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Mohamed Khider University, Biskra

Faculty of Arts and Languages

Department of Foreign Languages

English Language Division

Module: GRAMMAR

Level: First Year LMD Semester One: Parts Of Speech In Context

Teacher: SAIHI H. Lesson nine: PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions Let’s read and test our English : Circle the prepositions in the following short story

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” tells the story

of Ichabod Crane and his hapless attempt to win the heart and hand of Katrina Van Tassel in the context of a comical ghost story. Ichabod comes to Sleepy Hollow, New York, from his home state of Connecticut, to be the schoolmaster of the village. Sleepy Hollow is a small, very quiet town said to be under some kind of enchantment. Its residents all seem to move a little slower, daydream a little more, and be more prone to believe in the supernatural. Sleepy Hollow, maybe for that reason or maybe because its residents are almost all descended from its original Dutch settlers, has more than its fair share of supernatural occurrences, or at least stories of them.

Sleepy Hollow’s most famous supernatural phenomenon is the ghost of the Headless Horseman, said to be a Hessian soldier who lost his head to a cannon ball during the Revolutionary War. The Horseman is seen most often riding by the church, where local historians say he was buried. He is believed to be always in search of his head. Ichabod is fascinated by this story, being especially interested (and prone to believe) in tales of the supernatural.

Ichabod is a strict teacher but not a cruel one, doling out his punishment of the rod only to those who can handle it. Ichabod makes almost no money, and it is customary in the village for the farmers whose sons he teaches to feed and board him in rotation. Along with this, Ichabod makes some extra money teaching singing lessons—he

prides himself greatly on his magnificent voice. This arrangement keeps him employed and gives him many opportunities to hear ghost stories from the farmers’ wives and eat meals with the farmers’ daughters. He also has an insatiable hunger and a taste for the finer things.

Katrina Van Tassel, a beautiful young woman of eighteen, is one of Ichabod’s students. She is also the only child of Baltus Van Tassel, one of the more successful farmers in the area. Ichabod is quickly taken in by her flirtatious charms, but it is when he first visits her father’s abundant farm that he considers himself truly in love with her, or at least her likely inheritance.

He quickly sets out to win her hand in marriage, coming by the Van Tassel farm frequently to woo her. Ichabod is not alone in his attentions to Katrina, however. Her beauty, charm, and wealth have entranced many other men in the village, especially the formidable Brom Van Brunt, also known as Brom Bones. Brom is notorious for his boisterous personality, love of pranks, and great skill at horseback riding—all of which make him something of a village hero.

Brom has already scared off many of Katrina’s other suitors, but Ichabod is harder to shake, avoiding physical confrontation with Brom, which is Brom’s main method of intimidation. Without that option, Brom turns to his next best skill—pranks. He fills the school house with smoke, trains a dog to follow Ichabod around howling, and

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sets many other pranks to frustrate and humiliate Ichabod.

One day, a messenger comes to the schoolhouse to invite Ichabod to a party at the Van Tassels’. At this party, he apparently finds himself the best man in the house, and when the party is over he stays behind. For some reason, however, Katrina disappoints him. Ichabod leaves crestfallen.

He finds the path home dark and eerily quiet. He tries to keep himself from getting too scared, but soon after he has passed the possibly haunted Major Andre’s tree, he sees a large, dark figure looming nearby. It does not respond to his call, but as he passes by, it starts to move and joins him on the path riding a large, dark horse. Ichabod is greatly disturbed and tries to shake off his pursuer, but he fails. Finally, he notices that the rider has no head on his shoulders; the head seems to be sitting on the saddle in front of the man. Ichabod tries to get his decrepit horse to run home as fast as it can, but he is not a skilled rider and the horse resists.

They end up by the church, the scene of most of the stories of the Headless Horseman, and Ichabod races to the bridge where the ghost is said to disappear and not follow. Ichabod crosses the bridge and looks back, but he sees the Horseman, instead of disappearing, hurl his detached head at him. It knocks Ichabod off of his horse.

The next day, Ichabod’s horse returns to its owner’s farm, but there is no sign of Ichabod. A search party finds hoof prints and Ichabod’s hat, with a smashed pumpkin left next to it. Ichabod is never heard from again in Sleepy Hollow, although later on it seems that he is alive elsewhere and has told his story. Some of the townspeople believe that Brom Bones pulled off a great prank—which put Brom in the final position to marry Katrina—but the old women and local folklore maintain that he was taken by the Headless Horseman.

Author : Washington Irving

Commonly used prepositions:

Above behind for since

About below from to

Across beneath in toward

After beside inside through

Against between into under

along beyond like until

Among by near up

Around down of Upon

At during off with

Before except on Within

Examples 1. Jane fell on the floor. (direction) 2. He retired after his seventieth birthday. (time)

3. The girl is standing beside her mother. (location) 4. The students finished the English exam within an

hour. (time) Sometimes prepositions occur as combinations. The following examples are some of the more common of these compound prepositions:

ahead of apart from as a consequence of in spite of because of on behalf of in advance of instead of along with in addition to in the course of regardless of in care of in connection with in comparison with according to in case of for fear of at the risk of together with in favor of with the exception of

next to as a result of

up against

A preposition is one of the eight parts of speech. Specifically, a preposition is a connector: its function is to connect a noun or pronoun (called the object of the preposition) to another word in a sentence. It also shows how that noun or pronoun (its object) is related to the other word.

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Examples 1. As a result of the flood, we had to move out of our home. 2. Instead of going to Sea World this summer, we are going to Fiesta Texas.

Let’s test our prepositions: Fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions.

We live ___London.

Would you like to go ___ the cinema tonight?

No, thanks. I was ___ the cinema yesterday.

We are going _____ holiday next week.

There is a bridge ______ the river.

The flight from Leipzig to London was _____ Frankfurt.

____ my wall, there are many picture postcards.

Who is the person _____ this picture?

Come ____ the sitting room, we want to watch TV.

Munich lies 530 meters _____ sea level

1. Prepositions of time

Let’s practice (01) : Put in the correct preposition (at, in, on, or no preposition):

There was a loud noise which woke us up ____ midnight. What are you doing ____ the weekend? ____ last week, I worked until 9pm ____ every night. My father always reads the paper ____ breakfast time. She plays tennis ____ Fridays. The trees here are really beautiful ____ the spring. I’ll see you ____ Tuesday afternoon, then. Shakespeare died ____ 1616. She studies ____ every day. John is going to buy the presents ____ today.

In my hometown the shops open early ____ the morning. She met her husband ____ 1998. The party is ____ next Saturday. We are meeting ____ Friday morning. I often get sleepy ____ the afternoon. His daughter was born ____ the 24th of August. Mobile phones became popular ____ the nineties. The meeting will take place ____ this afternoon. Luckily the weather was perfect ____ her wedding day.

Let’s practice (02): Write the correct prepositions into the gaps.

Example: Look! The people are getting ___ the train Answer: Look! The people are getting on the train.

She was born…………….2004.

They are waiting ………….the bus.

Don't forget to bring some flowers …………you.

I haven't smoked ………..ages.

You can look up the word …………..a dictionary.

She is allergic ………………….insect stings.

Preposition Use Examples In in months in July; in September

Year in 1985; in 1999 Seasons in summer; in the summer of 69 part of the day in the morning; in the afternoon; in the evening Duration in a minute; in two weeks

At part of the day at night time of day at 6 o'clock; at midnight Celebrations at Christmas; at Easter fixed phrases at the same time

On days of the week on Sunday; on Friday Date on the 25th of December* special holidays on Good Friday; on Easter Sunday; on my birthday a special part of a day on the morning of September the 11th*

After later than sth. after school Ago how far sth. happened (in the

past) 6 years ago

Before earlier than sth. before Christmas Between time that separates two points between Monday and Friday

By not later than a special time by Thursday During through the whole of a period

of time during the holidays

For period of time for three weeks from ... to from... till/until

two points form a period from Monday to Wednesday from Monday till Wednesday from Monday until Wednesday

Past time of the day 23 minutes past 6 (6:23) Since point of time since Monday till/until no later than a special time till tomorrow/ until tomorrow

To time of the day 23 minutes to 6 (5:37) up to not more than a special time up to 6 hours a day Within during a period of time within a day

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I'm looking ………………my keys. Have you found them?

The song was written ……………..Madonna.

He likes to travel…………… Spain in summer.

The police car chased the robbers ……………..the streets.

2. Prepositions of place at, in, on

More prepositions of place

Let’s practice (03) : fill in the gaps with the approriate preposition of place according to the picture

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3. Prepositions of Position at the back of at the bottom of at the top of behind between in the corner of in the middle of

next to to the left of on the other side of to the right of on the side of on top of Opposite

Examples There is a large garden in the middle of the skyscraper. The smallest room is located to the left of the internal garden. The entrance to room number three is opposite the entrance to room number two.

Let’s practice (04): where is the cat in the following pictures ? let’s practice (05) : match the following pictures to the prepositions

answer the following questions

Let’s practice (06) : fill in the gaps

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4. Prepositions of Movement

The most common preposition of movement is to, but there are lots of others Example :

Walk through the exit of room two and enter into building number three.

Walk across the indoor garden to reach room number five. Walk past the side entrance to reach the main entrance.

Let’s practice (09) : Complete the sentences with the right

preposition.

through into down to over out of along

1. I moved _______________ Germany in 1998. 2. The train went _______________ the tunnel. 3. She sailed _______________ the river. 4. He's going _______________ the room. 5. They walked _______________ the bridge. 6. He ran _______________the mountain. 7. The car came _______________ the garage.

Let’s practice (10) : Select the correct answer from the box

In, to, into , out of, up to , away, from, through, over

1. In April I'm going ………… Paris.

2. This train arrives ………… Milan at 21:36.

3. The teacher came ………… class ten minutes late today.

4. John fell………… a tree and broke his arm. 5. Put your books and notes…………. We're going to do a test!

6. It's a long way………… Europe to China. 7. Can you put your arm …………the window and open the door?

8. Go ………… the bridge and turn left at the church.

9. Our next trip will be……… the United States.

10. While I was in New York I visited …………Fifth Avenue. 11. We didn't get ………… home until very late.

up

up the stairs

up the hill

down

down the stairs

down the hill

across

across the road

across the river

over

over the bridge

over the hill

under

under the bridge

under the table

along

along the street

along the river

into

into the house

into the garden

out of

out of the house

out of the garden

through

through the

town

through the

door

past

past the house

past the cat

round/around

round the tree round the park

from ... to ...

from A to B

Let’s practice (07) : look at the picture and fill in the gaps let’s practice (08) : match the following

Eye doctor