What is a Preposition?
A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.
A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence as in the following examples:
The book is on the table.
The book is beneath the table.
The book is leaning against the table.
The book is beside the table.
She held the book over the table.
She read the book during class.
In each of the preceding sentences, a preposition locates the noun "book" in space or in time.
A prepositional phrase is made up of the preposition, its object and any associated adjectives or adverbs. A prepositional phrase can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. The most common prepositions are:
about
above
across
after
against
along
among
around
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
beyond
but
by
despite
down
during
except
for
from
in
inside
into
like
near
of
off
on
onto
out
outside
over
past
since
through
throughout
till
to
toward
under
underneath
until
up
upon
with
within
without.
Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a preposition:
The children climbed the mountain without fear.
In this sentence, the preposition "without" introduces the noun "fear." The prepositional phrase "without fear" functions as an adverb describing how the children climbed.
There was rejoicing throughout the land when the government was defeated.
Here, the preposition "throughout" introduces the noun phrase "the land." The prepositional phrase acts as an adverb describing the location of the rejoicing.
The spider crawled slowly along the banister.
The preposition "along" introduces the noun phrase "the banister" and the prepositional phrase "along the banister" acts as an adverb, describing where the spider crawled.
The dog is hiding under the porch because it knows it will be punished for chewing up a new pair of shoes.
Here the preposition "under" introduces the prepositional phrase "under the porch," which acts as an adverb modifying the compound verb "is hiding."
The screenwriter searched for the manuscript he was certain was somewhere in his office.
Similarly in this sentence, the preposition "in" introduces a prepositional phrase "in his office," which acts as an adverb describing the location of the missing papers.
Written by Heather MacFadyen
The Proper Use of Preposition
A
to accuse somebody of something指控, 控告; 譴責[(+of)]
NOT for something
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to be (un)accustomed to something習慣於; 有...的習慣
NOT with something
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to be addicted to something沈溺於某種(尤其是不良的)嗜好的; 入了迷的
NOT with/on/in something
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to adjust to something調節; 改變...以適應[(+to)]
NOT with/in something
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to affect somebody/something影響; 對...發生作用
NOT on somebody/something
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to (dis)approve of somebody/something (不)贊成; (不)贊許[W][(+of)]
NOT for somebody/something
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to have a(n) (dis)advantage over somebody/something有(不)利條件, (無)優點, (無)優勢[C][U][(+over)]
NOT to/from something
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to (dis)agree on something意見一致[(+on)][W]
NOT for something
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to apply to somebody/something for something塗, 敷; 將...鋪在表面[(+to)]
NOT in somebody/something for something
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to argue about something (=to disagree about something) 爭論, 辯論; 爭吵[(+about)]
NOT for something
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to argue for something (=to offer reasons why something should not be/happen etc) 提出理由[(+against)]
NOT about something
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to arrive at a conclusion/fixed address達到; 達成[(+at)]
NOT in a conclusion/fixed address
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B
to be (un)aware of something知道的, 察覺的[(+of)]
NOT about something
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to place a ban on something置, 安置; 將...寄託於[(+on)]
NOT for/about something
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to benefit from something得益, 受惠[(+from)]
NOT with/on something
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to blame somebody/something for something責備, 指責[(+for)]
NOT about/of something
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C
to be (in)capable of something有...的能力, 能夠(做)...的[(+of)]
NOT for something
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to comment on something發表意見, 評論[(+on/upon)]
NOT about/for something
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to comply with something (對要求、命令等)依從, 順從, 遵從[(+with)]
NOT by something
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to concentrate on something全神貫注; 全力以赴[(+on/upon)] NOT about/over something
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to be (un)concerned with/about something掛慮的, 擔心的, 不安的[(+with/about)]
NOT for something
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to connect something to something else連接, 連結[(+to)]
NOT in/on something else
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a connection between two things聯想[(+between)]
NOT among/by/with two things
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to contribute to something貢獻, 提供[(+to)]
NOT in something
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D
a decline/decrease in something (e.g. popularity) 減; 減少, 減小[(+in)]
NOT of something
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to decrease something by a certain amount減; 減少, 減小[vt. (+by)]
NOT with a certain amount
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to depend on somebody/something依靠, 依賴[(+on)]
NOT in/by somebody/something
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to differ/be different from somebody/something不同, 相異[(+from)]
NOT than/to somebody/something
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to disconnect something from something else使分離, 分開, 斷開[(+from)]
NOT of/with/to something else
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to distinguish between two things/people區別; 識別; 辨別[(+between)]
NOT among/from two things/people
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E
to be (in)eligible for something有資格當選的; 法律上合格的[(+for)]
NOT in/to something
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to emerge from something (從困境等中)擺脫; 露頭, 出頭[(+from)]
NOT by something
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to put emphasis on something放, 擺[(+on)]
NOT to something
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to be (in) essential to/for something必要的, 不可缺的[(+to/for)]
NOT about something
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to excuse somebody for something (=to forgive somebody for something) 原諒[(+for)]
NOT from something
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to excuse somebody from something (=to give permission not to do something) 免除[(+from)]
NOT for something
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to experiment on something (animals, etc) 實驗; 試驗[C][U][(+on)]
NOT in/with something
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to experiment with something (methods, substances, etc) 進行實驗, 試驗[(+with)]
NOT in/on something
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to be (un)equal to something相等的; 相當的; 均等的[(+to)]
NOT as/with something
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to be exempt from something (-not to have to do something) 免除, 豁免[(+from)]
NOT for something
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F
to be faced with something面對; 面臨[(+with)]
NOT by something
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to be (un)familiar to somebody (=to be known by somebody) 世所周知的; 熟悉的; 常見的; 普通的[(+to)]
NOT with somebody
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to be (un)familiar with somebody (=to know somebody) 親近的, 親密的[(+with)]
NOT to somebody
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G
to graduate from something (a university/college) 【英】大學畢業; 【美】畢業[(+from)]
NOT in/by something
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to graduate in something (a subject) 授與... 畢業學位
NOT from something
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H
to be harmful/harmless to somebody/something有害的[(+to)]
NOT for somebody/something
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to be a hazard to somebody/something危險; 危害物; 危險之源[C][(+to)]
NOT for somebody/something
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I
an increase in something增大; 增加; 增強[(+in)]
NOT of something
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to increase something by a certain amount大; 增加; 增強[(+by)]
NOT with a certain amount
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to be ignorant of something不知道的[(+of)]
NOT about/for something
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to be inferior to somebody/something (質量等)次的; 較差的; 次於...的[(+to)]; (地位等)低等的; 下級的; 低於...的[(+to)]NOT from/than somebody/something
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to have the intention of doing something意圖, 意向, 目的[(+of)]
NOT for doing something
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to be (un)interested in somebody/something感興趣的; 關心的[(+in)]
NOT about/for something
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to invest something in something投(資)[(+in)]
NOT something on something
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J
to offer justification for something正當的理由; 藉口[(+for)]
NOT about something
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K
to know of/about something知道; 了解, 懂得[(+about/of)]
NOT for something
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L
to have a lack of something欠缺; 不足; 沒有[(+of)]
NOT for something
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to lecture on a topic (=give a lecture) 演講; 講課[(+on)]
NOT about a topic
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to lecture somebody about something (=warn, reprimand) 告誡[(+about)]
NOT on something
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to be liable for something (responsible for something) 負有法律責任的, 有義務的[(+for)]
NOT about/to something
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to be liable to something (=likely to suffer from something) 易患...的; 易...的[(+to)]
NOT for/about something
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M
to be married to somebody把(女兒等)嫁予[(+to)]
NOT with somebody
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N
to be (un)necessary for/to something必要的, 必需的[(+for/to)]
NOT in something
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to take notice of something注意到; 關注
NOT for/about something
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to notify somebody of something通知, 告知; 報告[(+of)]
NOT for something
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O
to object to somebody/something反對[(+to)]
NOT against somebody/something
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to be opposed to something 使相對; 使對抗[(+to)]
NOT against something
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to be opposite something在...對面
NOT from/over something
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P
to be (un)popular with somebody (=(dis)liked by somebody) 孚眾望的; 得人心的; 受歡迎的[(+with)]
NOT for somebody
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to prefer somebody/something to somebody/something else寧可; 寧願(選擇); 更喜歡[+v-ing][+to]
NOT from somebody/something else
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Q
to quit something放棄[+v-ing]
NOT from something
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R
to have/give a reason for something對...作出(解釋等)
NOT about something
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to refer to something涉及, 有關[(+to)]
NOT at/in something
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to be (un)related to somebody/something 有關, 涉及[(+to)]
NOT with somebody/something
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to be (ir)relevant to somebody/something有關的; 切題的; 恰當的
NOT with somebody/something
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to rely on somebody/something依靠, 依賴; 依仗[(+on)]
NOT in/by somebody/something
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to have respect for somebody/something 尊重, 注重, 重視[U][(+for)]
NOT of somebody/something
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to result from something (=to arise from something) 發生, 產生[(+from)]
NOT of something
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to result in something (=to cause something) 結果; 導致[(+in)]
NOT to something
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S
to be (dis)(un)satisfied with something使(不)滿意, 使(不)高興; 使(不)滿足[H][(+with)]
NOT by/for something
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to be (in)sensitive to something敏感的; 易受傷害的[(+to)]
NOT with/for/by something
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to be (dis)similar to something相像的, 相仿的, 類似的[(+to)]
NOT as something
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to submit something to somebody提交, 呈遞[(+to)]
NOT for somebody
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to be superior to somebody/something (在職位, 地位等方面)較高的, 上級的[(+to)]
NOT from/than somebody/something
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to suffer from/with something 受損害, 受損失; 變糟[(+for/with)]
NOT by something
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to be (un)suitable for something適當的; 合適的; 適宜的[(+for)]
NOT to/in something
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T
to threaten somebody with something威脅, 恐嚇; 揚言要[(+with)]
NOT somebody to do something
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to undergo/prescribe treatment for something經歷; 經受; 忍受; 開藥方; 給醫囑[(+for)]
NOT of/about something
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V
to be valued (=appreciated, well thought of) 重要性, 益處
NOT to be valued at
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to be valued at (a price) 估價, 評價[(+at)]
NOT to be valued
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W
to wish for something希望, 願望[(+for)]
NOT to wish something
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