than one word. Often those phrases are prepositional phrases.

Which one:       The flower in the vase is a peony.
What kind:        The umbrella with the polka-dots is Mary Anne's.
Where:              We will be going to the movies.
When:                My lunch period is after science.
How:                  You are walking on your tiptoes.

In the previous examples:

In shows the relationship between the flower and the vase.

With shows the relationship between the umbrella and the polka-dots.

To shows the relationship between where we are going and the movies.

After shows the relationship between our lunch and science class.

On shows the relationship between how we are walking and our tiptoes.

Preposition vs. Adverb

A. The cat ran down the tree. ( Preposition)

B. Put the ice cream down!  (adverb)

REMEMBER: 

Prepositions can never be alone, so it makes sense to learn about prepositions in their phrases. Any lone preposition is actually an adverb.

Realize that some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions.

Some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions.

But is very seldom in preposition. When it is used as a preposition, but means the same as except—Everyone ate frog legs but Jamie. But usually functions as a coordinating conjunction.

A subordinate conjunction will have both a subject and a verb following it, forming a subordinate clause.These prepositions are after, as, before, since, and until.

Example:

after Sam and Esmerelda kissed goodnight

after= subordinate conjunction; Sam,Esmerald=subject; kissed= verb

as Jerome buckled on the parachute

as= subordinate conjunction; Jerome= subject; buckled= verb

before I eat these frog legs

before= subordinate conjunction; I = subject; eat = verb

since we have enjoyed the squid eyeball stew

since = subordinate conjunction; we = subject; have enjoyed = verb

until your hiccups stop

until = subordinate conjunction; hiccups = subject; stop= verb

Dangling Modifiers

Dangling Modifiers

 Dangling modifier 

- it is a phrase or clause which says something different from what is meant because words are left out. The meaning of the sentence, therefore, is left "dangling."

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that add description. 

*In logical sentences, you will often find modifiers right to—either in front of or behind the target words they logically describe.

Example: 

Horrified, Mom snatched the deviled eggs from Jack, whose fingers were covered in cat hair.

Notice that horrified precedes Mom, its target, just as deviled sits right before eggs. Whose fingers were covered in cat hair follows Jack, its target. Sometimes, however, an inexperienced writer will include a modifier but forget the target.  The modifier thus dangles because the missing target word leaves nothing for the modifier to describe.

Dangling modifiers are errors. 

Their poor construction confuses readers. 

 Examples:

1. Hungry, the leftover pizza was devoured.

Hungry is a single-word adjective. Notice that there is no one in the sentence for this modifier to describe. 

2. Rummaging in her giant handbag, the sunglasses escaped detection.

Rummaging in her giant handbag is a participle phrase. In the current sentence, no word exists for this phrase to modify.   

3. Neither sunglasses nor detection has fingers to make rummaging possible!

With a sigh of disappointment, the expensive dress was returned to the rack.

With a sigh of disappointment is a string of prepositional phrases. If you look carefully, you do not find anyone in the sentence capable of feeling disappointed. Neither dress nor rack has emotions!

Fixing a dangling modifier:         
Fixing a dangling modifier will require more than rearranging the words in the sentence. You will often need to add something new so that the modifier finally has a target word to describe:

1.Hungry, we devoured the leftover pizza. 

2.Rummaging in her giant handbag, Frieda failed to find her sunglasses.

3. With a sigh of disappointment, Charlene returned the expensive dress to the rack.

Other example: 

Incorrect:
While driving on Greenwood Avenue yesterday afternoon, a tree began to fall toward Wendy H's car.

Correct:
While Wendy H was driving on Greenwood Avenue yesterday afternoon, a tree began to fall toward her car.

(Adding a word or two makes the sentence clear.

Restate it and add the words it needs in order to make sense.)

Adverbs and Adverbials

Adverbs

What is adverb?

-a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc.

Example:

Joan easily lifted the barbell.

 She moved quite slowly down the aisle.

Kinds of Adverbs

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs that indicate time. They show the time an action took place.

Examples:

• Snape comes to our house daily.

• Voldemort was killed yesterday.

•  Hermione tries to get back before dark.

Adverbs of Frequency

Adverbs shows how often something happens.

Examples:

• Ron has already asked me about him three times.

• Harry always annoys me.

• Aunt Emma has not seen our neighbor not even once.

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of place answer the question where. It indicates the place something happens.

Examples:

• That dog follows that old lady everywhere.

• The parson went away.

•  She still lives there now.

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner show in what manner a particular action is done.

Examples:

• She wrote the letter clearly.

• They sang the song loudly.

• That man has worked hard to make the meeting a success.

Adverbs of Degree

Adverbs of degree are also known as Adverbs of Quantity. This type of adverbs show in what degree or how much or to what extent an action was done.

Examples:

• I am partly wrong about him.

• The cake is almost baked.

• The room is fully ready for the gathering.

Adverbs of Reason

Adverbs of reason present the reason for some action to happen.

Examples:

• Her mother is ill. She, therefore, could not leave her mother.

• One of them tore his coat. They, thus, found their way into that shop that day.

                                              Adverbials

It is an adverb or an adverbial phrase or an adverbial clause that modifies or tells us something about the sentence or the verb. The word adverbial itself is also used as an adjective, meaning "having the same function as an adverb".

Examples:

Danny speaks fluently. (telling more about the verb)

Lorna ate breakfast yesterday morning. (telling when the verb's action occurred)

Adverbials are typically divided into four classes:

Adverbial complements  are adverbials that render a sentence ungrammatical and meaningless if removed.

Example:  John put the flowers in the water.

Adjuncts - these are part of the core meaning of the sentence, but if omitted still leave a meaningful sentence.

Example: John and Sophia helped me with my homework.

Conjuncts - these link two sentences together.

Example: John helped therefore I was able to do my homework.

                 I'm all out of eggs; however, I can still make us nice break.

Disjuncts - these make comments on the meaning of the rest of the sentence.

Example:  Surprisingly, he passed all of his exams.

Adjectives

 Good day! Another day to have a discussion about the adjectives.Let us begin...


ADJECTIVES

are words that describe or modify other words, making your writing and speaking much more specific, and a whole lot more interesting. Words like small, blue, and sharp are descriptive, and they are all examples of adjectives. Because adjectives are used to identify or quantify individual people and unique things, they are usually positioned before the noun or pronoun that they modify. Some sentences contain multiple adjectives.

 KINDS OF ADJECTIVES

1. Demonstrative Adjectives
2. Descriptive Adjectives
3. Interrogative Adjectives
4. Adjectives of Number or Adjectives of Quantity
5. Possessive Adjectives


DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVES
- point out pronouns and nouns, and always come before the words they are referring. 
Example: I used to buy this kind of shirts.

DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES
-they say something about the quality or the kind of the noun or pronoun they’re referring to.
Example: I am tired.

INTERROGATIVE ADJECTIVES
-asks questions  and are always followed by a noun.
Example:
What novel are you reading?
Which plant should be placed over here?

ADJECTIVES OF NUMBER OR ADJECTIVES OF QUANTITY
-this kind of adjective answers the question, “How many?” or “How much?” 
Example:
Twenty-one students failed the exam.
The plants need more water.

POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
-shows ownership or possession. Possessive adjectives always come before the noun.
Example:
I can’t answer my seat work because I don’t have a calculator.
Trisha sold his dog.

USE OF ADJECTIVES
Adjectives are used to modify (identify, describe or limit) a noun.

1. Proper Adjectives

2. Comparison Adjectives

PROPER ADJECTIVES
- an adjective, typically capitalized , derived from a pronoun.
Examples:   American history
                    French cuisine 

COMPARISON ADJECTIVES 
-many adjectives form the comparative of persons or things by adding er or est to the word or by prefixing the adjective with words such as: more, most, less, or least. 
Example:
  John is the best athlete on the team.
  Last year’s crop grew higher than this year’s.
  Her new car is better than that old one she drove. 

There are three degrees of adjectives:

     1. Positive  Adjective     2. Comparative Adjective         3. Superlative Adjective

 Some Examples:

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Big	Bigger	Biggest
Great	Greater	Greatest
Short	Shorter	Shortest
Old	Older	Oldest
Large	Larger	Largest
Happy	Happier	Happiest
Lucky	Luckier	Luckiest
Heavy	Heavier	Heaviest
Beautiful	More beautiful	Most beautiful
Horrible	More horrible	Most horrible
Good	Better	Best
Bad	Worse	Worst
Little	Less	Least
Many	More	Most

Example sentences:

Edna is tall.
Raquel is taller than Edna.
Fatima is the tallest among them.