A story to tell

Abstract

This chapter introduces the function of a preposition in English, which is to mark a noun phrase (NP) that is neither subject nor object, but ancillary to the core elements of a clause. It examines the role of language to express meanings, and typically for a meaning to be communicated from speaker or writer to addressees. Each preposition carries a meaning, as does each verb, noun, and adjective. The chapter determines which preposition is used in a particular circumstance and which sense of it is appropriate by the meanings of the words it is combined with. Every preposition has a range of senses, and the most common prepositions have the widest ranges.