We remember the prepositions of the place in English

The theme of this article will be English prepositions, in particular, indicating a place in space. How important this part of speech is, where and how it is used, what kinds of nuances exist and the use of prepositions - you can learn about all this.

What are they needed for

Prepositions in English (prepositions in English) are service words that allow you to associate the components of a sentence with each other and make it more precise and concrete.

Prepositions are put before various parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, adjectives and even before gerunds. The word that follows the preposition is called the complement to it. Such additions can be somewhat in the sentence in relation to a single preposition. For example:

There is a small table between the sofa and the bookcase.

In this article, the prepositions of the place (English) will be analyzed in detail. Exercises to memorize such grammatical material are usually built on filling in the blanks or choosing the appropriate option from the two or three proposed. In general, this topic is simple, if you give as much attention to practice. In the process of performing the exercises, all prepositions, their use and translation into Russian will be gradually remembered. And now consider this topic in more detail.

Varieties

Prepositions of a place in English can be divided into different groups. These are synonymous and antonymous (they will be discussed further in the article), as well as simple, complex and composite.

Simple prepositions are those that consist of one part. Examples: in, on, at, off.

Complex prepositions of a place in the English language are formed by composing. They consist of several parts merged with each other. Examples: between, above, beside, round.

Compound prepositions are those that consist of two or three separate words. Example: in front of.

Next, we learn in more detail what are the prepositions indicating the location and how to translate them into Russian.

Prepositions of the place in English: table

Stable combinations

Some English prepositions of the place are used in conjunction with certain words. For example:

• In the street - on the street;
• At the table - at the table;
• In the sun - in the sun;
• At home - at home;
• At work - at work;
• At school - at school.

You can see that in the last three cases, articles are not used. These options are already fixed in the language. In addition, when referring to a place, the preposition at is usually used. An exception is the situation when you mean simply a room, not its destination. Compare:

I study at school. - I'm at school.

There is a big staircase in school. - In the school (school building) a large staircase.

Synonymous prepositions

Prepositions of a place in English can be synonymous with each other. You probably already noticed some of them in the table.

There are several ways to say "next":

• Near;
• Next to;
• Beside.

The meaning "opposite" can be expressed:

• In front of;
• Against;
• Across.

The meaning "inside" has prepositions:

• In;
• Inside.

The use of these synonyms depends on the context of the situation and the word (complement) to which the official part of speech refers.

Antonymous prepositions

Prepositions of a place in the English language can also express opposite meanings. These words are very convenient to remember in pairs:

• Before - behind (in front - behind);
• In front of - beyond;
• Above - below (above, above - below, below);
• Over-under;
• Up - down (top - bottom);
• Inside - outside.

Features of the use of prepositions

1. The preposition "in" means being in a confined space:

• In my room - in my room;
• In your bag - in your bag.

Also used to indicate a location in a geographic region, country, city or on the street:

• In Europe;
• In Scotland;
• In Paris;
• In Green Street.

2. The preposition on indicates the finding of an object on a horizontal surface:

• On the floor - on the floor;
• On the desk - on the table.

There can be also stable combinations, for example:

• On page 5 - on page 5.

Also, the preposition on is used to indicate the parties:

• On the right - on the right;
• On the left - left.

3. The preposition at can mean finding next to another object:

• At the door - at the door;
• At the table - at the table.

It can also be meant to be in a room where a certain action takes place, in a small settlement or at a specific address:

• At the cinema - in the cinema;
• At Makeevka - in Makeyevka;
• At 27 Green Street - on Green Street, 27.

In British and American English

Geographical and cultural differences leave their imprint on the English language. Grammar (prepositions of places and directions, auxiliary verbs, and generally the principles of constructing sentences) can vary somewhat depending on whether the British is this version of the language or American. Here are some examples of such differences:

• Round (br) - around (amer.);
• At school / college / university / church (in British and American) - in school / college / university / church (american only);
• In the street (Brit.) - on the street (amer.).

Remember that one mechanical memorizing of prepositions does not give a tangible result. It is necessary to constantly practice the use of these parts of speech, using grammatical exercises, multimedia resources and the use of the learned in the speech (answers to questions, compiling dialogues, etc.).