Preposition

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Pur

#445726 Sat, 24 Nov 07 09:18 AM

Hello friends. I am doing a preposition exercise bu got confused in the following sentence, as which preposition should be selected.

1) The traveller was struck______________ lightning. (with, by)

I have heard that by is used to express the agent or doer of action and with is used for instrument with which the action is done. So i think "by" is suitable.

2) Is the train______time. (in, on)

3) This book is quite different_______________that. (than, from)

4) I shall return your money________a week. (in, after)

5) The work should be finished________Sunday. (by, till)

Pls explain me the which preposition is suitable and why.

Pur

Joined on Fri, Nov 23 2007

New Member (05)

Prepositions

Yoong Liat

#445740 Sat, 24 Nov 07 10:22 AM

Tell us what you think the answers should be.

Hi Rotter

I think you should let the questioner supply what he thinks the answers are before replying.

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (5,858)

Yoong Liat

Rotter

#445741 Sat, 24 Nov 07 10:25 AM

As you thought, the word by is correct in the first sentence.

Both in time and on time are correct.

In time implies that the train will arrive in a few minutes. Probably 5 or 10 minutes.

On time implies that it will arrive exactly at the scheduled time.

4.I shall return your money in a week.
You alter the meaning if you write after a week.

5.It should be finished by Sunday.
When you want to impose deadline, you would write by Sunday.

Rotter

Joined on Sun, Jul 24 2005

Japan

Regular Member (655)

Я люблю российских девочек.

Yoong Liat

#445743 Sat, 24 Nov 07 10:36 AM

Rotter wrote:
As you thought, the word by is correct in the first sentence.

Both in time and on time are correct.

In time implies that the train will arrive in a few minutes. Probably 5 or 10 minutes.

On time implies that it will arrive exactly at the scheduled time.

2) Is the train______time. (in, on)

I would say 'on' is the correct answer. This means you are asking whether the train will come at the scheduled time.

Yoong Liat

Noori

#445747 Sat, 24 Nov 07 11:09 AM

on time = at the correct time, for example the train is on time.
in time = within the time required, for xample I could've missed the train if I hadn't reached there in time.

therefore 'on time' is correct.

Noori

Joined on Mon, Jun 4 2007

New Member (36)

Pur

#445805 Sat, 24 Nov 07 02:12 PM

Thank-You all, for clearing my doubts.

In the 3) sentence i think from will come. Tell me am I right or wrong.

3) This book is quite different__from_that.

Pur

Noori

#445812 Sat, 24 Nov 07 02:28 PM

Both 'then' and 'from' are correct to use here, though 'than' is more appropriate. 'Than' used as a conjunction mean 'from', as a prepostion it means 'as compared to'. Am I right friends?

Noori

Yoong Liat

#445864 Sat, 24 Nov 07 05:18 PM

Pur wrote:
Thank-You all, for clearing my doubts.

In the 3) sentence I think from will come. Tell me am I right or wrong.

3) This book is quite different__from_that.

Different from is the most common structure in both BrE and NAmE. Different to is also used in BrE.

Paul's different from/to his brother.

In NAmE people also say different than.

Your trains are different than ours.

Before a clause you can use different from (and different than in NAmE.)

She looked different from what I'd expected.

She looked different than (what ) I'd expected.

(Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

Yoong Liat

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