Slides on the Adverbs

1. Chapter 12
Prepositions
9th Edition, © 2008, Thomson/South-Western

2. Learning Objectives
• Use objective-case pronouns as
objects of prepositions.
• Avoid using prepositions in place of
verbs and adverbs.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-2

3. Commonly Used Prepositions
about but in
after by into
along with except of
at for on
between whom to
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-3

4. Use objective-case pronouns as
objects of prepositions.
• Everyone except Leslie and her
arrived early.
• Just between you and me, sales
are declining.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-4

5. Fundamental Problems With Prepositions
 Do not substitute the preposition
of for the verb have.
• They should have (not of) walked to
the restaurant
• We could have (not of) received
free tickets.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-5

6. Fundamental Problems With Prepositions
 Do not replace the preposition
from with the words off or off of.
• Max borrowed the pen from (not off
of) Brandon.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-6

7. Fundamental Problems With Prepositions
 Do not use the word to in place of
the adverb too, which means
“additionally” or “excessively.”
• Give the cash receipts to the courier.
• Sales reps received laptops and cell
phones too.
• The car was too small to carry the
equipment.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-7

8. Learning Objectives
 Use troublesome prepositions
correctly.
 Omit unnecessary prepositions, retain
necessary ones, and construct formal
sentences that avoid terminal
prepositions.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-8

9. Challenging Prepositions
Among,
Between Beside,
Besides
Except
In, Into
Like
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-9

10. Among is used to
Among, speak of three or
Between more persons or
things; between is
used for two.
• Profits will be divided among the nine
partners.
• Responsibility will be divided between
the vice president and the general
manager.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-10

11. Beside means “next
Beside, to”; besides means
Besides “in addition to.”
• Their parking lot is beside the office.
• You have another option besides this
one.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-11

12. Use the preposition
Except except to mean
“but” or “excluding.”
Use the verb accept
to mean “receive.”
• All pages except three must be copied.
• We will now accept applications for the
position.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-12

13. In indicates a position
In, Into or location. Into as
one word means
three things:
 Entering into something.
• She plans to go into accounting.
• We will move into new facilities May 1.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-13

14. Meanings of Into
(concluded)
 Changing the form of something.
• The caterpillar changed into a butterfly.
 Making contact.
• Unable to stop, he ran into the back
of the car in front of him.
BUT Please turn the report in to your
boss on time.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-14

15. The preposition like
Like should be used to
introduce nouns or
pronouns. Do not use
like to introduce
clauses.
• Don’t you think Rachel looks like her?
• They look as if (not like) they could be
sisters.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-15

16. Necessary Prepositions
• Be sure to include those prepositions
necessary to clarify a relationship.
• Be particularly careful when two
prepositions modify a single object.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-16

17. Examples
• Our appreciation for and interest in the
project remain great. (Do not omit for.)
• What style of printing do you prefer? (Do
not omit of.)
• She graduated from high school last
year. (Do not omit from.)
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-17

18. Unnecessary Prepositions
Omit unnecessary prepositions.
• I’m not sure when the meeting is
scheduled (not scheduled for).
• Boxes were left outside (not outside
of) the door.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-18

19. Terminal Prepositions
In formal writing, careful writers avoid
ending clauses with prepositions.
Less Formal More Formal
What topic did he On what topic did
lecture on? he lecture?
Whom do you To whom do you
wish to speak to? wish to speak?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-19

20. Try Your Skill
1. You should (have, of)
applied for the position
online.
Choose the
2. Dividends will be
correct word to
divided (between,
among) all
complete these
stockholders.
sentences.
3. The break room is
located (beside,
besides) the copy room.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-20

21. Try Your Skill
4. (Beside, Besides) your
résumé, you must send
a list of references.
Choose the 5. Everyone (except,
correct word to accept) him was given a
complete these raise.
sentences.
6. You should go (in to,
into) see your boss
tomorrow.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-21

22. Try Your Skill
7. He made quite an
impression when he
walked (in to, into) the
room.
Choose the
correct word to
8. She looks (like, as if)
she would make an
complete these
excellent employee.
sentences.
9. Did the applicant
(graduate, graduate
from) college?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-22

23. Learning Objectives
• Recognize idioms and idiomatic
constructions.
• Use idioms involving prepositions
correctly.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-23

24. Idiomatic Expressions
• “Idioms” are word combinations that are
peculiar to a certain language.
• In English learn to use specific
prepositions with particular words.
• Here are a few examples:
agree to a proposal
agree with a person
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-24

25. Idiomatic Expressions
(continued)
angry at a thing
angry with a person
concur in an action
concur with a person
differ from things
differ with persons
different from (not than)
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-25

26. Idiomatic Expressions
(concluded)
expert in
plan to (not on)
retroactive to (not from)
sensitive to
talk to (tell something)
talk with (exchange remarks)
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-26

27. Try Your Skill
1. No one will agree (to,
with) such a crazy plan.
2. Lance was quite angry
Choose the (at, with) his boss after
correct word the meeting.
to complete
these 3. Some managers did not
sentences. concur (in, with) the new
budget.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-27

28. Try Your Skill
4. This office certainly
differs (from, with) the
others.
Choose the 5. Salary adjustments are
correct word retroactive (to, from)
to complete
July 1.
these
sentences.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-28

29. Try Your Skill
6. Do you plan (on going,
to go) to the party?
7. Do you consider
Choose the yourself an expert (at,
correct word in) estate planning?
to complete
8. Will the mediator be
these
able to get the two
sentences. parties to talk (to, with)
each other?
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-29

30. “All speech, written or
spoken, is a dead language,
until it finds a willing and
prepared hearer.”
—Robert Louis
Stevenson
Click here for information about Robert Louis Stevenson.
Mary Ellen Guffey, Business English, 9e 12-30