Preposition

Time has three levels, and each level has its own preposition. Ask first: is this a clock point, a calendar day, or a stretch of time?

[[chips: on Sunday | on 2nd May | on his birthday | on a rainy night | on the morning of 5th May]]

[[chips: at 5 o'clock | at noon | at midnight | at night | at dawn]]

[[prep-time]]

A month, a year, a season and a decade are all lengths of time, so they take in. Only a named day or a date takes on.

✔ We enjoy ourselves in winter.
✔ There was a missed call at 9:00 am.
✘ We went to Manali on May. (use in May)
✔ We went to Manali on May the first. (May the first = the first of May; this is a date, so on)

Parts of the day

Several prepositions can stand before words like morning, afternoon, evening and night. The choice depends on what stands around the word.

✘ He came here in a beautiful morning. (use on)
✘ He came here in (a) Sunday morning. (use on)
✘ He came here in the morning of Christmas. (use on)

Once the morning is named by an adjective, a day or an *of*-phrase, it stops being a general part of the day and becomes one particular morning. A particular morning behaves like a day, so it takes on.

Keep in mind: for a repeated activity, or an event in general, the day or the part of the day can be written in the plural.

✔ He will go there on Monday. (one Monday)
✔ He will go there on Mondays. (= he will go there every Monday)

Festivals: on and at

Both on and at can be used with festivals. If we talk about the specific day of the festival, we use on. If we mean the whole festival, with its festivities spread over several days, we use at.

✔ We went to Manali for 5 days at Christmas.
✔ I proposed to her on Christmas day.
✔ We worship Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi on Diwali.
✔ Children burst firecrackers at Diwali.

[[say:radhika| Why did we say at five in the morning and not on the morning?]]

[[say:sir| Because the clock time takes at and the plain part of the day takes in. On the morning needs something more, like of Diwali or a cold. No extra word, no on.]]

Time prepositions are asked in pairs. Each pair below separates two meanings, so learn the meaning, not the word.

[[chips: by Friday | until Friday | for ten years | since 2020 | during the war | throughout the year]]

[[chips: in time | on time | at the right time]]

1. In time, on time and at the right time

✘ The exam will commence in time. (use on time)
✘ We must reach the exam centre on time. (use in time, to be there before the entry closes)

2. At the end / in the end, at the beginning / in the beginning

In the end / in the beginning stand alone. When of + noun follows, we use at.

✔ He was depressed in the beginning, but he was happy in the end.
✘ He was depressed in the beginning of the movie. (use at the beginning of)
✔ He was depressed at the beginning of the movie.

> In the beginning / in the starting = at first. In the end = at last = ultimately. In the end gives the final outcome; at the end gives the last point of a sequence. In "It is your happiness that matters to me in the end", the sentence talks about an outcome, so in the end is right.

3. By and until / till

• By tells by when some work will be done or was done.
• Until / till tells until when a situation will continue or stay the same.

✔ Radhika will be back in the town by Monday. (she returns on or before Monday)
✔ Radhika will be out of town till Monday. (the situation lasts up to Monday)
✔ We will wait until / till 3 o'clock. (the waiting stops at 3)

One caution: do not put not after until / till. (Till can begin a sentence in everyday English, but until is the formal choice there.)

✔ We will wait till / until he arrives.
✘ We will wait till / until he doesn't arrive. (drop not)
Till he arrives, we will wait. (everyday English; until is the formal choice)
✔ Until he arrives, we will wait.

[[say:radhika| Till and until mean the same. Can I start a sentence with Till?]]

[[say:sir| They mean the same, but till is the casual form. It does turn up at the head of a sentence in everyday English (Till now, …), but in careful writing we keep to until there. In the middle you may use either.]]

4. For and since

• For goes with a period of time: for ten years, for the last week, for hours.
• Since goes with a point of time, from then till now: since 2020, since Monday, since childhood.

✘ He has lived here since ten years. (use for)
✔ He has lived here for ten years.
✔ He has lived here since 2020.

5. From ... to / until / till and between ... and

When we talk about the starting point of a period of time, to, until or till can follow from. The same idea can be said with between ... and.

✔ The shop is open from 8 am.
✔ The shop is open from 8 am to / until / till 7 pm every day.
✘ The shop is open between 8 am to / until / till 7 pm every day. (use between 8 am and 7 pm)

If time is not being talked about, only to goes with from.

✘ We travelled from Delhi till Goa by train. (use to)
✘ Things have gone from bad until worse. (use to)
✔ We often have to translate from English to Hindi.

6. During and throughout; in and within

• During = at some point inside a period, or for the whole of it (during the war).
• Throughout = from the beginning to the end of the period.

✘ I met her throughout the lunch hour. (the meeting happened at one point, so during)
✔ I met her during the lunch hour.
✔ The institute holds evening classes throughout the year. (classes go on from start to end, so exam keys choose throughout)

Before a time, both in and within can be used: I will finish my work in an hour / within an hour. But for a range or limit, only within is used (see the next unit).

For place, picture the shape of the thing. This is the whole chapter in one line: a surface is on, an area or volume is in, a point is at.

[[prep: inside | outside]]

[[prep: in | on | at]]

Look at the same door in three ways.

✔ There is someone at the door. (a location; no touching)
✔ There is a notice on the door. (the door is used as a surface)
✔ There is a hole in the door. (in the sense of inside)

A street is a line, so it takes on, but a house number on that street is a point, so it takes at: He lives on Church Street but He lives at 45 Church Street. A bus stop has no surface and no enclosed space, so both on and in are wrong; it is at the bus stop. A chair, which closes in a person on three sides, takes in (in the chair); a stool is only a surface, so it takes on. Grass seen as a surface is on the grass; a snake hidden inside it is in the grass.

For a public building or a hub, where people go to do something, we use at: at the airport, at the station, at school, at work, at a meeting.

✘ The plane landed in the airport. (use at the airport)
> In the airport is correct when you mean inside the building (shopping in the airport). For landing, meeting or waiting at the place, the exam uses at.
✘ We had coffee to the university café. (use at)
✘ He is waiting in the bus stop. (a bus stop is a point: at the bus stop)

At the top and on the top

✘ There is a tower at the top of the building. (use on)
✘ We live on the top of the building. (use at)

On the top of the building = on top of it, outside the building. At the top of the building = in the upper part of the building, inside it. This is the exam convention; in everyday English on top of the building is the natural form.

✔ We had difficulty in breathing at the top of the mountain.
✔ We put our flag on the top of the mountain.

In and inside; in and within

• In is used for locations (2D and 3D) and for time periods. Inside is used mainly with 3D locations and places that have a boundary; for time SSC keys use within.
• In place of inside we can almost always use in.

✔ I came here in August.
✘ I came here inside August. (for a month, the exam uses in)
✔ There is a ball inside the box. / There is a ball in the box.

Within is used for a time period and for a range or limit. In the sense of a range or limit, in is not used.

✔ I will finish my work in an hour. / I will finish my work within an hour.
✔ The station is within walking distance.
✘ The station is in walking distance.

Expressions that take a fixed preposition

Directions take in: the sun rises in the east. A road or highway is a line or a surface, so it takes on: landslides on the highway. A field of knowledge takes in: great developments in the sphere of knowledge.

Movement always has three questions behind it. Where is it going (goal)? Where is it coming from (source)? Along what path? Then you decide what the place looks like: a point, a line, a surface or a space with a boundary. The preposition follows from the picture.

[[prep: towards | around | up | down | from-to]]

[[prep: through | across | along | past]]

[[prep: into | onto | out of | off]]

Goal of movement: to, onto, into

• To shows movement towards a point location, treating it as the destination.
• Onto shows movement towards places that have a line or surface.
• Into is for going inside a place that has a boundary, or a place whose area or volume is measured.

✔ I go to the temple.
✔ He threw out everything onto the street.
✔ He jumped into the river.
✔ I put the marker on to the book.
✔ Put this mobile into the box.

Source of movement: from, off, out of

• From shows moving away from a source (a point location).
• Off shows getting separated from a source or thing (a line or surface).
• Out of shows coming out of a place that has a boundary, or a place whose area or volume is measured.

✔ We went straight from Mumbai to Delhi.
✔ The cat jumped off the table.
✔ The frog jumped out of the river.
✔ The marker fell off the book.
✔ Bring the mobile out of the box.

Path of movement: past, along, across, through

• Along shows movement along a one-dimensional line path.
• Across shows movement on a two-dimensional surface path, from one side to the other.
• Through shows a path through a three-dimensional area or a *3D object*.
• Past is for crossing a point and passing beyond it.

✔ She ignored him and just walked straight past him.
✔ They walked slowly along the road.
✔ He walked across the field.
✔ I was going through the jungle.
✔ The bullet went straight through the soldier's body. (in at one side, out at the other)
✔ Radhika lives on the other side of the river, and there is no bridge across the river.

> Along and along with are different. Along is a path. Along with means together with: I, along with Radhika, walked along the river.

To and towards

When we treat a place as the destination, we use to. When the sense is of going in its direction, without saying we shall reach it, we use towards. As a memory aid: to shows the destination, towards shows the direction.

✔ I am going to the temple. (मैं मंदिर जा रहा हूँ।)
✔ I am going towards the temple. (मैं मंदिर की ओर जा रहा हूँ।) The temple is not the destination here.

Toward is the American form and towards the British form; for formal standard English we prefer towards.

From and away from; far from and a long way from

• From mentions a source or origin: He comes from a poor family.
• Away from shows distance from a place or a person: He lives 2 km away from here.
• To show distance, either can be used: He lives 2 km from here = He lives 2 km away from here.

Far from and a long way from both show a great distance, but far from is used in negative and interrogative sentences, while a long way from is used in positive sentences.

✘ We walked far from my house. (use a long way from)
✔ We walked a long way from my house.
✘ He doesn't live a long way from here. (use far from)
✔ He doesn't live far from here.

Other direction words

• Up and down show upward and downward movement: up the hill, down the stairs.
• Around and round are synonyms. Round is more British, around is more widely used: around the house. A puppy keeps running around a tree, never over it.

[[say:radhika| Why not jumped in the pool? People say it all the time.]]

[[say:sir| In speech, yes. But the exam asks for the picture. The swimmer moves from outside the water to inside it, so the goal is a space with a boundary: into. Choose the preposition that carries the movement.]]

1. Transport and communication: by, on, in

[[prep: by | against]]

[[chips: on a bus | on a train | on a bike | in a car | in a taxi | on foot]]

[[chips: by bus | by train | by air | by post | by hand]]

When there is no article or determiner before a means of transport or communication, we generally use by. When an article or determiner is there, we use on or in.

✔ by bus, by car, by plane, by train, by ship, by bicycle, by road, by sea, by air, by land
✔ by phone, by radio, by messenger, by mail, by post

Now see which of on and in to choose.

✘ Radhika went there by the bus and returned in a car. (drop the: by bus)
✔ Radhika went there by bus and returned in a car.
✘ I talked to Radhika by a new phone. (use on)
✔ I talked to Radhika on a new phone.

> A determiner (a, the, my) cannot come with by in this sense. So when the determiner must be kept, change by into on or in.

✔ The man was hit by a car. (this is the passive-voice by, not a transport by)
✔ He came here by the 8 o'clock train. (if a time is mentioned with the train, by + the + time can be used)
✘ The pilgrims covered 10 km by foot to reach the holy temple. (use on foot, the fixed phrase for walking)
✘ He went to college by a train. (use on a train)
✔ Suresh went there on my bike.

Similar fixed phrases: by hand (not through hand), by mistake, by credit card, on the phone.

✘ The postman delivers the letters through hand. (use by hand)

2. By and with

• By names the doer in the passive (killed by the boy), a means of travel or communication (by bus, by post) and a method or cause (by mistake, by credit card). It also means beside: standing by me.
• With names a tool or instrument (writing with a marker, killed the dog with a stick) and a companion or quality (the boy with grey hair). The opposite of with is without.

✘ He killed the dog by a stick. (use with a stick)
✔ The lion was killed by the boy with a spear.
✘ Shweta's article was rejected of the editor. (use by, the passive doer)

3. Of and off

• Of shows relation or connection: a member of the Indian team.
• Off shows being away from, detached or not connected: I fell off the ladder.

Be careful with the spelling. Of has one f, off has two. So the fixed verb is dispose of, not dispose off.

✘ He wanted to dispose off his furniture. (use dispose of)

[[say:radhika| A bus is also a seat to sit in. Why isn't it in the bus?]]

[[say:sir| In the bus is heard in speech, but the exam follows the logic: in a bus, a train or a plane you can stand and walk about, so we treat it like a floor, on. A car, taxi or auto does not allow that, so it is in.]]

These are the pairs that look alike on the page and mean different things in space. For each pair, picture the two objects.

[[prep: beside | near | behind | in front of]]

[[prep: under | over | above | below]]

1. Above, below, over and under

• Over / under show a position directly above or directly beneath, or covering. They also show age: He is under / over 21.
• Above / below compare height, level, rank or amount.

✘ The sun is directly above our heads. (use over)
✘ The cat is sitting over the table. (use under)
✘ He put the blanket on the sleeping kid. (use over, since it covers)
✘ Look at the sky above your heads. (use over)

> These crosses follow exam-key convention. In everyday English the picture often allows more than one word, so match the pattern the question is testing.

✔ The inflation rate is above / below six percent.
✔ Temperatures have been above / below average.
✔ He is under / over 21.

Above is also used for better than, superior to, and below for worse than, inferior to.

✔ He is above suspicion.
✔ This work is above my pay level.
✔ Mr. Rao is below me but above you in this organisation.

Over (more than needed) and under (less than needed) also show undesirability.

✔ The food is overcooked. (burnt)
✔ The food is undercooked. (raw)

Similar: overestimate, overage, overripe, overcharge, overdressed, overfed, overpriced, overpay; underestimate, underage, underripe, undercharge, underdressed, underfed, underpriced, underpay. A plane flies over a city (higher and passing above it), and a speed limit is crossed when a car runs over 150 kmph.

2. Beside, besides and except

> Apart from works in both senses, besides and except: I can teach Maths apart from English and I can't teach anything apart from English.

✘ Ria sits right besides Shimona. (use beside)
✘ I like all games instead of cricket. (use except)

3. Before, behind and in front of

• Before = earlier, ahead of or in front. Behind = at the back.
• Before and in front of both mean "facing", but if an authority (a king, a judge, a court) is mentioned after them, only before is used (exam convention).

✘ I will produce all the evidence behind the court. (use before)
✘ There is a tall building before the court. (use behind, the building is at the back)
✘ He knelt in front of the king. (use before)
✘ She spoke confidently in front of the judge. (use before)

4. In front of and in the front of

• In front of = ahead of, outside, not a part of the other object.
• In the front of = in the front part of the other object, which can be inside or outside it.

✔ There are 2 seats in the front of my car. (seats are part of the car)
✔ There are 2 bikes in front of my car. (bikes are separate)
✘ Raman was standing in the front of Manit. (drop the, Raman and Manit are separate)
✔ There is a reception in the front of the hotel. (the reception is a part of the hotel)

Opposite (to) and in front of. Opposite means on the other side, facing. Standard use accepts both opposite and opposite to after a linking verb, so either can be chosen.

5. Near and near to

Near and near to are both used as prepositions (near the station, near to the station). Near is the shorter, preferred form, and SSC keys treat near to before a place or person as the error. Choose near in the exam.

✘ She sat near to me. (drop to)
✘ You live near to my house. (drop to)
✔ She was near to tears. (= almost crying)
✔ You are near to my heart.

6. In control of and in the control of

• In control of = controlling (active). In the control of = being controlled (passive).
• In possession of = possessing (active). In the possession of = being possessed (passive).

✔ The government is in control of the media. (the government controls the media)
✔ The media is in the control of the government.
✔ The authorities are in possession of these documents.
✔ The documents are in the possession of the authorities. (the authorities hold the documents)

[[say:radhika| near to looks more complete. Why must we drop to?]]

[[say:sir| Both forms exist in English, but near is shorter and preferred, and the SSC key drops the to before a person, a place or a festival: near me, near Delhi, near Diwali. Near to stays in phrases such as near to tears.]]

Many students learn this pair as "two things, between; more than two, among". It is a good beginning, but it is not the whole concept, and the exam knows it.

[[prep: between | among]]

✘ There's bad blood among the two brothers. (use between)
✔ He can't distinguish between the good and the bad.
✘ He is the best batsman between the boys. (use among)
✘ Among Abhishek and Rahul, I like the former. (use between)

The misconception

Students often think that with more than two things only among is used. That is not so. Even when there are more than two things, if they are mentioned separately, or a mutual relationship between them is shown, between itself is used.

✔ I divided the sweets among the four kids. (a group)
✔ I divided the sweets between Rajat, Pawan, Ankit and Abhishek. (each one named)
✘ It's OK, you are between friends now. (use among, a group of friends)
✘ Switzerland lies among France, Germany, Austria and Italy. (use between, each country is a separate neighbour)
✘ An agreement was signed among the three countries. (use between, a mutual relation)

As a memory aid, consider these pictures: *There is a white ball between the two black balls.* but *A white ball among the black balls* (many black balls, a crowd).

More points about between

• Between generally makes a pair with and.
• The noun after between should be in the plural form: ✘ There's a lot of bad feeling between the sister. (use sisters)
• Writing each / every + noun after between is wrong.

✘ There's a two-feet gap between each boy.
✔ There's a two-feet gap between each boy and the next.

• After difference, distinction, contrast, between comes. Distribute takes among (a group) or between (two): distribute the sweets among the students.

✘ There are still differences among the groups. (use between)
✔ There are still differences between the groups.

More points about amid

Amid is used with an uncountable or abstract noun, the atmosphere around something.

✘ I lost my keys among the excitement of Radhika's arrival. (use amid)
✘ The president resigned between considerable controversy. (use amid)
✘ The hotel lies among spectacular mountain scenery. (use amid)
✔ She wandered through her thoughts, seeking clarity amidst chaos.

Another misconception. Students often think that among / amid are used before a consonant sound and amongst / amidst before a vowel sound. That is not so. This concept is baseless. The only difference is that amongst and amidst are the older forms, more common in ancient writings and in formal contexts.

Among = Amongst; Amid = Amidst

This unit gathers the prepositions of reason, contrast, alternative and opinion. They are small phrases, but each has one or two famous traps.

[[chips: despite | in spite of | instead of | according to]]

[[chips: due to | owing to | because of]]

1. Due to and owing to

Both mean because of. There is almost no difference between them. Some students feel that due to cannot come at the start of a sentence. There is no such concept; a sentence can begin with due to.

✔ Due to bad weather, the flight was cancelled.
✔ Owing to the weather conditions, the match could not be held yesterday.
✔ The low election turnout was partly owing to the bad weather.

2. Instead of and in spite of

• Instead of = in place of (an alternative). Instead alone is an adverb; instead of needs an object.
• In spite of = despite (contrast): the opposite of what was expected happens.
• In spite of = Despite. That is why of is not used with despite.

✔ He kept working in spite of being tired.
✔ He kept working despite being tired.
✘ He kept working despite of being tired. (drop of)
✘ Despite of applying for many jobs, he is still out of work. (drop of)
✘ She decided to marry him in spite his habit of spending recklessly. (use in spite of)

> Despite and in spite of both take a noun or a gerund: despite the rain, despite being an officer. If a full clause follows, we use although instead.

3. Opinion and "according to"

To express an opinion we use:

• In one's opinion
• From one's point of view
• Subject + think / believe / feel

According to means as stated by somebody. It is used to mention an opinion stated by some other person. Using it for one's own opinion is wrong.

✔ I think she is wrong.
✔ From my point of view, she is wrong.
✔ In my opinion she is wrong.
✘ According to me she is wrong.
✔ According to him she is wrong.
✔ In his opinion she is wrong.
✔ According to the latest census, the population of India is around 1.46 billion. (the census is the source)

4. Other reasons, means and likeness

[[say:radhika| When I want to say my own view, can I never use according to me?]]

[[say:sir| Never. According to always points to somebody else's statement. For yourself say in my opinion, from my point of view or simply I think.]]

Every preposition has an object. This unit is about what that object may look like, and what must not stand in its place.

[[chips: be used to | look forward to | with a view to | accustomed to | devoted to | object to | addicted to | in addition to]]

1. A pronoun after a preposition takes the objective case

If a pronoun is written after a preposition, it is not written in the subjective case but in the objective case (me, him, her, us, them).

✘ Between you and I, nobody could be selected. (use me)
✘ They were talking about Ram and she. (use her)
✘ Due to they, I lost my job. (use them)
✘ A misunderstanding has crept between he and his sister. (use him)
✔ Between you and me, nobody could be selected.

The same goes for a pronoun joined by and: both words after the preposition are objects of it.

2. A verb after a preposition takes the V1 + ing form (gerund)

If a verb is to be written as a noun after a preposition, we always write the V1 + ing form.

✘ I am afraid of sleep alone at home. (use sleeping)
✘ He is worried about to speak in English. (use speaking)
✘ Rahul is good at play chess. (use playing)

Keep in mind: to + V1 is an infinitive, so after that kind of to we write only V1.

✘ I wanted to playing outside the house. (use to play)
✘ She likes to talking to me. (use to talk)

The tricky to. Some expressions end in to, but this to is a preposition, so the verb after it is always V1 + ing.

> be / get used to, habituated to, accustomed to, with a view to, look forward to, in addition to, devoted to, object to, given to, taken to, addicted to, averse to, prone to, owing to

✘ She is used to work late at nights. (use working)
✘ Prashant is devoted to teach students. (use teaching)
✘ We object to work full day. (use working)
✘ We are looking forward to meet you. (use meeting)
✘ He is addicted to drink alcohol. (use drinking)
✘ He came here with a view to meet his old friend. (use with a view to meeting)

A quick test: put a noun in its place. I am used to the work is possible, so to is a preposition and needs working. I used to work (past habit) cannot take a noun, so there to is part of the infinitive.

3. Words joined by a conjunction that take different prepositions

If two words that take different prepositions are joined by a conjunction (and, or, but), write both prepositions clearly.

✘ She is interested and good at painting. (use interested in and good at)
✘ He is afraid and excited for the trip. (use afraid of and excited for / about)
✘ He is good but not confident in maths. (use good at but not confident in)

4. Clauses after a preposition

• A preposition is not used before a noun clause beginning with that. ✘ I am sure of that he will come. (drop of) I am sure of that is correct when that is a pronoun meaning 'it'.
• A preposition can come before the relative pronouns whom and which, but not before that. ✔ The teacher to whom I spoke was kind. ✘ The teacher to that I spoke ...

5. Verbal prepositions

Some prepositions are made from V1 + ing, and they carry the same sense as the verb they come from: *including, regarding, concerning, considering, excluding, following, barring, pending*. They are already prepositions, so no second preposition is added in front of their object.

✔ Regarding your request, we will reply soon. (= about your request)
✔ All of us, including Radhika, passed.
✘ All of us, including of Radhika, passed.

[[say:radhika| How do I know whether the to is the infinitive or a preposition?]]

[[say:sir| Ask whether a noun can stand after it. Look forward to the holidays works, so to is a preposition and we say looking forward to meeting. I want to meet cannot take a noun there, so it is the infinitive.]]

Some of the most popular errors are not wrong choices but extra prepositions that should not be there at all. This unit lists them.

[[chips: reach London | discuss the issue | enter the room | demand money | order a pizza | go home | go abroad | next Monday]]

1. No preposition before an adverb

Prepositions come only before a noun or a noun equivalent (pronoun, noun phrase and so on). Using a preposition before an adverb is wrong. Phrases such as last Monday, next month, this evening, that weekend, every Tuesday already work as adverbs of time, so they take no preposition.

✘ He called me on last Monday. (drop on)
✘ I go to temple on every Tuesday. (drop on)
✘ She will propose to him in next month. (drop in)
✘ I was out of station at that weekend. (drop at)
✘ We are eating out in this evening. (drop in)
✘ We are going to abroad. (drop to)

Home. Along with being an adverb, home also works as a noun. If a possessive determiner (my, your, his, her) comes before it, it is a noun, and then using to becomes necessary.

✘ We will go to home after the party. (drop to)
✔ We will go home after the party.
✔ We will go to his home after the party.

Adverbial expressions. These expressions are already adverbs, so no with or like is placed before them.

✘ She fought with tooth and nail to keep custody of the children. (drop with)
✘ The company owned them with body and soul. (drop with)
✘ They threw themselves with heart and soul into the project. (drop with)
✘ He left the country with bag and baggage. (drop with)
✘ It was raining like cats and dogs. (drop like)
✘ We could hear the neighbours going at it with hammer and tongs. (drop with)

2. The word after "with", "like", "as well as" is not the subject

If two nouns or pronouns are joined by a preposition, the one that comes later is only the object of the preposition. Do not take it as the subject. The verb agrees with the first one.

The prepositions to watch: besides, except, like, unlike, no less than, but, as well as, with, along with, rather than, in addition to, accompanied by, and not.

✘ She along with her parents have to attend the meeting. (use has)
✘ I like Rahul is going to become a doctor very soon. (use I, like Rahul, am going ...)
✘ Prashant as well as his friends are invited to the party. (use is)

3. No preposition between a transitive verb and its object

A transitive verb takes its object directly. Putting a preposition or an adverb in between is wrong. The verbs below are the ones on which errors are generally built.

> These are wrong only when the preposition stands between the verb and its object. Join + a group or organisation takes no preposition (join the army), but to take part in an activity, join in is right (join in the fun). Enter into is right for a new era, agreement, business, debate or relationship (enter into an agreement), but a place is entered with no preposition.

✘ He ordered for the pizza. (drop for)
✘ He reached to the meeting early. (drop to)
✘ He demanded for more money. (drop for)
✘ They were discussing about our problems. (drop about)

Some of these verbs, when used as nouns, do take these prepositions.

✘ He attacked at me. (drop at)
✔ It was an attack on me.
✔ The demand for more money was refused.

4. To and for with the indirect object

If the direct object (something) is written first, the preposition to or for is generally used before the indirect object (somebody): He provided money to us. If the person comes first, the thing needs no preposition, but with some verbs a preposition such as with is needed.

✔ He provided money to us.
✔ He provided us with money.
✘ He provided us money.
✘ The government provided us support when we needed it. (use provided us with support)

Ask the same question of ask: we ask somebody for something.

✘ When Ramu was working as a clerk, he asked me money. (use asked me for money)

5. Which verbs take "to" before the person

✘ They informed to me that they had lost the match. (drop to)
✘ He requested to me to help his friend. (drop to)
✘ My teacher advised to me to revise my notes properly. (drop to)
✘ Radhika suggested / proposed me to dress well for the party. (use suggested / proposed to me)
✘ Abhishek described him the situation very well. (use described to him)
✘ The teacher explained him the topic properly. (use explained to him)
✘ The culprit pleaded the judge to have some mercy. (use pleaded with the judge)

> Plead + with + somebody = to make a request to somebody: He pleaded with the judge. Plead + to only for a charge: He pleaded guilty to the crime.

6. Verbs of looking and the wrong preposition

Look at the headlines, glance at the inspector, search for the jewellery. A different preposition changes the meaning or breaks the phrase.

✘ I looked of the newspaper headlines. (use looked at)
✘ Mr. Unkerton glanced to the inspector. (use glanced at)

Some words change their preposition when the meaning changes. Here the preposition is a part of the sense, so learn each word with its meanings.

[[chips: angry at a thing | angry with a person | agree with a person | agree to a proposal | die of a disease | die in a war]]

1. Angry

✘ The manager is angry on the clerk. (use with)
✘ "Don't angry me," said the manager. (angry is an adjective, not a verb; after don't we need V1, so write Don't make me angry)

2. Surprised

Both at and by are correct. In a fill in the blank, at is the preferred answer. When the exam asks you to change the voice (The decision surprised them), by is the preferred answer.

✔ They were surprised at the decision. (preferred in fillers)
✔ They were surprised by the decision. (preferred after changing the voice)

[[say:radhika| At or by? Both look right.]]

[[say:sir| Both are right, and the exam knows it. In the exam this often decides the key, but both can be right in real English. If both are in the options, read the question. A blank to fill: choose at. A voice change: choose by. And if only one of them is given, that is your answer.]]

3. Obliged, indebted, grateful and thankful

• obliged to a person for a favour; indebted to a person for a favour.
• grateful is used to express thanks or gratitude; thankful is used to show a sense of relief.

✘ I am obliged for you for your help. (use obliged to you)
✘ I am indebted to your help. (use indebted to you for your help)
✔ I am thankful for this.
✘ I am thankful to you. (use grateful / obliged / indebted when thanking a person)
✔ I am thankful (that) Sagar helped. (relief; grateful is wrong here)
✔ I am grateful for Sagar's help. (thanks; thankful is wrong here)

Also: (un)gratefully = (un)appreciatively; thankfully = fortunately.

✔ There was a fire in the building, but thankfully nobody was hurt.
✔ Any comments on my work will be gratefully appreciated.

4. Agree, assent and accede

• Agree with a person or a view; agree with the noun in number and gender in grammar; an account that does not agree with another.
• Agree / assent / accede to something (a request, proposal, term or demand): to say yes to it.
• Agree on a matter or topic that people settle together.

✔ I agree with your brother on almost everything.
✘ Do you think he will agree on my proposal? (use to)
✘ The government has finally agreed with the terms of the deal. (use to)
✘ There is no requirement that Parliament assent with such decisions. (use to)
✘ He acceded with demands for his resignation. (use to)
✔ The people agreed on the need for radical reform.
✔ In French the adjective must agree with the noun in number and gender.
✔ Your account of the accident does not agree with hers.

5. Differ and different

• Differ with somebody (on something) = disagree. Differ from = be different.

✔ He differs with his brother on almost everything. (they disagree)
✔ He differs from his brother in behaviour. (they are different)
✔ The results were different from what we had expected. (different from; different to and different than are used in some varieties of English, but from is the form to choose in the exam)

6. Die

7. Decline

• Decline in a number or a quality: *a 5 percent decline in the number of students; the city has declined in importance.*
• Decline of a group: the decline of the farmers.
• As a verb meaning refuse, decline takes no preposition: He declined her offer.

8. Familiar and known

• familiar with a thing (a procedure) = one knows it well: I am familiar with the procedures.
• familiar to a person who knows the speaker: I am familiar to the people of this organisation.
• known to, not by: ✘ I am known by them ✔ I am known to them. (passive of They know me)

This unit continues the list. Learn each word with all of its patterns, because the exam picks the pattern that students forget.

[[chips: made of | made from | made with | comply with | adhere to | abide by | deal in | deal with | suffer from | consist of]]

> Turn a blind eye / a deaf ear to something = ignore it.

Follow the rules

The same idea has four patterns. Each has its own preposition, and none takes the others'.

✘ We should abide with the rules of management. (use abide by)
✘ We should adhere with the rules of management. (use adhere to)
✘ We should comply to the rules of management. (use comply with)
✘ Parents expect children to comply by their wishes. (use comply with)

More verbs and nouns with their patterns

[[say:radhika| There are so many. Do I really have to learn all these by heart?]]

[[say:sir| Not as a list. Learn them as pairs of meanings: deal in goods, deal with people; succeed a person, succeed to a post, succeed in a try. Once you see the two meanings, the preposition is no longer random.]]

In the earlier units the preposition followed from a picture. Here the same word changes its meaning when the preposition changes: charge of, charge with, charge for. These are the words to fix in the mind; learn each pair for what it says, not by sound.

[[chips: charge with | charge for | good at | good for | good to | compete with | compete for | compete in]]

How to learn them without memorising a heap

• Take one word at a time and attach a person or a thing to it: quarrel with a person, quarrel over a thing.
• Ask what the second noun is: a cause, a disease, a contest, a title. The preposition follows the type of the noun.
• Where one pair of words gives a pair of meanings (profit by / from, think of / over, talk over / to), remember the pair, not the single words.

[[say:radhika| search a place has no preposition but search for a thing does. Which do I use?]]

[[say:sir| Look at the object. If the object is the place you are examining, search the house, no preposition. If the object is what you hope to find, search for the keys. In the error spotting question the police were searching about the jewellery: the jewellery is the thing, so searching for.]]

This unit and the next hold the long fixed list: nouns, adjectives and verbs that always carry one particular preposition. They are organised by preposition, and inside each preposition by kind of word, so that the pattern is visible, not only the phrase.

[[chips: pleased with | satisfied with | delighted with | busy with | crowded with | familiar with | cope with | part with]]

[[chips: afraid of | aware of | proud of | jealous of | ignorant of | suspicious of | accused of | guilty of | full of | devoid of]]

What the preposition tells

Adjectives of feeling that generally take of: *convinced, sure, confident, jealous, afraid, scared, frightened, ignorant, diffident, suspicious.*

✘ A lot of people are jealous from Radhika. (use jealous of)
✘ His parents are proud for his success. (use proud of)
✘ A suitcase full with wigs and dresses. (use full of)
✘ He was accused for theft. (use accused of)
✘ He was deprived from his rights. (use deprived of)
✔ He is endowed with exceptional memory.
✔ She is confident of winning the match. (a gerund follows of)

> Of and off are different words. Of shows relation (a member of the team); off shows separation (fell off the ladder). Dispose of has one f.

The full list: of

Nouns + of (9)

Adjectives + of (33)

Verbs and a few nouns + of (9)

The full list: with

Nouns + with (8)

Adjectives + with (25)

Verbs + with (13)

This last unit holds the rest of the fixed list: words that take to, from, in, on and for. The same advice applies. Learn each group by its sense, and the phrases stop being a heap of things to mug up.

[[chips: interested in | expert in | succeed in | participate in]]

[[chips: free from | safe from | absent from | different from | refrain from | prevent from]]

[[chips: kind to | rude to | married to | opposed to | addicted to | indifferent to]]

The Latin comparatives ending in -ior, and prefer, do not use than. They take to.

✔ Ramesh is senior to me in service. (also junior, superior, inferior, prior)
✔ I prefer tea to coffee. (also preferable to)
✘ I prefer tea than coffee. (use to)
✘ Ramesh is senior than me. (use to)
✘ The boy was indifferent on his studies. (use indifferent to)
✘ He is not eligible to this post. (use eligible for)

> After to, as a preposition, a noun or V1 + ing follows (devoted to teaching, used to walking). See the earlier unit on the tricky to expressions.

The full list: to

Nouns + to (28)

Adjectives + to (52)

Verbs + to (22)

The full list: from

Nouns + from (5)

Adjectives + from (5)

Verbs + from (19)

The full list: in

Nouns + in (9)

Adjectives + in (18)

Verbs + in (15)

The full list: on

Nouns + on (8)

Adjectives + on (2)

Verbs + on (14)

The full list: for

Nouns + for (11)

Adjectives + for (20)

Verbs + for (6)