english empowers grammar

8/3/2019 English Empowers Grammar

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Theme 7: Mind Your Language I Sub-theme 2

Language in Action (Grammar and Vocabulary) Section

Minding others' feelings Language Features of Types of Texts (Secondary)

Personal Recounts

• Prepositions and prepositional phrases

P re p o s itiO n s a n c lPrepos i t i ona l P H R A S E S

< ;o m e tir n e G ,I don't k n o w w h e n to (JIOep r e p c > G it io n s l i k e 'on', ' in',

'to', 'for' e n :! 'o r .

We say we lie 'in' bed but sit 'on' the sofa.

We watch a movie' at' the cinema but

'on' television. Is it any wonder that many

of us are confused by how we should use

prepositions?

H O W

toIdentify Prepositions

A preposition is a word or a phrase that relates

one word in a sentence (usually a noun) to anotherword or phrase in the same sentence.

This lesson aims to clear up the confusion and

help you to master the use of prepositions.

You will observe how some prepositions are

used before you practise. Another way to

choose prepositions correctly is to refer to a

good dictionary.

Last year I danced at the festival. ('at' links

'danced'to 'the festival'; answers the question:

Where did you dance?)

What did I do yesterday before 1 p.m.? I was

day-dreaming by the river. (before links the

time to the day; answers the question: What

time yesterday?; by links the river to the activity;

answers the question: Where did I day-dream?)



Theme 7: Mind Your Language I Sub-theme 2: Kind Words, Kind Acts

Prepositions can be single words or phrases.

Here are some common one-word prepositions:I

at by down for from In near ofoff on out since to up about a b o v e against before behind below beside inside into ontoo v e r towards under upon within without between

Here are some prepositions consisting of two or more words: Iahead ofnear to as far as

out ofup toaway from

because of

instead ofexcept for

on top ofin front of

H O W to Use Prepositions

There are three functions of prepositions:

The sea went calm. Lockie lay still in the deep water. He panted like aspaniel. All of a sudden a dolphin spouted beside him, then another, and

then a whole whooshing crew of them were around him, whirling and

leaping. They surrounded him mischievously, teasing and skittering like

a bunch of little brothers lit up on red Smarties and Coke. Diving, they

disappeared for a second and charged up from beneath him to swerve atthe very last moment and whack their tails on the surface.

They had not taken a holiday since my younger sister and I were born; so,

froma very young age, we learnt not to ask for what we could not have. '"

But God had other plans, so somehow, I clinched the scholarship, took thetrain down in late May 1998 to enrol at Temasek Junior College. '" When

I won the College Prize six months after I arrived, I realised I could nowdream bigger dreams.

Lockie Leonard shook the spray from his eyes, adjusted himself on the board

and kept paddling as the wave rolled past and collapsed with a bum-tingling

thud on the sandbar. Out of the cool mist another swell rose all seething

and motley-green and shot six glistening, giggling missiles into the sky. Theytwisted

inthe air and came spearing straight

athim.

\

A



Theme 7 Mind Your LangI Sub-theme 2: Kind Words, Kind Acts

W he re toPlace Prepositions

A preposition usually comes before a noun, noun phrase or a pronoun.

R>rexample:

He glared at me (pronoun). I pretended not to mind and continued talking to him (pronoun).

The carving on the wall (noun phrase) was shipped from exotic Bali (noun phrase).

Here is another example:

With (preposition) my sextant (noun phrase) carefully replaced in its box, Ihad turned to

m\- books to work up an accurate dead-reckoning position when sledgehammer blows of

incredible force struck the hull beneath my feet hurling me against the bunk. The noise of the impact almost deafened my ears to the roar of rushing water.

Sometimes, the preposition appears more naturally at the end of the sentence. This is usually thecase in speech and informal writing.

This is the building she used to work at.Who were you talking to?

H O W tc) Identify PrepOSitional Phrases

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and usually

ends with a noun or pronoun. In the short text above, with my sextant and in its box areexamples of prepositional phrases.

Here are two more examples:

prep!ition object °lpreposition prep!ition ~ object 01reposition

After several days, we located the village at the base of a mountain ..._____ J L )

---...,....-- -v--prepositional phrase

prepositional phrases

preposition object

, J . , J .

For the next three days, we distributed food and drinks to the homeless victims of the devastating earthquake.L J L JL J~ - . . . _ " . . . . - . . . . . . . . . . .

prepositional phrase prepositional phrase prepositional phrase

object preposition

, J . , J .object

, J .

O W to Use Prepositions

prepositional phrase may function as an adjective or adverb:

Adjective: The prepositional phrase gives us more information about the noun.For example:

The boy at the back is my brother. (describes boy)

The volunteer worker with the International Red Cross is appealing for more aid.(describes volunteer worker)



Theme 7: Mind Your La I Sub-theme 2 Kind Words, Kind Acts

Water was pouring up through the hole with torrential force and although Lyn called

out that it was no use, that the water was pouring in from another hole under the WCflooring as well, I jammed my foot on the broken strakes and shouted to her to give me

large cloths, anything to stem the flood.... Wading past the galley stove, my eyes glimpsed

the sharp vegetable knife, and grabbing it in passing I leapt for the companionway; the

water, now up to my thighs, was already lapping the top of the batteries in the engineroom.

Adverb: A prepositional phrase may act as an adverb giving more information about the verb.

Lyn was tying the twins' lifejackets on with rapid efficiency as I slashed at the lashings

holding the bow of the dinghy

to the mainmast;Douglas struggled to free the self-

inflatable raft from under the dinghy and I ran forward to cut the remaining lashingsholding the stern of the dinghy to the foremast, lifting the dinghy and freeing the raft atthe same time.

'With rapid efficiency' is a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb of manner modifying the

verb 'was tying'. 'At the same time' is another prepositional phrase acting as an adverb of timemodifying 'lifting' and 'freeing'.

Do you see anything special about the poems below? Read the poems aloud. Can you feel themovements described in the poems?

Identify the prepositions in the poems below. Can you write one yourself describing an activity suer

as chatting on the phone, writing a SMS or helping a friend? Give your preposition poem a suitable

title. Experiment with layout and see if it helps to convey the meaning of your poem.

Skiing by Stacey M.

Up the ski lift

Above the ground Toward the summit

From the top

Down the mountain

Through the woods

Between two trees

Off a jump

the snow

wind

Beside my dad

Deh~1:Idmy brother

Be<vond my mom

the bottom

much troubleof the trail

family.

(

t

s

t

( "Back on the Street by Kevin C.

On the bus

Into my seat

Down into town

With the beat of the

Around the corner

Over the bend

Up the

Across

n

L



Theme 7: Mind Your Lan e I Sub-theme 2 Kind Words, Kind " - . : - _ S

Further practiCe

The extract below is from Lieutenant William Bligh's journal entries on the mutiny on the

ship, The Bounty, in 1789. Mutineers had forced Captain Bligh and 18 of his supporters

onto a small boat with little food and water and abandoned them.

Tuesday the 28th

Just before sun-rising, while I was yet asleep, Mr Christian, with the

master at arms, gunner's mate, and Thomas Burkitt, seaman, came into

my cabin (1) ( ), and seizing me, tied my hands

(2) behind my back, threatening me

with instant death, if I spoke or made the least noise: I, however, called

as loud as I could, (3) ; but they had

already secured the officers who were not of their party, by placing

sentinels at their doors. There were three men at my cabin door

(4) ( ), besides the four within; Christian had only a cutlas5'

(5) , the others had muskets andbayonets. I was hauled out of bed, and forced on deck in my

suffering great pain (6) with

they had tied my hands. I demanded the reason of such violence

(7) ( ), but received no other answer than abuse, for

my tongue. The master, the gunner, the surgeon, Mr Elphi

master's mate, and Nelson, were kept confined below.

and carpenter, and also the clerk, Mr Samuel, were al

upon deck, where they saw me standing with my han

back (8) ( ), under a guard, with C hristian at

boatswain was ordered to hoist the launch out, with anot do instantly, to take care of himself.

t

Let's~'ectHow well can you use prepositions and prepositional phrases now?

How are they useful in your daily life?

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