Download Rule 1. You may end a sentence with a preposition. Just do not use

Rule 1.
You may end a sentence with a preposition. Just do not use extra prepositions when the meaning is clear without them.
Examples:
Correct:
Correct:
Incorrect:
Correct:
Incorrect:
Correct:
Incorrect:
Correct:
Incorrect:
Correct:
Incorrect:
Correct:
Incorrect:
That is something I cannot agree with.
That is something with which I cannot agree.
Where did he go?
Where did he go to?
Where did you get this?
Where did you get this at?
I will go later.
I will go later on.
Take your shoes off the bed.
Take your shoes off of the bed.
You may look out the window.
You may look out of the window.
Cut it into small pieces.
Cut it up into small pieces.
Rule 2. Use on with expressions that indicate the time of an occurrence.
Examples:
He was born on December 23.
We will arrive on the fourth.
Rule 3. Of should never be used in place of have.
Correct:
I should have done it.
Incorrect:
I should of done it.
Rule 4. Between refers to two. Among is used for three or more.
Examples:
Divide the candy between the two of you.
Divide the candy among the three of you.
Rule 5. The word like may be used as a preposition and in informal writing, as a conjunction. In formal writing, use as, as
if, or as though rather than like as the conjunction.
Examples:
Prepositional usage
You look so much like your mother.
Conjunction usage
You look like you are angry.
OR
You look as if you are angry.
Prepositions are those function words that typically combine with a noun phrase to form a phrase that usually expresses
a modification or predication. As connectives, prepositions like “in,” “on,” and “from” have to be tacked on to a noun
phrase so we can properly modify it or elaborate on it when forming a sentence.
Example:
“This evaluation is based on more than perception or popularity; it demonstrates how brands, as key elements of
corporate wealth, can and should be considerable factors in business strategy.”
In the above sentence, “on,” “as,” “of,” and “in” are prepositions that interconnect two ideas with each another.
In general, it is difficult to establish the logic of the usage of particular prepositions; they just became entrenched in the
language through repeated usage. For this reason, we just have to commit the prepositions and their various usage to
memory.
What’s the difference between a proposition and a conjunction?
A preposition typically establishes a relationship between ideas within the same clause, while a conjunction or
conjunctive adverb typically establishes a relationship between clauses, between sentences, and across paragraphs.
Examples:
Preposition usage:
“They went into the room.”
(Here, there is only one clause, “they went into the room,” and the preposition “into” establishes the
relationship between the grammar elements in that clause.)
Conjunction usage between clauses:
“They went into the room, but left just a few minutes later.”
(Here, there are two clauses, “they went into the room” and “(they) left just a few minutes later,” and the
coordinating conjunction “but” links these two clauses and establishes the nature of their relationship.)
Conjunctive adverb usage between clauses:
“They went into the room; however, they left just a few minutes later.”
(Here, there are two clauses, “they went into the room” and “(they) left just a few minutes later,” and the
conjunctive adverb “however” links these two clauses and establishes the nature of their relationship. Note the
mandatory presence of a semicolon before “however” and the comma right after it.)
Conjunctive adverb usage between sentences:
“They went into the room. However, they left just a few minutes later.”
(Here, there are two clauses, “they went into the room” and “(they) left just a few minutes later.” They are set
off as separate sentences but are linked by the conjunctive adverb “however,” which also establishes the nature
of their logical relationship.)
Conjunctive adverb usage across paragraphs:
“…They were so tired after the long trip, so right upon arrival from the airport, they went into the room.
“However, they left just a few minutes later. They were so disgusted to find that the room was in total disarray.
Someone had obviously ransacked the place…”
(Here, there are two clauses, “they went into the room” and “(they) left just a few minutes later.” The first clause ends
the preceding paragraph and the second starts the next paragraph, with the conjunctive adverb providing the link, the
transition, and the logical relationship between the two paragraphs.)
How a preposition works
For a preposition to complete a phrase, it typically needs an object, which will either be a noun or pronoun (there are
two exceptions to this general rule, the phrasal verb and the prepositional idiom, but we will not discuss them here). The
presence of this object is, in fact, what determines whether the connective being used is a preposition or something
else.
For instance, look at what the function word “but” does in this other sentence: “No one but the convenor himself
showed up.” Because “but” establishes an exception to an idea within the same clause, it is working as a preposition in
that sentence. Its object is the noun “convenor,” and together with the entire phrase that follows it, “but the convenor
himself showed up,” it forms what is known in English grammar as a prepositional phrase.
In contrast, “but” doesn’t work as a preposition but as a coordinating conjunction in this sentence: “The partners
wanted to buy a brand-new car, but the bank declined to give them a loan.” Here, “but” doesn’t work to complete a
phrase; instead, it links and contrasts two ideas found in two independent, coequal clauses.
KINDS OF PREPOSITIONS:
There are five general kinds of prepositions:
1. Prepositions of place and location: “in,” “at,” “on.”
2. Prepositions of motion: “to,” “toward,” “in,” “into.”
3. Prepositions of direction: “to,” “onto,” “into.”
4. Prepositions for specific points of time: “on,” “at,” “in,” “after.”
5. Prepositions for periods or extended time: “since,” “for,” “by,” “from…to,” “from…until,” “before, “during,” “within,”
“between,” “beyond.”
In addition, there are also prepositions that establish logical relationships within the same clause:
6. Prepositions that establish the additive relationship: “besides” and “in addition to.”
Two prepositions work to allow the adding of similar information within the same clause.
Examples:
“He is addicted to high-stakes gambling besides heavy drinking.”
“The snatcher took my gold necklace in addition to my cellular phone.”
7. Prepositions that establish the causal or reason relationship: “due to,” “because of,” “as a result of,” “on account of,”
and “in consequence of.” These prepositions introduce a reason within a single-clause sentence.
Examples:
“This nation has not moved forward due to unabated political bickering.”
“Many people are getting colds on account of the humid weather.”
“The company lost a major customer in consequence of its continuing delayed deliveries.”
8. Prepositions that establish the comparative relationship: “despite,” “in spite of,”
“as opposed to,” “in contrast to,” “instead of,” and “notwithstanding.” They link opposing or contrastive ideas within the
same clause.
Examples:
“He won his political battles despite the early setbacks.”
“In spite of the stormy weather, the ship sailed out of port.”
“The female candidate for general manager has five years of experience as opposed to the male candidate’s three
years.”
“In contrast to most rivers in the region, the Marikina River is remarkably clean.”
“Notwithstanding his financial acumen, the new CEO is not well liked.”
Specific Rules for Preposition Usage
Most preposition usage is essentially conventional, even quirkish at times, and many preposition choices actually have
no inherent or discernible logic of their own. For instance, it’s not easy to discern any logical difference between “in,”
“on,” and “at” as prepositions of place and location, and this is why so many nonnative English speakers take a long time
to master their proper usage. Achieving this mastery, in fact, requires committing to memory the specific prepositions
needed according to established usage, and it’s a task that becomes even more tedious and difficult in the case of the
prepositional phrases and prepositional idioms.
The common run of prepositions usually establishes a space or time relationship between ideas within a phrase, clause,
or sentence, and they can be divided into five groups:
1. The prepositions of place and location: “in,” “at,” and “on”
2. The prepositions of motion: “to,” “toward,” “in,” and “into”
3. The prepositions of movement and direction: “to,” “onto,” and “into”
4. The prepositions for specific points of time: “on,” “at,” “in,” and “after”
5. The prepositions for periods or extended time: “since,” “for,” “by,” “from…to,”
“from…until,” “before,” “during,” “within,” “between,” and “beyond.”
Rules for Usage:
PREPOSITIONS THAT ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS IN SPACE
The prepositions “in,” “at,” and “on” for indicating place and location. The general rule is to use “in” for an enclosed
space, “at” for a point, and “on” for a surface. Here are some specific guidelines for their use in American English:
Use “in” for spaces: “They always meet in a secret room [in a suburban hotel, in a parking lot, in a farm, in a ricefield].”
Use “in” for names of specific land areas: “She lives in a quiet town [in Tagaytay, in Cavite, in Southern Tagalog, in the
island of Palawan, in the Philippines, in Southeast Asia].
Use “in” for bodies of water: “That kind of fish thrives in freshwater [in the river, in the lake, in streams, in the sea].”
Use “in” for lines: “The registrants are in a row [in a line, in a queue].”
Use “at” to indicate points: “You’ll find us at the entrance [at the taxi stand, at the supermarket, at the intersection].”
Use “at” for specific addresses, as in “She lives at 40 Lilac St.”
Use “on” for names of streets, roads, avenues, and boulevards: “Her apartment is on San Pablo Street [on Ortigas
Avenue, on Santolan Road, on Roxas Boulevard].”
Use “on” for surfaces: “There’s a large stain on the floor [on the wall, on the ceiling, on the roof].”
The prepositions “in,” “at,” and “on” for indicating location.
Use “in” in these cases: “The children are in the kitchen [in the garden, in the car, in the library, in the class, in school].
(The article “the” is mandatory except for the fourth and last example.)
Use “at” in these particular cases: “She was at home [at the library, at the office, at school, at work] when we arrived.”
Use “on” in these particular cases: “They are on the plane [on the train, on the boat].”
Some locations, though, don’t need a preposition between them and the verb: “They sleep downstairs [inside, outside,
downtown, upstairs, uptown].”
Rules for Usage:
PREPOSITIONS THAT ESTABLISH MOTION AND DIRECTION
The prepositions of motion “to,” “toward,” “in,” and “into.” These four prepositions link the verbs of movement—
“move,” “go,” “transfer,” “walk,” “run,” “swim,” “ride,” “drive,” “fly,” “travel,” and many more—to their object
destination. All of these verbs, except “transfer,” can take both “to” and “toward.”
We must keep in mind, however, that “to” is used to convey the idea of movement toward a specific destination, while
“toward” is used to convey movement in a general direction that may not reach a specific destination:
“Please take me to the bus station.”
(The speaker obligates the listener to specifically take him to a particular place.)
“The speedboat headed toward the harbor.”
(The speaker indicates only a movement in a general direction.)
We can actually interchange “into” and “in” more or less freely when used with verbs of motion. There are exceptions,
though. We can only use “in” (or “inside”) when the preposition is the last word in the sentence or occurs right before
an adverbial of time (“today,” “tomorrow”), manner (“quickly,” “hurriedly”) or frequency (“once,” “twice”).
Examples: “The woman went into the manager’s office.” “The woman went in twice.” “The woman went in.” “The new
tenants moved into the apartment yesterday” “The new tenants moved in hurriedly.” “The new tenants moved in.”
We can also use “into” as the last word in a question: “What sort of trouble have you gotten yourself into?” But we
should use “in” if the question is said in this form: “What sort of trouble are you in?”
“In/into” also has two unique uses with the verb “move.” The first is when “move in” is followed by a clause indicating
purpose or motive: “The hunters moved in for the kill.” “The soldiers moved in for the attack.” In both examples, “in” is
part of the verb phrase, so we cannot use “into.”
The second case is when we use “into” with “move” to convey the idea of simple movement: “The firemen moved into
the burning building.”
The prepositions of direction “to,” “onto,” and “into.” These prepositions correspond to the common prepositions of
location: “to” for “at,” “onto” for “on,” and “into” for “in.” Each is defined by the same space relations of point, line,
surface, or area as in the prepositions of location.
“To,” the basic directional preposition, signifies orientation toward a goal. If that goal is physical, like a specific
destination, “to” conveys the idea of movement in the direction of that goal: “The troops returned to their base.”
“Toward,” of course, also works as a directional preposition, and means about the same thing as the directional
preposition “to.” If the goal is not a physical place, as in an action, “to” simply puts the verb in the infinitive form to
express a particular purpose: “She sings to earn extra money.” “She cut her hair to show her displeasure.”
The directional prepositions “onto” and “into” are, as we know, compounds formed by “to” with corresponding
prepositions of location: on + to = onto, to signify movement toward a surface, and in + to = into, to signify movement
inside a finite three-dimensional space or volume.
When used with many verbs of motion, however, “on” and “in” already have a directional meaning. We therefore can
freely use them instead of “onto” and “into.” Note that “on” and “onto” work equally well in the following sentences:
“The cats fell on [onto] the floor.” “The whales washed up onto [on] the beach.” “The girl jumped into [in] the river.”
You will notice, however, that always, the compound locational prepositions “onto” and “into” convey the
consummation of an action, while the simple locational prepositions “on” and “in” indicate the subject’s end-position as
a result of the action.
Let’s look at some examples.
Consummation of action: “The boy fell onto [to] the ground.” “The sailor dived into [to] the pool.”
Position of subject: “The boy is on the ground.” “The sailor is in the pool.”
Now we discover something interesting: directional prepositions actually serve to convey the idea of cause, while
locational prepositions serve to convey the idea of effect. This, in fact, is as near a rule of thumb as we can get in dealing
with these two kinds of prepositions.
We cannot leave this subject, of course, without discussing “at” as a preposition of motion and direction. Being the least
specific of the prepositions in space orientation, we can use “at” in a good number of ways.
To mark a verb of motion directed towards a point: “She arrived at the airport late.” “The marksman aimed at the
hostage-taker with precision.”
To indicate direction: “The man leaped at the thief to subdue him.” “She jumped at me without warning.”
Rules for Usage:
PREPOSITIONS THAT ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS IN TIME
The prepositions for specific points in time: “on,” “at,” “in,” and “after.”
“On” is used with the days of the week: “We are going out on Monday [on Tuesday, on Sunday].”
“On” is used for specific dates (optional in informal usage): “The trade fair will start on March 12, 2003 [on March 12, on
the 12th of March, on the 12th ].”
“At” is used with clocked time: “She picks her son from school at 4:30 p.m.”
“At” is used with the following times of the day: “noon,” “night,” “midnight,” “sunrise,” “sunset”: “We sail for Palawan
at noon [at midnight, at sunrise].”
“At” is used with certain major holidays (without the word “Day”) as points of time: “The family always gets together at
Thanksgiving [at Christmas, at Easter, at Halloween].”
“In” is used with the following times of the day: “morning,” “afternoon,” “evening”: “She waters her roses in the
morning [in the afternoon, in the evening].”
“In” is used with dates that do not carry the specific day: “The Spanish explorer reached the Philippines in March 1521.”
“In” is used with months, years, decades, and centuries as points of time: “The famous writer was born in April [in 1946,
in the 1940s, in the 20th century].”
“In” is used with the seasons as points of time: “He promised not to leave her in autumn [in summer, in spring, in
winter].”
“After” is used with events that happen later than another event or point of time: “The overseas worker came home
only after the holidays.”
The prepositions for periods or extended time: “since,” “for,” “by,” “from...to,” “from...until,” “during,” “within,”
“between,” and “beyond.”
“Since” is used with an event that happens at some time or continuously after another time or event: “She has not
watched a movie since last month.” “They have been producing noodles since the war.”
“For” is used with particular durations: “Our president will be abroad for three weeks [not for long, for most of next
month].”
“By” is used with an act completed or to be completed by a certain time: “She expects to finish writing the book by April
[by then, by the second quarter].”
“From...to” is used to refer to the beginning and end of an activity or event: “The weather was stormy from Wednesday
to Friday.”
“From...until” is used to refer to the beginning of one period to the beginning of another: “Our sales rose continuously
from Christmas until right before Holy Week.”
“During” is used to refer to a period of time in which an event happens or an activity is done: “She had coffee during the
morning break.”
“Between” is used to refer to an action taking place between the beginning and the end of a period: “You must get the
job done between now and Friday.”
“Within” is used to refer to an action that must take place or be completed within a given period: “You must get the job
done within the week.”
“Beyond” is used to refer to a period of time after a particular event has taken place or a particular time has elapsed:
“Beyond the mid-1990s all of our offices had shifted to word processors.”
Prepositions for specific time frames. “In” is used with the three basic time frames: “past,” “present,” “future”: “He was
a kindly man in the past.” “She is doing nothing in the present [“...at present” is the preferred usage at present].” “In the
future, change the oil of your car regularly.”
“In” is used with prescribed time periods: “The project must be completed in a month [in a year, in five years].”