Prepositions¶
Short words that take NP complement
Often have to do with location in time and space
Some prepositions take obligatory complement:
She’s at school
Get into the car
Do one favor for me
Many prepositions can occur without NP
They went by [it]
He fell down [the stairs]
I can’t get in [my room]
What’s on [TV] tonight?
Prepositions can be:
Transitive
in the house)
Intransitive
come inside
Postpositions
three years ago)
Notes¶
Postpositional usage in English is mostly idiomatic, literary, or fixed phrases.
Prepositional usage is standard and dominant.
Only six prepositions (see list) can be Pre or post