Hey everyone, Annette here. Ocieanna is doing better, thanks for praying. Please continue. Since her hiatus continues, I’m here to discuss another grammar-related item: prepositions.
Here’s a partial list of prepositions:
aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, amid, among, around, as, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, but, by, concerning, considering, despite, down, during, except, excepting, excluding, following, for, from, in, inside, into, like, minus, near, of, off, on, onto, opposite, outside, over, past, per, plus, regarding, round, save, since, than, through, to, toward, towards, under, underneath, unlike, until, up, upon, via, with, within, without
When is it okay to use them?
Good question. Use them as often as you need, but keep in mind not to overuse them.
EXAMPLE: She placed the book on the table by the back of the room near the door. (Yikes, I’ve just set a record for prep usage.)
BETTER: She placed the book on the back table.
Where can they be used?
Use them for clarification, but don’t use them at the end of sentences, (except purposely in dialogue).
EXAMPLE: Where are you at?
BETTER: Where are you?
What about using prepositions side by side?
Check through your manuscript for prepositions which pop up side by side. Oftentimes you can delete one of them.
EXAMPLE: She meandered on toward the beach.
BETTER: She meandered toward the beach.
Writing tightly will keep you from overusing these little parts of speech. I’ve posted a list beside my monitor so I can double check as I’m editing or writing. As with other writing elements, prepositions are needed, but we shouldn’t overdo it. Feel free to share your preposition examples with us.
