JMJ Marist Brothers

Notre Dame of Marbel University

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

COURSEPACK
in:
ENGL 103
INTENSIVE GRAMMAR AND
COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Jireh Clarisse T. Salomsom

JMJ Marists Brothers

Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences 1|Engl 103
LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Lesson 6: Preposition, Conjunction, and Interjection

Presenting the Matter

Prepositions play a vital role in grammar. They are the vital

markers to the structure of a sentence. The most common ways to
use prepositions include using them to indicate time, direction, or
location. They work to connect various parts of a sentence.

Similarly, conjunctions function as connectors between

sentences, clauses, phrases, or words. We often use conjunctions in speech
without realizing it. In writing, they can be effectively used in lieu of starting a new
sentence. The proper use of conjunctions allows for more natural flow and rhythm
in your writing. However, the improper use of conjunctions often results in writing
that sounds choppy and disjointed. They are not to be overused just to impress
others. So be careful in using them. Just like adjectives and adverbs, use them
sparingly.

Meanwhile, interjections are parts of speech which are commonly used in

informal language than in formal writing or speech. They are more common in
fiction or artistic writing. Interjections can come in the form of a single word, a
phrase, or even a short clause. Basically, the function of interjections is to express
emotions or sudden bursts of feelings. They can express a wide variety of
emotions such as excitement, joy, surprise, or disgust that may sometimes be
neglected in sentences.

This part of the module will tackle these three parts of speech. Happy
learning!

Jotting Down Targets:

After working on this module, you should be able to:

1. identify prepositions, conjunctions and interjections;

2. use them appropriately in writing sentences or paragraphs; and
3. utilize them in writing and speaking situations;

2|Engl 103
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Kicking it Off

Let's start with these sentences:

Column A Column B

1. I was sitting on my table doing my I was sitting at my table doing my

homework. homework.

2. Markus ran fast. He won. Markus ran fast; thus, he won.

3. Run, Markus. Markus, run!

What do you notice?

Compare the sentences under Column A with those in Column B.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.

Now let's examine the sentences from NOTICE ME!

Sentence 1A implies that you were sitting on top of your table to do your
homework, which is possible, but sounds ridiculous. Sentence 1B sounds more
realistic, as this implies that you were sitting at your table, and not on the table to
do your homework. Thus, you are reminded to select the appropriate prepositions
in making your sentences. Sentence 2A, on the other hand, looks and sounds
choppy while sentence 2B sounds smooth and natural because of the use of the
conjunction thus. Lastly, Sentence 3A sounds lethargic and unnatural compared

3|Engl 103
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

to Sentence 3B which sounds alive and exciting. Thus, sentences in Column A are
better than sentences in Column B.

Processing the Matter

Prepositions

Prepositions are words belonging to the part of speech that shows the
relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word. Notice how
English prepositions (italicized) show the space relationship between a bug and a
straw.

English prepositions also show time relationships:

4|Engl 103
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Noah giggled before lunch, at lunch, during lunch, throughout lunch, after lunch,
and until midnight. He's been giggling since yesterday!

Besides showing space and time relationships, English prepositions also

show abstract (thought or idea) relationships. The English prepositions listed below
show abstract relationships.

concerning except like regarding

considering excepting of save
despite for opposite unto

Simple Prepositions
Some English prepositions are single words while others are groups of words such
as across from, along with, apart from, by means of, etc. In order to recognize and
memorize single-word prepositions, simple prepositions, we list them
alphabetically here.

aboard beside inside since

about besides into through
above between like throughout
across beyond near till
after but of to
against by off toward
along concerning on under
alongside considering onto underneath
amid despite opposite until
among down out unto
around during outside up
at except over upon
before excepting past via
behind for regarding with
below from round within
beneath in save without

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 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Examples

1. Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

2. Settlers in Massachusetts and throughout New England understood the
importance of education.
3. Barrett came from Martha's Vineyard with vivid descriptions of its beauty.

Complex Prepositions
Listed below are some complex prepositions, which contain more than
one word.

according to except for inside of

across from from among next to
alongside of from between on account of
along with from under on behalf of
apart from in addition to on top of
aside from in behalf of outside of
away from in front of over to
because of in place of owing to
by means of in regard to prior to
down from in spite of round about

Examples

1. According to Mrs. Hammond, the neighbor who lived next to her mansion
moved away from Smudgeville because of the smog.
2. On behalf of the PTA, Mr. Chips stood next to the podium in front of the
crowd in place of the president and presented me my plaque along with a
trophy on account of all my hard work.

Object of the Preposition

A person, place, or thing alwaysJ follows a preposition. We call this word
the object of the preposition. Every preposition must have an object. Otherwise,

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 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

it is not a preposition. We italicize prepositions and star their objects in the phrases
below.

at the *corner down the *stairs

on the *table through the *tunnel
around the *lake like a *rocket

Simple prepositions are underlined in the sentences below. Notice how they
show the relationship between "went" and "fence."

The soccer ball went under the fence.

The soccer ball went over the fence.

In the first sentence, we see that fence is the object of the

preposition under. In the second sentence, fence is the object of the
preposition over.

Prepositions may have compound objects:

• Ivy hikes through *rain and *snow.

• Gus thinks about *villains and *heroes.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are connecting words. They connect words, phrases,

and clauses. There are three types of conjunctions: coordinating , correlative,
and subordinating.

Coordinating Conjunctions
One of the three types of conjunctions is the coordinating conjunction. We
use a coordinating conjunction to join parts of a sentence that are equal in form,
or parallel. Parts of sentences, such as words, phrases, and clauses, are
called elements. A coordinating conjunction connects a word to a word, a phrase
to a phrase, or a clause to a clause. When joined by a conjunction, they are
called compound elements.
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 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Here are the common coordinating conjunctions:

and but or nor for yet so

They may join a word to another word:

aunt and uncle Rachel or Leah

better or worse firm yet kind
walk and run slowly but surely

They may join a phrase to another phrase:

• singing loudly or humming softly

• over the meadow and through the woods
• languishing in the dark but thriving in the light

They may connect a clause to another clause:

• Anna rushes to the car, for she is late.

• Quan searches for his python, but he can't find it.
• Clara Barton established the American Red Cross, and she served as its
first president in 1881.aaa

*It’s a good idea to use the mnemonic “FANBOYS” to memorize

coordinating conjunctions so you’ll never forget them. They are:

• F = for
• A = and
• N = nor
• B = but
• O= or
• Y = yet
• S = so

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 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Correlative Conjunctions
Another of the three types of conjunctions is the correlative
conjunction. Correlative conjunctions are similar to coordinating conjunctions in
that they connect parts of a sentence that are equal, or parallel. Correlative
conjunctions are always used in pairs. Here, we list the most common ones:

both—and either—or
neither—nor not only—but also

The parts they join must be equal in form, or parallel. In the sentences below,
the parallel elements are italicized.

• Both the girls and the boys will participate in the soccer tournament.
• Either Patti or Liz will finish the task.
• Neither Ms. Grant nor Mr. Mitchell can chaperone the dance.
• Not only jeans but also sweatshirts are on sale at the mall.

Subordinating Conjunctions
A subordinating conjunction introduces a dependent clause. We can turn
an independent clause into a dependent clause by adding a subordinating
conjunction. In the dependent clauses below, though, because, and when are
subordinating conjunctions.

INDEPENDENT CLAUSE DEPENDENT CLAUSE

I like Texas. Though I like Texas,...

He looks silly. Because he looks silly,...
He was successful. When he was successful,...

Below are some common subordinating conjunctions. There are many more.

after because so that when

although before than whenever
as even though that where
as if if though

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 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

as soon as in order that unless wherever

as though since until while

Many of these words also function as prepositions. Sometimes phrases

begin with prepositions such as after, before, since, or until. In this case, these
words are not subordinating conjunctions but prepositions.

Interjections

A word or short phrase used to show strong emotion is called

an interjection, one of the eight parts of speech. It can express excitement,
happiness, joy, rage, surprise, pain, or relief. Examples are italicized below.

• Ah! Now I remember.

• Oh dear, I have forgotten your name.
• Oh, excuse me. I didn't mean to interrupt.
• Ouch! I burned my finger on the hot iron.
• Boo! Did I scare you?
• Yippee! Today is Saturday, my day to relax.
• Hey! Where are you going?
• Yikes! The ice is slippery.
• Aha, I found the missing puzzle piece.

An interjection is not a sentence and has no relationship with the words around
it. For this reason, it is usually set apart from the rest of the sentence by some sort
of punctuation, often an exclamation point. However, if the emotion is not very
intense, a comma is used.

• INTENSE: Wow! Did you see that shooting star?

• NOT INTENSE: Okay, I understand now.

• INTENSE: Yuck! There's mold growing on that bread.

• NOT INTENSE: Shh, the librarian allows no talking.

• INTENSE: Bravo! You passed the test.

• NOT INTENSE: Oh yes, I recall Harry Truman.

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 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Below is a list of common ones. Notice that the list includes sounds.

ah oh dear ugh man

aha oh my uh oh drat
bam oh yes well oops
boy far out yippee bravo
oh no whee good grief okay
whoops goodness ouch wow
hey ow yikes hooray
phew yuck hurrah pow
boo oh shh whew

We must not overuse these words. They lose their effectiveness when used
too frequently.

REFERENCES

Bargo, D. (2016).Englis plus: An intensive grammar review. Quezon City,

Philippines: Great Books Trading.

Forlini, G., Bauer, M.B., Biener, L., Capo, L. Kenyon, K.M., Shaw, D. & Verner, Z.

(2013). Prentice Hall Grammar and composition 2:Jurong, Singapore.

Prepositions. Retrieved from https://www.grammar-island.com/prepositions.html

Lobeck, A. & Denham, K. (2014). Navigating English grammar. Malden, USA:

Wiley- Blackwell Publishing.

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