CC BY
1
DOI 10.5281/zenodo.10829040
Oblaqulova D.J.
3-year student 1-English faculty Uzbekistan State World Languages University
DIFFICULTIES OF USING PREPOSITIONS IN ENGLISH AND THEIR
SOLUTIONS
Abstract. This article deals with core problems and difficulties of employing English prepositions in sentences and highlights each issue in a detailed way. Also, valid solutions and methods will be suggested to overcome these difficulties. All information will be supported with examples and reasons.
Key words: prepositions, wrong use, overusing, omission of prepositions, incorrect placement, wrong verb forms, preposition types, grammar rules, viable solutions.
INTRODUCTION
It is certainly true that English language is being widely taught all over the world today. Its importance is urging young people to learn this language. But learning a new language is not an easy process, since it has its own difficulties to overcome. It is true that, the language learning process involves learning its grammar rules, making sentences in a correct grammatical form and being fluent in that language. One of the most important aspect of the English is its grammar. New language learners often face to many difficulties when employing grammatical forms, especially prepositions in their writing or in their speech. ESL learners often use prepositions incorrectly without knowing multiple meanings of them which leads grammatical errors related to this. In this article, some of the most common mistakes related to the use of prepositions in English will be explored and the best solutions to avoid them will be suggested.
MAIN BODY
The main function of the prepositions in the sentence is to indicate relationship between different parts of a sentence, such as nouns, pronouns or gerund verbs. They are employed to express various meanings, namely direction, time or location. Prepositions' role in grammar is very crucial. Having said this, ESL students are facing with various difficulties in the use of prepositions.
The first major problem is related to the use of wrong prepositions in the sentences. Making this mistake can alter the meaning of the sentence or cause an incorrect grammatical form. The examples for this type of mistake:
1. Jane will make a cake to 4 PM. ("to" is used incorrectly)
2. The school starts on September. ("on" is used incorrectly)
3. John was waiting at the room. ("at" is used incorrectly)
The second core issue is associated with incorrect placement of prepositions, which leads sentences to sound strange and sometimes can cause misunderstandings. For instance:
1. Children are getting around the beach with cameras. ("with cameras" is misplaced)
2. I am waiting the train for. ("waiting for" is misplaced)
The next mistake is concerned with overusing prepositions which results in wordiness in sentences and to make the meaning complex. Examples:
1. Your child jumped up onto the table and sat down next to the fridge. "up", "down" is overused)
Another common pitfall related to prepositions is using the wrong form of the verb in relation to them. This mistake makes the sentence to be grammatically incorrect. To exemplify:
1. Your success is depending on your hard work. ("depending" is in the wrong form, it should be replaced with the form "depend")
2. Children are interesting in reading colorful books. ("interesting" is in the wrong form which ought to be replaced with the form "interested")
Additional mistake which was made by language learners a lot is omission of important prepositions. In order to express intended meaning, prepositions must be used in the place without omitting. Otherwise, that sentence cannot convey full meaning and show relationships between words. An example for this type of error can be:
1. I will buy a present my friend. ("for" preposition is omitted in this sentence and it ought to be used before the phrase "my friend")
Focusing on solutions, there are a lot to mention, as it is one of the most essential grammatical features to make sentences understandable and clear. Initially, wrong preposition use in sentences come from not knowing different types of prepositions. there are a number of types of prepositions in English which carry different meaning expressions. For instance:
1. Time preposition - this type is about the indication of time which refers to any kind of action that happened or will happen. Time prepositions may include "on, in, during, at, since, until, from, for". Without this type, we cannot express time - at 11:00, day - on Monday, month - in September, season - in spring, deadline - by midnight and etc.
2. Place preposition - it indicates the location of someone or something. It may include "at, behind, on, by, in, below, near, under, above, inside, over, beneath, underneath, between, opposite". Without this type, we cannot express place of things or people - at the bus station, at the school, on the table, on the book, near the bank, near the house, in the box and etc.
3. Direction preposition - it can be also called "motion prepositions", as it relates to motion's direction which includes "to, by, toward, on, against, off". Examples of its use can be: they are going to London, it is coming towards us" and etc.
4. Possession prepositions - it is employed in a sentence when an object that belongs to someone or something. This type includes "of, to, with". Examples of its use can be: girl with sunglasses, boy with flowers, a friend of mine, it belongs to me and etc.
5. Manner preposition - it is also called "method prepositions". it is used to show how an event or one certain thing happened. It consists of prepositions -like, with, by, on. Examples of its use can be: by answering the phone, with a knife, on foot, like a wolf, with happiness and etc.
6. Source preposition - it is about origin and source of something or someone. It may include "from, by, out of". Examples of its use can be: from Uzbekistan, from home and etc.
If language learners are fully aware of all these mentioned types of prepositions, they will not definitely face with problems with the wrong use. Also, context should be taken into consideration in the sentence for choosing correct preposition type.
Secondly, in order to avoid incorrect placement, one ought to be aware of placement roles of prepositions. According to its strict rule, it must be placed before a pronoun or noun or sometime noun phrase in the sentence. To strengthen knowledge about their placement, students should do more exercises related to this grammar feature.
Additional solution is associated with overusing problem. To fix it, language learners should be aware of the fact that some English words do not even require prepositions to make meaning. If overusing occurs, the sentence can be confusing. Therefore, unnecessary prepositions can be removed or shortened in order to make the sentence more accurate and clearer.
Next way is associated with avoiding using wrong verb forms with prepositions. it is about employing correct verb forms by being informed about its own roles. Some verbs require prepositions for the relationship with other words. These verbs are:
• Arrive in / at
• Concentrate on
• Depend on
• Explain something to
• Listen to
• Wait for
In order to be efficient in employing verbs with prepositions, one ought to learn all of these rules by heart.
Finally, fixing the omission problem is highly associated with learning rules of prepositions, being aware of all mention types of it and studying them in the context. Students must be careful with the employment of prepositions, because of its important role in the relationship between words.
It is true that there are several difficulties with employing prepositions in the sentences according to their meaning. Having said that, if language learners
try their best to gain knowledge more about its roles, its types, and its usage in various contexts, they will be able to make sentences without any pitfalls. All of these mentioned strategies can address the given problems.
CONCLUSION
To conclude, I am of the opinion that prepositions' role in language is very essential, as they convey various meaning connections between words in a specific context. Without knowing them how to use correctly, sentences may lack coherence and logic. Therefore, overcoming all difficulties related to prepositions with the mentioned solid ways is a must for language learners, as they can foster grammatical accuracy in the sentences.
References:
1. Seth Lindstromberg. "English Prepositions Explained". T., John Benjamins publishing company, 2010.
2. Michael McCarthy. "English Grammar". T., Routledge, 2021.
3. R.M.W. Dixon. "English prepositions". T., Oxford University Press, 2021.
4. Elizabeth M. O'Dowd. "Prepositions and Particles in English". T., Oxford University Press, 1998.
5. Andrew Bruckfield. "Prepositions: The ultimate book". T., OAK publishers, 2012.
6. https://unacademy.com/content/nda/study-material/english/how-to-avoid-common-preposition-errors-tips-for-learners-and-scholars/
7. https: //academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/prepo sitions
