English
Guidelines for Using Prepositions

• Include necessary prepositions; eg., What type of car do you need (not what type car).  I graduated from university three years ago (not I graduated university).
• Omit unnecessary prepositions; eg., Where is the meeting?  (Not Where is the meeting at?)  Both photocopiers work well.  (Not Both of the photocopiers.)  Where is she going?  (Not Where is she going to?)
• Avoid the overuse of prepositional phrases; eg., Her Toronto credit application is before me.  (Not Her application for credit at our branch in the Toronto area is before me.)
• Repeat the preposition before the second of two related elements; eg., Applicants use the résumé effectively by summarizing their most important experiences and by relating their education to the jobs sought.
• Include the second preposition when two prepositions modify a single object; eg., John’s appreciation of and aptitude for computers led to a promising career.
• Every language has its own idiom (its own special way of combining words).  In English, as in any language, it’s important to use combinations of words that “sound right” to the typical speaker.  Particularly important is the use of the right prepositions with certain words.  The following are some examples of the idiomatic use of prepositions:
  • acquainted with
  • agree to a thing (i.e., proposal)
  • agree with a person
  • angry at a thing
  • angry with a person
  • authority on
  • guard against
  • in accordance with
  • retroactive to