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March 27, 2001
Prepositions
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Prepositions usually are short words that link parts of sentences.
1. Prepositions change nouns or pronouns (and their modifiers) or any word group functioning as a noun into prepositional phrases.
Examples of nouns: cat, table, book
Examples of prepositional phrases after adding prepositions:
whiskers OF the cat
bowl ON the table
pages IN the book
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2. Prepositions do not change form.
Examples:
"Of" always will be "of" regardless of its use.
"Within" always will be "within," regardless of its use.
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3. Prepositions that are used to form two-word verbs are called "particles."
Joseph RAN AWAY from the problem. ("away" = preposition = particle)
Gerald TURNED IN his essay. ("in" = preposition = particle)
Other examples of two-word verbs using prepositions (also called "particles"):
aim at
bring about
call up
head out
mark up
put out
turn out
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4. Many prepositions show relational positions:
above the floor
across the floor
along the floor
below the floor
near the floor
off the floor
on the floor
upon the floor
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5. Prepositional phrases often serve as modifiers within a sentence:
The whiskers [of the cat] began to twitch.
That bowl [on the table] is cracked.
The underlined pages [in the book] are smudged.
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6. Do not capitalize prepositions of fewer than five letters in titles and subtitles of works except when they are the first or last words in the title or follow a colon or semicolon:
Examples:
"Love is Forever" (preposition = is)
"To Die is to Live Again" (prepositions = To, is, to)
"City Under Seizure" (preposition = Under)
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7. Be sure to use the correct preposition with idioms:
He was alerted to the situation. (not "alerted at" or "alerted of")
Sarah was ticked off by his attitude. (not "ticked away" or "ticked out")
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SPELLING OR WRITING TIP
"Raise" versus "Rise"
Remember that "raise" can be either a verb or a noun. When used as a noun, it generally means an increase in salary:
Jim received a three percent raise this year.
When used as a verb, "raise" primarily means "to lift," "to increase," or "to make greater in price or value," though it also means "to bring to maturity" (as in rearing children). "Raise" takes a direct object which receives the action of the verb:
Jim raised the asking price on his car. (raised = increased)
Kelly raised the orphan as her own. (raised = to bring to maturity)
She raised her arm to strike the boy. (raised = lifted)
(The main forms are raise, raised, raised.)
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"Rise" means "to get up" or "to move upward or higher" and this form does not take an object.
My mother used to rise at dawn. (rise = to get up)
Did the sun rise at its usual time? (rise = to move higher)
(The main forms are rise, rose, risen.)
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NEW WORD OF THE WEEK:
HAPLESS (hap' les) adjective: 1) unlucky; 2) unfortunate
Clyde is a hapless fellow.
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YOUR GRAMMAR AND WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION: The word "data" is only plural and should only be treated as such. You should not encourage the misuse of the English language and the unfortunate changes to it that uneducated people are making.
GRAMMARCHECK: Although some writers insist on treating this word solely as a plural form, "data" can take either a singular or plural verb. To suggest otherwise would be to do our readers a disservice and to keep them uneducated, if indeed they are--which is doubtful. Please see a recent edition of the AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY or the OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY for more detailed information.
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QUESTION: I am in college and I need to have good grammar skills. Is there any way you can help me check my grammar?
GRAMMARCHECK: We do not proofread anyone's work, if that is what you're asking. We recommend you take the time to learn a few basic grammar rules for yourself. This can be accomplished with the help of a good grammar handbook (available at most bookstores), especially those that include practice exercises. Since you are a college student, find out if your campus offers writing assistance through a tutoring program or learning center. Your past and present English instructors can provide additional advice. Good grammar will serve you well the rest of your life, so don't hesitate to invest the time to master a few good rules.
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QUESTION: Which is correct?
The Lord's Prayer
-or-
The Lords' Prayer
GRAMMARCHECK: Assuming that you are referring to the well-known prayer of Jesus found in the New Testament gospels, the correct form is "The Lord's Prayer," which shows singular possession, rather than "The Lords' Prayer," which suggests the prayer belonging to multiple lords!
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QUESTION: Please, if you could, give the rules for the proper use of "Who's" versus "Whose" with all the terminology.
GRAMMARCHECK: We're not sure which terminology you're looking for, but here's our simple explanation of the difference between "who's" and "whose."
"Who's" is the contraction for "who is" as in the following examples:
1. Who's playing at the stadium tonight? ("Who is" playing at the stadium tonight?)
2. Who's going to cook breakfast tomorrow? ("Who is" going to cook breakfast tomorrow?)
But "whose" shows possession:
1. Whose house is this anyway?
2. Does anyone know whose dog this is?
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QUESTION: I often find myself writing passive sentences. Quite often they don't sound as well in the active voice. Must I change it anyway or is it correct to leave it?
GRAMMARCHECK: Active voice is preferable in most public discourse situations, especially academic and business writing, as well as journalism. However, sometimes the passive voice more emphatically expresses a key idea, depending on the main point the writer wishes to make:
Active voice:
The car hit the three-legged dog. ("car" in subject position is focus of sentence)
Passive voice:
The three-legged dog was hit by the car. ("dog" in subject position is focus of sentence)
Does the writing in this passage focus mainly on the car or the dog? It's up to the writer to decide whether active or passive voice will best convey the intent.
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