This completely revised and expanded edition of English Prepositions Explained (EPE), originally published in 1998, covers approximately 100 simple, compound, and phrasal English prepositions of space and time – with the focus being on short prepositions such as at, by, in, and on. Its target readership includes teachers of ESOL, pre-service translators and interpreters, undergraduates in English linguistics programs, studious advanced learners and users of English, and anyone who is inquisitive about the English language. The overall aim is to explain how and why meaning changes when one preposition is swapped for another in the same context. While retaining most of the structure of the original, this edition says more about more prepositions. It includes many more figures – virtually all new. The exposition draws on recent research, and is substantially founded on evidence from digitalized corpora, including frequency data. EPE gives information and insights that will not be found in dictionaries and grammar handbooks.

English Prepositions Explained has been written both for non-native and native speakers of English and is intended for: teachers of English; translators; materials writers; advanced students of English; frequent users of English generally. English Prepositions Explained furnishes information about English prepositions that is available in no other book currently in print. EPE both complements and is complemented by The BBI Dictionary of English Word Combinations, which lists common collocations (including prepositional collocations) in a fashion that makes them readily locatable. Like a grammar handbook, EPE describes how prepositions and directional adverbs are used. Its main work, however, consists in providing answers to the following questions: What meanings does each preposition have?; How are a preposition's different meanings related?; Which meaning(s) underlie this or that usage?; Which usages are true idioms and which express systematic meaning?; What are the major semantic families of prepositions?; Where are the boundaries in meaning between the prepositions within each family?; When various prepositions are usable in the same context, what different meaning or nuance does each contribute and why?; What is the role of metaphor in the English system of prepositions?; What is a phrasal verb and to what extent do they reflect systematic meanings? Explanations are liberally supported with iconic/pictorial illustration and examples of usage. It is this explanatory, rather than merely descriptive, approach which makes EPE a unique resource for creative writing. Covering more than seventy, mostly spatial and temporal, prepositions, it presents a picture of remarkable systematicity. Among EPE's twenty-three chapters are: an overview of the grammar and semantics of prepositions (of place, path and time) and of directional adverbs; Nineteen chapters on families of prepositions; a chapter on phrasal verbs; a summary of key abstract notions expressed by prepositions. EPE is fully indexed and includes a glossary of terms and an annotated bibliography.

(Workbook coming soon...)"I hate grammar! Why are English prepositions so difficult?""I don't know why we say it that way. That's just how we speak.""There's no logic to prepositions. You just have to memorize them."Here's a secret for you: English prepositions are logical.Why your English Teacher was WrongImagine a farm that grows a lot of different plants. On the surface, you see all the leaves and branches. These leaves and branches are the different dictionary definitions that seem to be disconnected and random. These "surface meanings" are what native speakers are aware of. However, underground we find the root of each plant. The root is the logic that all the dictionary definitions are based on. This underground level is part of the subconscious mind, so native speakers aren't consciously aware of it. This book teaches you the hidden, logical relationships that give prepositions their meaning.What's in this Book?This book contains seventeen of the most common and confusing prepositions in the English language. Each preposition has its own chapter that's divided into sections that guide you through the process and help you learn more easily and more effectively. The sections are: A) Example Sentences (there are over 450 examples); B) The Logic, which includes the key idea(s), an explanation, and etymology notes; C) Detailed explanations of how the logic works in the example sentences from section A; D) Verbs that often use each preposition; E) Phrasal verbs; and F) Idioms. At the end of the book are a few maps of the logical relationships.

In English language, preposition is a part of speech that introduces a prepositional phrase. Preposition governs a sentence in English. Thus to master sentence formation it is necessary that we should be well versed with the use of prepositions and their differential meanings. The present book will make you learn more about the commonly used prepositions, how they are being used, to make a sentence meaningful and striking. The present book for usage of prepositions in English language is divided into 23 chapters covering wide range of prepositions like At, Onto, Since, During, Above, etc along with coverage of Prepositions with Nouns, Adjectives & Verbs, Prepositions used in Idioms, Unnecessary Prepositions, Ellipsis in Preposition, Preposition + Gerund, Preposition Omitted, Prepositions & Adverbs, Verb + Preposition, Use of Some Prepositions and Appropriate Prepositions. Also practice exercises with 650 questions have been provided at the end of the book along with the answers to all the questions covered in the exercises.

The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary is the ideal dictionary for advanced EFL/ESL learners. Easy to use and with a great CD-ROM - the perfect learner's dictionary for exam success. First published as the Cambridge International Dictionary of English, this new edition has been completely updated and redesigned. - References to over 170,000 words, phrases and examples explained in clear and natural English - All the important new words that have come into the language (e.g. dirty bomb, lairy, 9/11, clickable) - Over 200 'Common Learner Error' notes, based on the Cambridge Learner Corpus from Cambridge ESOL exams Plus, on the CD-ROM: - SMART thesaurus - lets you find all the words with the same meaning - QUICKfind - automatically looks up words while you are working on-screen - SUPERwrite - tools for advanced writing, giving help with grammar and collocation - Hear and practise all the words.

Elizabeth M. O'Dowd offers a new, discourse-functional account of the categories "preposition" and "particle" in English. She explains why certain words have membership in both categories, and solves many intriguing puzzles long associated with the syntax and semantics of these words. Based on linguistic data extracted from a series of actual conversations, O'Dowd provides new insights into how prepositions and particles are used, and how their meanings can change across different discourse contexts over time.

The bestselling workbook and grammar guide, revised and updated! Hailed as one of the best books around for teaching grammar, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation includes easy-to-understand rules, abundant examples, dozens of reproducible quizzes, and pre- and post-tests to help teach grammar to middle and high schoolers, college students, ESL students, homeschoolers, and more. This concise, entertaining workbook makes learning English grammar and usage simple and fun. This updated 12th edition reflects the latest updates to English usage and grammar, and includes answers to all reproducible quizzes to facilitate self-assessment and learning. Clear and concise, with easy-to-follow explanations, offering "just the facts" on English grammar, punctuation, and usage Fully updated to reflect the latest rules, along with even more quizzes and pre- and post-tests to help teach grammar Ideal for students from seventh grade through adulthood in the US and abroad For anyone who wants to understand the major rules and subtle guidelines of English grammar and usage, The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation offers comprehensive, straightforward instruction.