Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Prepositions

9th Edition, © 2008, Thomson/South-Western

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-2

Learning Objectives

• Use objective-case pronouns as objects of prepositions.

• Avoid using prepositions in place of verbs and adverbs.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-3

Commonly Used Prepositions

aboutafteralong withatbetween

butbyexceptforwhom

inintoofonto

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-4

Use objective-case pronouns as objects of prepositions.Use objective-case pronouns as objects of prepositions.

• Everyone except Leslie and her

arrived early.

• Just between you and me, sales are

declining.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-5

Do not substitute the preposition of for the verb have.

Do not substitute the preposition of for the verb have.

Fundamental Problems With PrepositionsFundamental Problems With Prepositions

• They should have (not of) walked to the restaurant

• We could have (not of) received free tickets.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-6

Do not replace the preposition from with the words off or off of.

Do not replace the preposition from with the words off or off of.

Fundamental Problems With PrepositionsFundamental Problems With Prepositions

• Max borrowed the pen from (not off of) Brandon.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-7

Do not use the word to in place of the adverb too, which means “additionally” or “excessively.”

Do not use the word to in place of the adverb too, which means “additionally” or “excessively.”

Fundamental Problems With PrepositionsFundamental Problems With Prepositions

• Give the cash receipts to the courier.• Sales reps received laptops and cell

phones too.• The car was too small to carry the

equipment.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-8

Learning Objectives

Use troublesome prepositions correctly.

Omit unnecessary prepositions, retain necessary ones, and construct formal sentences that avoid terminal prepositions.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-9

Challenging Prepositions

Among, Between Beside,

Besides

ExceptIn, Into

Like

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-10

Among, Between

Among is used to speak of three or more persons or things; between is used for two.

• Profits will be divided among the nine partners.

• Responsibility will be divided between the vice president and the general manager.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-11

Beside, Besides

Beside means “next to”; besides means “in addition to.”

• Their parking lot is beside the office.

• You have another option besides this one.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-12

Except

Use the preposition except to mean “but” or “excluding.” Use the verb accept to mean “receive.”

• All pages except three must be copied.

• We will now accept applications for the position.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-13

In, Into

In indicates a position or location. Into as one word means three things:

Entering into something.

• She plans to go into accounting.

• We will move into new facilities May 1.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-14

Changing the form of something.• The caterpillar changed into a butterfly.

Making contact.• Unable to stop, he ran into the back of

the car in front of him.

BUT Please turn the report in to your boss on time.

Meanings of Into(concluded)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-15

Like

The preposition like should be used to introduce nouns or pronouns. Do not use like to introduce clauses.

• Don’t you think Rachel looks like her?

• They look as if (not like) they could be sisters.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-16

Necessary Prepositions

• Be sure to include those prepositions necessary to clarify a relationship.

• Be particularly careful when two prepositions modify a single object.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-17

Examples

• Our appreciation for and interest in the project remain great. (Do not omit for.)

• What style of printing do you prefer? (Do not omit of.)

• She graduated from high school last year. (Do not omit from.)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-18

Unnecessary Prepositions

Omit unnecessary prepositions.

• I’m not sure when the meeting is scheduled (not scheduled for).

• Boxes were left outside (not outside of) the door.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-19

Terminal Prepositions

In formal writing, careful writers avoid ending clauses with prepositions.

Less Formal More FormalWhat topic did he lecture on?

On what topic did he lecture?

To whom do you wish to speak?

Whom do you wish to speak to?

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-20

1. You should (have, of) applied for the position online.

2. Dividends will be divided (between, among) all stockholders.

3. The break room is located (beside, besides) the copy room.

Try Your Skill

Choose the correct word to complete these sentences.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-21

4. (Beside, Besides) your résumé, you must send a list of references.

5. Everyone (except, accept) him was given a raise.

6. You should go (in to, into) see your boss tomorrow.

Try Your Skill

Choose the correct word to complete these sentences.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-22

7. He made quite an impression when he walked (in to, into) the room.

8. She looks (like, as if) she would make an excellent employee.

9. Did the applicant (graduate, graduate from) college?

Try Your Skill

Choose the correct word to complete these sentences.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-23

Learning Objectives

• Recognize idioms and idiomatic constructions.

• Use idioms involving prepositions correctly.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-24

agree to a proposal

agree with a person

agree to a proposal

agree with a person

Idiomatic Expressions• “Idioms” are word combinations that are

peculiar to a certain language. • In English learn to use specific

prepositions with particular words. • Here are a few examples:

Idiomatic Expressions• “Idioms” are word combinations that are

peculiar to a certain language. • In English learn to use specific

prepositions with particular words. • Here are a few examples:

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-25

angry at a thing

angry with a person

angry at a thing

angry with a person

Idiomatic Expressions (continued)

Idiomatic Expressions (continued)

concur in an action

concur with a person

concur in an action

concur with a person

differ from things

differ with persons

differ from things

differ with persons

different from (not than)different from (not than)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-26

expert in

plan to (not on)

retroactive to (not from)

sensitive to

expert in

plan to (not on)

retroactive to (not from)

sensitive to

Idiomatic Expressions(concluded)

Idiomatic Expressions(concluded)

talk to (tell something)

talk with (exchange remarks)

talk to (tell something)

talk with (exchange remarks)

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-27

Try Your Skill

Choose the correct word to complete these sentences.

1. No one will agree (to, with) such a crazy plan.

2. Lance was quite angry (at, with) his boss after the meeting.

3. Some managers did not concur (in, with) the new budget.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-28

Try Your Skill

Choose the correct word to complete these sentences.

4. This office certainly differs (from, with) the others.

5. Salary adjustments are retroactive (to, from) July 1.

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-29

Try Your Skill

Choose the correct word to complete these sentences.

6. Do you plan (on going, to go) to the party?

7. Do you consider yourself an expert (at, in) estate planning?

8. Will the mediator be able to get the two parties to talk (to, with) each other?

Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-30

“All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language,

until it finds a willing and prepared hearer.”

—Robert Louis Stevenson

Click here for information about Robert Louis Stevenson.