Grammar for Everyone - Barbara Dykes 2007
7 Prepositions
Introduction
Part II The parts of speech
What’s the position?
Definition: The word ’preposition’ is from the Latin word praepositio meaning ’placed before’ or ’in front of’.
Just as the word denotes, a preposition normally precedes a noun or pronoun. It shows a relationship to something, mainly according to place (on the table) or time (at 2.00 pm) and less obviously to a notion, i.e. something abstract (beyond belief).
Prepositions, by virtue of coming before a noun or pronoun are said to ’take an object’. (Compare with direct objects on page 97.)
Note that these same prepositions often appear in verb combinations such as ’wash up’, ’have to’. In these examples the combination of verb and preposition presents a new and specific notion - everyone knows that by adding the word ’up’ to ’wash’ we have the particular meaning of washing dishes. Therefore it is commonsense to deal with the whole as one verb.
In another form, words that look like prepositions and come after the verb are modifying the meaning of the verb, as in ’look around’, ’stand up’. These are adverbs and are easy to recognise as they do not ’take an object’ - i.e. there is no noun or pronoun following.
For prepositions taking objects see page 98.
It would not normally be appropriate to make this distinction with young children. It will arise naturally as they mature in understanding.
So we deal first with prepositions indicating place - which do have an object - as these are the easiest to comprehend and may be illustrated through simple activities, followed by prepositions indicating time, for example: by Monday.
7.1 Activities: prepositions
1. Suggest students pick up an object such as a rubber or pencil. Ask them to place it on something (the desk or a book). Then under it, beside it and so on. Write the words on the board as you do this.
2. This activity can be done in the play area. Call out prepositions and have the students take up appropriate positions to illustrate them.
3. Draw two boxes on the board. Students are asked to imagine a ball being thrown at them, on them, between them etc. They suggest any others they can think of. Students then draw the boxes in their own books. As they write each preposition down the side or below, they can draw each in an appropriate position on the diagram.
4. Students are each supplied with a picture from which they make observations using prepositions. They write these in their grammar exercise books, for example:
A lady standing at the door.
A black cat on the sofa.
Checklist: prepositions
Students should now be able to:
• define the term ’preposition’
• recognise a preposition taking on the function of an adverb