Prepositions
Nouns, verbs, adjectives and participles are often combined with Prepositions.
Each such combination has a separate meaning, sometimes totally different from the main word.
Such a preposition, in combination with a noun or a verb or an adjective or a participle is called Prepositional Phrase.
Here are few examples of sentences with such Prepositional Phrases.
Such Prepositional Phrases are called IDIOMS.
The idioms have fixed meanings.
Examples:
• Every citizen should abide by the laws of his country.
• This lake abounds in fish.
• Rajeev Gandhi started his Prime Ministership with an abundance of goodwill from Indians.
• Why were you absent from the class yesterday?
• When I entered the room, I found my father absorbed in deep thought.
• The Judge refused to accede to the request of the accused to release him on bail.
• I regret that your proposal is acceptable to me.
• Gupta is known to all the politicians, and has ready access to a number of ministers.
• The engineer was accused of taking a bribe from the contractor.
• Are you acquainted with this neighborhood?
• The accused was acquitted of the charges of perjury.
• You have to adopt yourself to the changing times.
Note:
Quite often, as in the previous case and in the following case, the main word and the preposition may be separated by other intervening words.
• I was dissuaded by my uncle from applying for that job.
• I was not aware of your presence at the meeting.
• Do you expect the teacher to be fair in awarding marks for the essays?
1. Phrasal verb is formed by combining a verb with a preposition.
Examples:
• The boy, who pleaded guilty to stealing the pen, was admonished by the Judge.
• Cunning is the quality that is popularly attributed to the fox.
• Known to be highly irritable, my uncle is avoided by all the children.
• Small pox vaccine is produced by introducing the virus into the bloodstream of a horse.
2. The word consider:
The word consider should be used without preposition following it.
The uses of the phrases ‘consider as’, ‘consider to be’ and ‘consider as being’ are wrong.
Example:
• Mahatma Gandhi is considered as one of the greatest Indians.
This sentence is wrong one.
The correct sentence is:
• Mahatma Gandhi is considered one of the greatest Indians.
3. The word regard:
The correct phrase involving ‘regard’ is ‘regard as’.
The phrases ‘regarding to be’ and ‘regarding as being’ are wrong ones.
Example:
• The writer Alice Walker regards Steve Wonder to be a spiritual singer rather than a pop singer.
This is an incorrect sentence.
The correct sentence is:
• The writer Alice Walker regards Steve Wonder as a spiritual singer rather than as a pop singer.
Examples:
• This advertisement is aimed at teenagers.
• This columnist was accurate in predicting the outcome of the elections.
Now let us see how the idioms are used in the sentences.
Many verbs when followed by various prepositions or adverbs acquire the idiomatic expressions.
Examples:
• He seems to be well off. (In comfortable position)
• That fellow trumped up a story. (Fabricated)
• He is sticking out for better terms. (Persisting in demanding)
• I threatened to show him up. (Expose)
• During her long illness, she often longed for health. (Desired)
• About an hour ago, I saw a fellow hanging about our bungalow. (Loitering about)
• Rust has eaten away the iron. (Corroded)
Many such Prepositional Phrases get their figurative meanings which are quite different from eh meanings of the main words.
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