PREPOSITIONS
Prepared by vmhuetn@gmail.com
TOEFL class
Overview
Examples: by, on, at, because of, despite
Used to show time, place and agent.
Used in combination with verbs, adjectives, nouns, and some common set expressions.
Overview


Prep + N / NP
.

Prep + Noun clause

Prep + pron


Prep + Gerund
The cause of malnutrition is a lack of essential vitamins, minerals and proteins


Physical health has a definite effect on how people cope with emotional crises.

Most energy waves pass by us or through us without having any harmful effect on us.

Bank tellers are responsible for recording all of the transactions they perform.


Prepositions &
compound prepositions
About / above / across / as / at
Because of / before / behind / beside
Despite / during
From / for
In / in spite of
Like / unlike

Near
Of / off / on / out
Since
Through / throughout
Till /until
To
Prepositions &
compound prepositions
Compound preps
According to
As a result of
Because of
Due to
Except for
In addition to
In favor of
In spite of
Regardless of
Prepositional phrase
Function as adjectives when they come after a noun.


Function as adverbs when they modify verbs or clauses.
The rise of science challenged the authority of the old order.




Many of the institutions of capitalism existed in ancient times.
Due to rapid deforestation, timber towns have experienced economic depression.


Kinds of prep.
Verb + prep

Adjective / participle + prep.

Noun + prep.

Other combinations with preps.
Account for / Believe in / Belong to

Afraid of / Based on / Compared to

Cause of / Influence on / Reason for

In addition to/ In spite of / In terms of
Groups of prep.
Prep of time
At 124 Luong Ngoc Quyen street
On Kings road / Main street / A revenue / second floor
In the shop / Hoi An / Massachusetts / Vietnam / Europe
from Hanoi to Hochiminh city
Groups of prep.
Prep in common expressions
At times / At present / At first / last / At the moment
By land / sea / air / By far / By chance / By accident
In common / In general
On fire / On the other hand
Prepositions or not prepositions?
Normally: Prep + N / NP
Immunization for measles is recommended because of the possibility of secondary infection. (prep)
Measles is a serious disease because it can lead to secondary infection. (conj.)
Prepositions or not prepositions?

We climbed up the spiral staircase. (prep)
We had to get up early. (phrasal verb)

Study the sentences above. (adv)
We wrote the correction above the error. (prep)
TOEFL strategy
Wrong preps are used


Preps are omitted



Preps are unnecessary
Mount St. Helens, a volcano in Washington state in the United States, erupted in May 18, 1980.


According experts 60,000 cubic feet of earth was thrown into the air in the explosion of Mount. St. Helens.


Despite of its isolation in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, over 36,000 people died in the tidal waves following the explosion of Krakatoa.


The end