2013年9月28日 星期六

What is a Preposition?



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
The proper use of preposition collocations can be learned by using the following chart. The words that follow (NOT) in the chart below, are often confused when it comes to using the right preposition collocations.

 A
 to accuse somebody of something指控, 控告; 譴責[(+of)]
NOT for something
To learn more …
 to be (un)accustomed to something習慣於; ...的習慣
NOT with something
To learn more …
 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
To learn more …
 to adjust to something調節; 改變...以適應[(+to)]
NOT with/in something
To learn more …
 to affect somebody/something影響; ...發生作用
NOT on somebody/something
To learn more …
 to (dis)approve of somebody/something ()贊成; ()贊許[W][(+of)]
NOT for somebody/something
To learn more …
 to have a(n) (dis)advantage over somebody/something()利條件, ()優點, ()優勢[C][U][(+over)]
NOT to/from something
To learn more…
 to (dis)agree on something意見一致[(+on)][W]
NOT for something
To learn more …
 to apply to somebody/something for something, ; ...鋪在表面[(+to)]
NOT in somebody/something for something
To learn more …
 to argue about something (=to disagree about something) 爭論, 辯論; 爭吵[(+about)]
NOT for something
To learn more …
 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
To learn more …

 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, 安置; ...寄託於[(+on)]
NOT for/about something
To learn more …
 to benefit from something得益, 受惠[(+from)]
NOT with/on something
To learn more …
 to blame somebody/something for something責備, 指責[(+for)]
NOT about/of something
To learn more …

 C
 to be (in)capable of something...的能力, 能夠()...[(+of)]
NOT for something
To learn more …
 to comment on something發表意見, 評論[(+on/upon)]
NOT about/for something
To learn more …
 to comply with something (對要求、命令等)依從, 順從, 遵從[(+with)]
NOT by something
To learn more …
 to concentrate on something全神貫注; 全力以赴[(+on/upon)] NOT about/over something
To learn more …
 to be (un)concerned with/about something掛慮的, 擔心的, 不安的[(+with/about)]
NOT for something
To learn more …
 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
To learn more …

 D
 a decline/decrease in something (e.g. popularity) ; 減少, 減小[(+in)]
NOT of something
To learn more …
 to decrease something by a certain amount; 減少, 減小[vt. (+by)]
NOT with a certain amount
To learn more …
 to depend on somebody/something依靠, 依賴[(+on)]
NOT in/by somebody/something
To learn more …
 to differ/be different from somebody/something不同, 相異[(+from)]
NOT than/to somebody/something
To learn more …
 to disconnect something from something else使分離, 分開, 斷開[(+from)]
NOT of/with/to something else
To learn more …
 to distinguish between two things/people區別; 識別; 辨別[(+between)]
NOT among/from two things/people
To learn more …

 E
 to be (in)eligible for something有資格當選的; 法律上合格的[(+for)]
NOT in/to something
To learn more …
 to emerge from something (從困境等中)擺脫; 露頭, 出頭[(+from)]
NOT by something
To learn more …
 to put emphasis on something, [(+on)]
NOT to something
To learn more …
 to be (in) essential to/for something必要的, 不可缺的[(+to/for)]
NOT about something
To learn more …
 to excuse somebody for something (=to forgive somebody for something) 原諒[(+for)]
NOT from something
To learn more …
 to excuse somebody from something (=to give permission not to do something) 免除[(+from)]
NOT for something
To learn more …
 to experiment on something (animals, etc) 實驗; 試驗[C][U][(+on)]
NOT in/with something
To learn more …
 to experiment with something (methods, substances, etc) 進行實驗, 試驗[(+with)]
NOT in/on something
To learn more …
 to be (un)equal to something相等的; 相當的; 均等的[(+to)]
NOT as/with something
To learn more …
 to be exempt from something (-not to have to do something) 免除, 豁免[(+from)]
NOT for something
To learn more …

 F
 to be faced with something面對; 面臨[(+with)]
NOT by something
To learn more …
 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
To learn more …
 to be (un)familiar with somebody (=to know somebody) 親近的, 親密的[(+with)]
NOT to somebody
To learn more …

 G
 to graduate from something (a university/college) 【英】大學畢業; 【美】畢業[(+from)]
NOT in/by something
To learn more …
 to graduate in something (a subject) 授與... 畢業學位
NOT from something
To learn more …

 H
 to be harmful/harmless to somebody/something有害的[(+to)]
NOT for somebody/something
To learn more …
 to be a hazard to somebody/something危險; 危害物; 危險之源[C][(+to)]
NOT for somebody/something
To learn more …

 I
 an increase in something增大; 增加; 增強[(+in)]
NOT of something
To learn more …
 to increase something by a certain amount; 增加; 增強[(+by)]
NOT with a certain amount
To learn more …
 to be ignorant of something不知道的[(+of)]
NOT about/for something
To learn more …
 to be inferior to somebody/something (質量等)次的; 較差的; 次於...[(+to)]; (地位等)低等的; 下級的; 低於...[(+to)]NOT from/than somebody/something
To learn more …
 to have the intention of doing something意圖, 意向, 目的[(+of)]
NOT for doing something
To learn more …
 to be (un)interested in somebody/something感興趣的; 關心的[(+in)]
NOT about/for something
To learn more …
 to invest something in something()[(+in)]
NOT something on something
To learn more …

 J
 to offer justification for something正當的理由; 藉口[(+for)]
NOT about something
To learn more …

 K
 to know of/about something知道; 了解, 懂得[(+about/of)]
NOT for something
To learn more …

 L
 to have a lack of something欠缺; 不足; 沒有[(+of)]
NOT for something
To learn more …
 to lecture on a topic (=give a lecture) 演講; 講課[(+on)]
NOT about a topic
To learn more …
 to lecture somebody about something (=warn, reprimand) 告誡[(+about)]
NOT on something
To learn more …
 to be liable for something (responsible for something) 負有法律責任的, 有義務的[(+for)]
NOT about/to something
To learn more …
 to be liable to something (=likely to suffer from something) 易患...; ...[(+to)]
NOT for/about something
To learn more …

 M
 to be married to somebody(女兒等)嫁予[(+to)]
NOT with somebody
To learn more …

 N
 to be (un)necessary for/to something必要的, 必需的[(+for/to)]
NOT in something
To learn more …
 to take notice of something注意到; 關注
NOT for/about something
To learn more …
 to notify somebody of something通知, 告知; 報告[(+of)]
NOT for something
To learn more …

 O
 to object to somebody/something反對[(+to)]
NOT against somebody/something
To learn more …
 to be opposed to something 使相對; 使對抗[(+to)]
NOT against something
To learn more …
 to be opposite something...對面
NOT from/over something
To learn more …

 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
To learn more …
 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
To learn more …

 Q
 to quit something放棄[+v-ing]
NOT from something
To learn more …

 R
 to have/give a reason for something...作出(解釋等)
NOT about something
To learn more …
 to refer to something涉及, 有關[(+to)]
NOT at/in something
To learn more …
 to be (un)related to somebody/something 有關, 涉及[(+to)]
NOT with somebody/something
To learn more …
 to be (ir)relevant to somebody/something有關的; 切題的; 恰當的
NOT with somebody/something
To learn more …
 to rely on somebody/something依靠, 依賴; 依仗[(+on)]
NOT in/by somebody/something
To learn more …
 to have respect for somebody/something 尊重, 注重, 重視[U][(+for)]
NOT of somebody/something
To learn more …
 to result from something (=to arise from something) 發生, 產生[(+from)]
NOT of something
To learn more …
 to result in something (=to cause something) 結果; 導致[(+in)]
NOT to something
To learn more …

 S
 to be (dis)(un)satisfied with something使()滿意, 使()高興; 使()滿足[H][(+with)]
NOT by/for something
To learn more …
 to be (in)sensitive to something敏感的; 易受傷害的[(+to)]
NOT with/for/by something
To learn more …
 to be (dis)similar to something相像的, 相仿的, 類似的[(+to)]
NOT as something
To learn more …
 to submit something to somebody提交, 呈遞[(+to)]
NOT for somebody
To learn more …
 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
To learn more …
 to suffer from/with something 受損害, 受損失; 變糟[(+for/with)]
NOT by something
To learn more …
 to be (un)suitable for something適當的; 合適的; 適宜的[(+for)]
NOT to/in something
To learn more …

 T
 to threaten somebody with something威脅, 恐嚇; 揚言要[(+with)]
NOT somebody to do something
To learn more …
 to undergo/prescribe treatment for something經歷; 經受; 忍受; 開藥方; 給醫囑[(+for)]
NOT of/about something
To learn more …

 V
 to be valued (=appreciated, well thought of) 重要性, 益處
NOT to be valued at
To learn more …
 to be valued at (a price) 估價, 評價[(+at)]
NOT to be valued
To learn more …

 W
 to wish for something希望, 願望[(+for)]
NOT to wish something
To learn more …



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