Prepositions | The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

What Are Prepositional Phrases?

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 11:00:51 +0000

Many of us may have learned about prepositional phrases in school, but unless we are writers, editors, or teachers, we might not think about them often even though we use them every day. In this brief discussion, we’ll review what prepositional phrases are and look at some reinforcing examples. What Is a Preposition? A preposition […]

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Object of a Preposition Examples

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 11:00:33 +0000

In today’s post we will look at prepositions, objects, and the relationship between the two. With that knowledge, you’ll have greater insight into another fine point of English grammar. What Is a Preposition? A preposition is a word that usually comes before a noun or pronoun and expresses a relationship to another word. In other […]

The post Object of a Preposition Examples first appeared on The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation.

Threw vs. Through: What’s the Difference?

GrammarBook.com — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 11:00:50 +0000

Threw and through are two words that sound exactly the same (making them homonyms), but with completely different meanings. That makes them easy to tell apart, once you know the distinctions. In today’s post we will explore the meaning of each, give you some examples, and quiz you on the difference. Ready to get started? […]

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Ending a Sentence in a Preposition

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 11:00:56 +0000

Many of us who learned American English in school likely received certain inviolable decrees about usage. One of them was to use “___ and I” only as a subject. Another was never to split an infinitive (not true). Yet another was never to end a sentence with a preposition, a breach of form that can […]

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For All Intents and Purposes vs. For All Intensive Purposes

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 15:00:08 +0000

You’ve probably heard this expression used a couple of different ways. You may also have wondered which one is correct and where the confusion comes from. Let’s break down what you should write and say, what the phrase means, and why there is confusion about it. Is For All Intents and Purposes Right, or Is […]

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Past or Passed: Which Word Is Correct?

GrammarBook.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 15:00:10 +0000

The past is many things—but it’s not the same as passed. Passed: gone ahead of; approved. Past: a former time; beyond. If you ever find yourself struggling with the grammatical difference between the two, you aren’t alone. They sound identical when spoken aloud and have somewhat related definitions. However, they do have different meanings, and […]

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Expressing Possession of Gerunds

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 05:00:19 +0000

A gerund is the present participle (-ing) form of a verb functioning as a noun in a sentence. Example: He responded by laughing. (The gerund “laughing” is the noun object of the preposition “by.”) A gerund phrase is a gerund plus another element such as an adverb, an adjective, or a noun. Example: Saving money […]

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American vs. British English: Grammar

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 05:00:22 +0000

We hope you’re enjoying our exploration of American and British English as much as we are. So far we’ve considered variations in spelling and vocabulary between the dialects. Our review continues with a closer look at American and Commonwealth grammar. Prepositions Different phrasing involving prepositions between American and British English may not be as pronounced […]

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Writing with Nimble Variation

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 05:00:26 +0000

Writing is much like anything else involving enjoyment: too much of one thing can eventually spoil the fun. Just as they might tire from eating the same cereal every morning, readers can soon grow weary from an over-repetition of compositional forms. Consider the following sentence: Winthrop grew up in poverty. He could not […]

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Clearing the Air of Errors in English

GrammarBook.com — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 05:00:39 +0000

The adage is true when it comes to our language: Old habits really are hard to break. Notwithstanding classroom instruction, lifelong reminders, correction from others, and even GrammarBook newsletters, certain misuses of English survive like drug-resistant viruses. Yet we grammarians and linguists march on. After all, even the Roman Empire had to give way—eventually. As […]

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