Form and stress of prepositions

Prepositions may take the form of:

- single words: at from in to into, etc.

- two or more words: according to apart from because of, etc One-syllable prepositions are normally unstressed in speech:

There s 'someone at the 'door (No stress on at.) Prepositions of two or more syllables are normally stressed on one of the syllables: 'opposite the 'bank be'hind the 'wall, etc. For examples of common prepositions [> App 20].

Pronouns after prepositions

English nouns do not have 'case' [> 1.1], so they do not change in form when they are e.g. the object of a verb or a preposition: There s a chair behind/by/in front of/near the door But the object form of pronouns must be used after prepositions: The car stopped behind/in front of/near me/him/her/us/them Between you and me, there s no truth in the report Some native speakers mistakenly use / instead of me after prepositions, especially when there are two pronouns separated by and (Not 'between you and /*).


General information about prepositions/adverb particles

When is a word a preposition, adverb or conjunction?

A preposition 'governs' an object, so it is always related to a noun, a noun phrase, pronoun or gerund; an adverb particle does not 'govern' an object, so it is more closely related to a verb [> 7.3.4 ]

Words that can be used as prepositions or adverb particles

Some words function both as prepositions and as adverb particles. When they are followed by an object, they function as prepositions:

We drove round the city(round + object = preposition)When no object is stated, these words function as adverb particles(even if an object is implied):

We drove round (no object = adverb particle) Unlike prepositions, adverb particles are stressed in speech.

The most common of the words that can be used as prepositions or as adverb particles are:about, above, across, after along around before, behind below beneath beyond by down in inside near off on opposite, outside, over past round through under underneath up without

Words that are used as prepositions, but not as particles

The following words are used only as prepositions (that is, they take an object):against at beside despite during except for from into of onto per since till/until to toward(s) upon via with andprepositions ending in -ing such as excepting regarding [> App 20.2], A few phrasal verbs [> 8.23] are formed with verb + to as an adverb particle: e.g. come to pull to.