One common mistake we see while proofreading is incorrect use of prepositions. But these words, often very short, are vital for creating grammatical sentence. Thus, today, we’re taking a closer look at two prepositions that you’ll probably see every day: ‘for’ and ‘on’.
Prepositions are words that specify the relationship between a noun and another word in a sentence. For example:
Gerald is going to the lecture.
In the sentence above, the preposition ‘to’ shows where Gerald is going by linking the verb ‘going’ and the noun ‘lecture’. Many prepositions have various uses, however, which can make picking the right word difficult.
Nevertheless, if you can remember some of the main uses of ‘for’ and ‘on’, you’ll find it much easier to express your intentions clearly.
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‘For’ has many different uses, including the following:
Stretching on for miles and miles and miles…
This isn’t a definitive list and the only way you can be sure you’ve used ‘for’ correctly is by practising employing it in different contexts.
Equally diverse in its applications is the preposition ‘on’, which can mean:
A lizard on a rock, looking slightly smug.
If you don’t want to watch anything on TV, you can also use them to sculpt an elephant.
As above, this list isn’t complete, since ‘on’ is a very flexible word used in many contexts. It’s therefore vital to practise using these prepositions until you’re familiar with their meanings! And having someone else check your work for misplaced prepositions is a good idea, as you can learn from feedback.
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