Quick Notes

Quick Notes

English Chapter 3: Reading Skills
Prepositions
 
  • A preposition is a word that normally goes before a pronoun, noun, or noun phrase. 
  • It gives more information about the pronoun or noun, such as the location, or time.
  There are a few types of prepositions:  
 
(a) Prepositions of place/position
(b) Prepositions of time
(c) Prepositions of direction
 
     

 
11.1  Prepositions of Place/Position
 
Prepositions Explanations
At

Is used when no specific point of a place is being referred to.

Examples:

(a) ...at the clinic...

(b) ...at the school...
In

1. Is used to refer to an enclosed area.

Examples:

(a) ...in the library...

(b) ...in the office...

2. Is used for large territories such as continents, countries, states, etc. (For smaller areas, at is used)

Examples:

(a) ...in Malaysia...

(b) ...in Kampung Buluh...
At and In

Both can be used for buildings. The difference is that 'at' refers to a building as an institution while 'in' refers to the building as a structure.

Examples:

(a) Jenny works at a publishing house.

(b) Jenny works in a publishing house. 
On

Is used to show that a particular place is located along a road, river, coastal line, etc.

Examples:

(a) ...on Jalan Semarak...

(b) ...on Sungai Rajang...

 
11.2  Prepositions of Time
 
Prepositions Usage & Examples
at

at + a specific time on the clock

at + night

(a) We have a class at eight o'clock.

(b) We sleep at night. 
in

in + periods longer/shorter than a day

(a) My birthday is in August.

(b) I was born in 1995.
on

on + a specific day of the week

on + a specific date

(a) I have badminton training on Saturday.

(b) I was born on August 16, 1995. 
from...to

from (a specific time) to (a specific time)

(a) We have an extra class from 1.05 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.

(b) I have a piano lesson from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m.
before

Used when the first event mentioned happened first

(a) Siti took off her shoes before entering the house. 
after

Used when the first event mentioned happened next

(a) We had lunch after the meeting. 
 
11.3  Prepositions of Direction
 
Prepositions Usage Examples
from Used to show the place where someone or something starts. The wind is coming from the North. 
through From one point to the next. The river runs through the woods.
into To the inside or middle of a place, container, area, etc. Let's go into the garden.
towards In the direction of, or closer to someone or something. She stood up and walked towards him.
up Towards a higher position.  Put those books up on the top shelf.  
 
  Example of prepositions used in the passage.  
     
      Two teenage boys who lived opposite each other needed more pocket money, but their parents were too poor to give them more than RM2 per day. They decided to help themselves and started thinking of ways to make some pocket money. One day, they got to know that a circus had just come to their town and would be there for three weeks. The circus was near their housing area. The enterprising boys quickly went into action. They bought roasted peanuts from a wholesaler in the next town for a very low price. Then they packed the peanuts in small plastic bags. As soon as they were done, they set off to the circus with some packets of peanuts. Business was so good that they sold everything in one hour. On some days, they asked their parents and relatives, who had cars, to send them to the circus so that they could carry more peanuts from their house to the circus.   
     

 
11.4  Phrasal Verbs

 
  Phrasal verbs are pairs of words consisting of either:  
     
  verb + preposition         or            verb + adverb  
     

 
Examples:
 
Phrasal Verbs Meaning
Break into Force an entry
Break down Get into a mechanical problem
Beat up Hurt
Call at Go to a place for a small purpose
Bring up Raise children
Call on Pay a short visit
Carry on Continue
Cut down To reduce
Fill in Complete a form
Gave up Stopped