| A Military Writer's Handbook | |
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| Primer - The Parts of Speech | |
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Prepositions A preposition connects a noun or a pronoun to another word in the sentence and describes their relationship. Prepositions include words such as on, about, beside, between, toward, throughout, upon, and within. A unique dictionary exists to help enquiring writers choose the right preposition with particular word combinations, including idioms with prepositions. It's called The BBI Dictionary of Word Combinations in English (John Benjamins, rev. ed. 1997). You will likely find this useful dictionary in the reference section of a good library; the Writing Centre at RMC has a copy for consultation or loan. Choosing the right preposition to connect a verb or adjective to a noun is essential to clear written and oral communication. When it is a matter of physical relationship—The book is on the table; He crouched behind the Humvee—the preposition is logically selected. But some prepositions are slippery and if misused can cause confusion. |
Examples of Prepositions
Below are some commonly confused combinations of verbs and adjectives with prepositions:
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