Search results for 'tag:Prepositions tag:Expressions' matching tags 'Prepositions' and 'Expressions'

Re: The "on" before date or day

Cool Breeze — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:00:30 GMT

The preposition is indeed sometimes dropped before the days of the week in newspapers: He will arrive in Cairo [on] Wednesday. The resultant Wednesday becomes what in some other languages is called an accusative of time. Dropping the preposition is also fairly common in informal style, which has led some people to think that dropping the preposition isn't as good English as having it in the expression.

However, it is wise to use discretion in leaving out the preposition. If omitting the preposition is liable to cause confusion or misunderstanding, don't drop it.

Re: Preposition: For

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:04:23 GMT

Words have many meanings and uses. For to doesnÂ´t exist in English as one is trying to put a preposition in front of a infinitive verb.This is a very common translation error in Spanish.For- is used in questions about the purpose ,destination beneficiaries What is this for? I left for Mexico. Here is a gift for you. He had potatoes for dinner.For is used in time expression concerning the duration over a period of time. For + length of time (for ages) (for a month, day, year, week, 5 hours etc)For all = notwithstanding , even if (For all I know he is crazy.) For= considering that (ItÂ´s a fine day for mid-DecemberFor = in favor of, on the side of, ( He is for going to the park) or ( I am for the death penalty)But for = a negative condition, exception or absence. I would have got here on time but for the traffic jam.For can be a conjunction: For connects a fact with its cause Mary went home, for she was sick.They are late, for they got lost.Common collocations of FOR: apologize for, blame for, care for, excuse for , fight for, forgive for, hope for, pay for, pray for, substitute for thank for vote for, bad for, difficult for eager for, easy for, good for ,grateful for, hard for, hungry for, known for, prepared for, qualified for, ready for, remembered for, responsible for, sorry for, suitable for, thirsty for, for example, for the love of God. for instance.

Re: Preposition: For

Anonymous — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:02:48 GMT

Words have many meanings and uses. (For to) doesnÂ´t exist in English as one is trying to put a preposition in front of a infinitive verb.This is a very common translation error in Spanish.For- is used in questions and concerns the purpose ,destination and beneficiaries What is this for? I left for Mexico. Here is a gift for you. He had potatoes for dinner.For is used in time expression concerning the duration over a period of time. For + length of time (for ages) (for a month, day, year, week, 5 hours etc)For all = notwithstanding , even if (For all I know he is crazy.) For= considering that (ItÂ´s a fine day for mid-December)For = in favor of, on the side of, ( He is for going to the park) or ( I am for the death penalty)But for = a negative condition, exception or absence. (I would have got here on time but for the traffic jam.)For can be a conjunction: For connects a fact with its cause Mary went home, for she was sick.They are late, for they got lost.Common collocations of FOR: apologize for, blame for, care for, excuse for , fight for, forgive for, hope for, pay for, pray for, substitute for, thank for, vote for, bad for, difficult for, eager for, easy for, good for ,grateful for, hard for, hungry for, known for, prepared for, qualified for, ready for, remembered for, responsible for, sorry for, suitable for, thirsty for, for example, for the love of God. for instance.

Please Check

Verymaddhatter — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:40:55 GMT

1. Do not place a phrase or clause:
A. in a sentence. B. at the beginning of a sentence. C. at the end of a sentence. D. too far from the word it is meant to modify.
Answer D.

2. In every sentence, the subject must agree with the:
A. object of the preposition. B. verb. C. intervening expressions. D. none of the above
Answer B.

3. A collective noun, which refers to a group, can be:
A. singular. B. plural. C. a preposition. D. both a & b
Answer A.

4. Indefinite pronouns can be:
A. singular. B. plural. C both a & b D. neither a nor b
Answer C.

5. Titles used before a proper name or in direct address are:
A. sometimes capitalized. B. always capitalized. C. never capitalized. D. none of the above
Answer B.

6. Capitalize the names of:
A. ships. B. trains. C. planes and spacecraft. D. all of the above
Answer D.

7. The titles of books, magazines, songs, and stories are:
A. always capitalized. B. sometimes capitalized.C. never capitalized. D. none of the above
Answer A.

Re: line against/along

Avangi — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:23:22 GMT

The prepositions are both fine and natural, but in AmE we'd add a third, so to speak. We use the expression (idiom) "line up" to form a line. I guess BrE is "que." I don't know if it can stand alone, or if it's "que up," or if I'm spelling it correctly.

I wonder if "up'" becomes an adverb in "line up."

Re: can or could

CalifJim — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:22:20 GMT

Liveinjapan
Could anyone tell me the difference between the sentences below?

How do I look?

How do I look like?

What do I look like?

how and like are mutually exclusive. You cannot have both in these sorts of expressions. Once you use how, you must suppress like. So *How do I look like is impossible!

how? and like what? mean almost the same thing when the verb is look. But there are important differences. Note the groupings below.

Susan looks [sad]. *Susan looks [how]? [How] does Susan look?

Susan looks like [a clown]. *Susan looks like [what]? [What] does Susan look like?

Susan looks [like a clown]. *Susan looks [like what]? *Susan looks [how]? [How] does Susan look?

_______

[How] does Susan look? She looks [sad].

[How] does Susan look? She looks [like a clown].

[What] does Susan look like? She looks like [a clown].

__________

So How? substitutes for an adverbial expression -- which can be a prepositional phrase "like ..." or a single word adverb or any other appropriate adverbial expression.

And What? (in "like what?") substitutes for a noun -- which can only be the noun that fits after the preposition like.

_________

What makes this difficult if you are imitating the speech of natives is that the missing (fourth) pattern is not quite right logically, but people do use it anyway, treating the combination as an idiom.

[What] does Susan look [like]? She looks [sad].

Re: ___ the afternoon of Easter

Cool Breeze — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:03:56 GMT

Hoa Thai
So where's the logic? The usage of prepositions must be memorized. My search for some commonality of course failed as I over-simplified the issue!

You didn't read my post carefully enough, HT. It deals with expressions of time! Islands are places and part takes in: in the southern part of the island. Nothing exceptional, nothing illogical.

Re: Tuesday morning OR Tuesday's morning

Cool Breeze — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:00:12 GMT

Avangi
Sorry I don't have any rules to offer. Perhaps someone else does.

No preposition is normally used in expressions relating to time with the words this, that, next and last:

I'll meet him this Friday.

It happened that week.

He came last week.

I'll see them next Wednesday.

Places are a different matter:

He was in this room.

There's a supermarket in the next village.

Re: "late on in the war"

Clive — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:11:27 GMT

Hi,

â This was quite late on in the war and there were several camps for prisoners of war in Waleâ¦.

I'd like to ask you what this "on" is.

I think this is an adverb, not a preposition, but anyway I don't understand what it means.

'Late on' is a pretty standard although quite informal expression. The 'on' really just intensifies/stresses the idea of 'late'. 'Late on in the war;' sounds like it is close to the end of the war.

You can also use the rather opposite expression, 'early on', meaning near the start.

Best wishes, Clive

Re: Proficiency alongside "poverty".

Cool Breeze — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:28:07 GMT

You are right, Forbes, we have had this discussion before! Maybe we can introduce some new angles to it.

I repeat that I have never said English is easier than other languages. I have said that its grammar and syntax are easy.

"What have you locked the book I was being read to out of up for? (Five prepositions in a row at the end of a sentence.)"

That looks a little complicated, I admit. However, all the words are in a logical order; there is nothing ungrammatical or grammatically exceptional in the sentence. Understanding it calls for a good command of English but a good command of a language is always required if one wishes to understand complex sentences. That applies to all languages. By the way, up isn't a preposition in the sentence. It's an adverb.

"The Cumbria Water Board Lake Windemere region staffroom silverware safe key custodian. (Ten nouns used attributively in a row.)"

Nothing grammatically unusual. If a noun can be used attributively, there is no limit as to how many nouns can occupy that position. English would be difficult if there were restrictions. Adjectives can be used in the same way in English and many other languages. There is nothing exceptional about this:

a sad song

a beautiful sad song

an unforgettable beautiful sad song

"Compact disc cleaner. (We know it is a cleaner for cleaning compact discs.)

Carbon fibre cleaner. (We cannot be sure if it is a cleaner for cleaning carbon fibres or a cleaner made of carbon fibres unless we know the context. In fact, I have a box which says it contains a compact disc cleaner and a carbon fibre cleaner and since it is designated a hi-fi cleaning set I know without opening the box that the carbon fibre cleaner is made of carbon fibres and is not intended for cleaning carbon fibres.)"

In your opinion this is an example of how complex and difficult English syntax is. In my opinion it is a good example of how simple English syntax is. Any nonnative speaker knows what you know without opening the box. What makes English easy for him is the fact that ne need not worry about having carbon fibre or compact disc in the right grammatical case because no special case is required in English. Couldn't be simpler!

"I was given a book. (This is perfectly standard English, but looks like a passive when clearly it is not.)"

The sentence is in the passive voice and synonymous with A book was given [to] me. I was taught the English passive voice when I was a 15-year-old schoolboy.

"This wine drinks well. (We can say that although the wine is not doing any drinking; however, we cannot say This wine drinks â the adverb is essential. Nevertheless, we can say This wine keeps well and This wine keeps.)"

The fact that it is possible to use many verbs in the way you describe certainly is a fascinating feature but I fail to see the difficulty it poses for nonnatives. All languages abound in expressions that are complete or that are not complete without a word or two. Of course mastering all this takes time - but it takes time in all languages, not just English.

Cheers

EDIT: Unfortunately the "select text colour" feature doesn't seem to work. I have what I quoted from you in blue but it doesn't come out that way in the final product.