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preposition
1[ prep-uh-zish-uhn ]
noun
- any member of a class of words found in many languages that are used before nouns, pronouns, or other substantives to form phrases functioning as modifiers of verbs, nouns, or adjectives, and that typically express a spatial, temporal, or other relationship, as in, on, by, to, since.
preposition
2[ pree-puh-zish-uhn ]
verb (used with object)
- to position in advance or beforehand:
to preposition troops in anticipated trouble spots.
preposition
/ ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃən /
noun
- a word or group of words used before a noun or pronoun to relate it grammatically or semantically to some other constituent of a sentence prep
preposition
- A part of speech that indicates the relationship, often spatial, of one word to another. For example, “She paused at the gate”; “This tomato is ripe for picking”; and “They talked the matter over head to head.” Some common prepositions are at , by , for , from , in , into , on , to , and with .
Usage
Grammar Note
Derived Forms
- ˌprepoˈsitional, adjective
- ˌprepoˈsitionally, adverb
Other Words From
- prepo·sition·al adjective
- prepo·sition·al·ly adverb
- nonprep·o·sition·al adjective
- nonprep·o·sition·al·ly adverb
- quasi-prepo·sition·al adjective
- quasi-prepo·sition·al·ly adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of preposition1
Origin of preposition2
Word History and Origins
Origin of preposition1
Example Sentences
In a decade of crossing and re-crossing, Papi treated the border and the fences that demarcated it like an exercise in prepositions: He went around it, through it, above it, below it, past it.
Don’t miss that subtle choice of preposition in Marshall’s title: not “learning to look at the Sistine Chapel,” which is what we expect art books to offer, but learning to look in the Sistine Chapel.
Austin and Galvez did not reveal the four new locations where the Americans would be granted access and allowed to preposition weapons and other equipment.
In the first months of the war, the Russian Defense Ministry said the use of that letter came from the preposition “Za,” from the Russian phrase “Za pobedu,” or “For victory.”
This demonstrates the fundamental difference between a talk-variety show where the title delineates the host by using a preposition, "with," instead of a transitive verb, i.e, "starring."
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More About Preposition
What is a preposition?
Prepositions are a category of words that are placed before nouns and pronouns to create phrases that modify nouns, verbs, or adjectives.
A preposition is the first part of a prepositional phrase. The preposition is followed by an object, such as a noun or pronoun, as in outside the house.
Prepositional phrases indicate a relationship between words in a sentence. For example, in I exercised after dinner, after is the preposition in the prepositional phrase after dinner. Together, after and dinner tell you more about (modify) the verb exercised. They tell you when I exercised.
Prepositions and prepositional phrases are used to begin phrases that modify nouns, verbs, and adjectives. While they often follow the words they modify, but they have to, Before supper, I washed my hands. Before is modifying washed, describing when I washed my hands.
Why are prepositions important?
The first records of the word preposition come from around 1350. Preposition combines the prefix pre-, meaning “before,” and the word position, meaning “relative location.” A preposition usually (but not always) comes before a noun or pronoun.
Prepositions are often used for describing relationships of space (on, around, below) or time (before, after). They also describe other relationships, such as purpose (the pencil used for drawing; the pencil I draw with) or connection (Paul traveled with Jane; the person Paul traveled with).
Did you know ... ?
Prepositions are among the most commonly used words in English. In fact, 10 of the 100 most common English words are prepositions: of, in, to, for, with, on, by, out, into, and about.
What are real-life examples of prepositions?
The following table gives some examples of the many words and phrases that are used as prepositions.
Prepositions are central to grammar and English, if we don’t always enjoy learning about them.
Tripping over prepositions this morning. #amwriting
— David Scriver (@ScriverWrites) August 26, 2020
I can credit a lot of my success in using proper grammar to understanding prepositions.
— abbie (@AbbieAwsm) August 9, 2012
What other words are related to preposition?
Quiz yourself!
Which of the following words is a preposition?
A. students
B. study
C. for
D. tests
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