Introduction to Prepositions

Today's lesson is about Prepositions! 
We will be taking a look at what prepositions are and how to use them.

• Begin by taking a look at the chart of common prepositions. 
• After you have taken a look at the chart, watch Grammar Rock Preposition for a fun explanation of prepositions.
• To see if you have understood what a preposition is, take the Preposition Quiz. This requires you to identify prepositions within a paragraph. Clicking on the words that you think are prepositions causes them to turn green if they are correct and red if they are incorrect. 
• The final portion of this lesson requires you to write a descriptive paragraph using prepostions and post it as a comment on the example paragraph. 
• If you still need more information about prepostions, you may explore the extra references provided.

Common Prepositions

Refer to this table to identify prepositions as you read and choose prepositions as you write.

Location			Time	Other Relationships
Above Across Against Along Among Around At Behind Below Beside Between	Beyond By Down From In Inside Into Near Off On Out	Outside Over Past Through To Toward Under Underneath Up Upon Within	After As Before During Since Until	About Despite Except For Like Of Per Than With Without

Grammar Rock Preposition

Watch this video to learn what a preposition is and how it functions in a sentence.

Preposition Quiz

Click on the 15 prepositions in the following passage. 
Look at the second paragraph to help you see what the paragraph looks like without prepositions.

Big Hair Style 3: The Texan

Take the teasing comb and back-comb all your hair until it looks like an electrified Persian cat. To tease your hair, grab a small section and hold it up by the end. Comb downward with the teasing comb in short fast strokes until it gets tangled at the bottom. Pull the teased hair up and out to achieve maximum altitude. Liberally apply the hair pray to hold the teased hair in place. If you can still see the walls, you haven’t sprayed enough. Spray more. All these styles must be taken care of while you sleep. Some women use the beehive hairnet; others use feather pillows to sleep upon; while still others sleep upright in a La-Z-Boy. Your mileage may vary. Just be careful not to put anyone’s eye out. (pp. 4-5)
-- Kinky Friedman, Kinky Friedman’s Guide to Texas Etiquette

Big Hair Style 3: The Texan Without Prepositional Phrases

Take the teasing comb and back-comb all your hair. To tease your hair, grab a small section and hold it. Comb downward. Pull the teased hair. Liberally apply the hair spray. If you can still see the walls, you haven’t sprayed enough. Spray more. All these styles must be taken care of while you sleep. Some women use the beehive hairnet; others use feather pillows; while still others sleep upright. Your mileage may vary. Just be careful not to put anyone’s eye out.

Preposition Paragraph

Write a descriptive paragraph using prepositions. Post your paragraph as a comment. 
The following example contains prepositions in bold:

My neighbor said she wanted to ask me for a small favor. Little did I know what was in store for me when I agreed to feed her cat. After my neighbor left on her trip, I walked across the street to her house. Once I got inside the house, I was overwhelmed by the stench of cat urine. I looked around the house and couldn’t believe what I saw. My eyes fell on two salad dressing containers sitting on a table beside the couch, which was completely covered with dirty laundry, except for this one worn area by the table. The volume on the TV was turned up all the way. In disbelief and despite my better judgment, I walked toward the restroom. Around the base of the tub I saw these red velvety mushrooms coming up between the tub and tile floor. This filth was beyond anything I’d ever seen in my life. Within two minutes the cat was fed and I was out of there. Since she returned from her trip, I have never been available to watch her cat again.
-- Mechanically Inclined

Preposition Resources

Explore the following links to give you an even better understanding of prepositions:

• http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm
• http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/prepositions.htm
• http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/preposition.htm