TOEFL and IELTS Tips: Preposition Vs Adverb
Preposition + Noun, Noun Phrase, and Noun Clause
She was astonished by that smart guy, which can be explained as follows:
She (Subject) was (to be – as a linking Verb) astonished (Adjective that comes right after the linking Verb) by that smart guy (Prep+N Phrase, which is referred to as Prepositional Phrase)
I’m really thankful for what he’s done to me, which can be explained as follows:
I (Subject) am (to be – as a linking Verb for the Adjective that follows) really (Adverb) thankful (Adjective that comes after linking Verb) for what he’s done to me (Prep+N clause – also referred to as a Prepositional Phrase)
For some Indonesian learners, Preposition can be such a challenge since its meaning can change depending on what context it is used. For example:
The letter is written by Andy, “by” here means “oleh”
I always go to school by bus, “by” here means “dengan”
Put the trash by the postbox, “by” here means “di samping”
I will be there by the end of the year, “by” here means”ketika sudah sampai”
Preposition + Pronoun
The Professor was really impressed by her, which can be explained as follows:
The Professor (Subject) was (to be – as a linking Verb) really (Adverb) impressed (Adjective that follows the linking Verb) by her (Prep+Pronoun which is referred to as a Prepositional Phrase)
Preposition + Gerund
Furthermore, we also know that Preposition can be followed by Gerund. In fact, it can only followed by Gerund, so it’s easy enough to remember. Take a look at this example!
I’m sorry for coming late, which can be explained as follows:
I (Subject) am (to be as a linking Verb) sorry (Adjective after the linking Verb) for coming late (Prep+Gerund, which is a Prepositional Phrase)
Verb Particle
Some Prepositions are usually combined with a Verb as a particle. You may be familiar with words like take off, put down, help with etc. Off, down, and with are particles that are often considered as perplexing. Here is why it happens:
First, the relationship between a Verb and a particle is sometimes not that straightforward. Like the word put up in I simply can’t put up with her.
In some cases, it is even separated from the Verb, if there is a Noun or Pronoun between them, usually functions as an Object, like:
If there is anything that I can help you with, you let me know. Now, let’s break it down:
If there is anything that I can help (this is the Verb) you (this is a Pronoun) with (this is the particle), you let me know.
See?
Here are some more examples
Take off your shirt! vs You need to take it off
Never put off what you can do today – You should not put it off
etc.
IELTS questions often require a good mastery of very basic grammatical rule like Preposition. One Preposition can make a difference, since it will determine what kind of word that comes next. This word often becomes the one that you need for an answer. Take a look at an example below!
1. The market collapsed on ____________
If you were to be given a question like this ☝, you must know that it will need a Noun after Preposition on that will together form a Preposition of Time. But what kind Preposition of time? Year? Day? Date? Hour? or what? By mastering rules related to Pronoun, you can narrow down your scope of searching only to three possibilities. I’m sure you know what those are.
Well,
you know that Adverb is closely related to Tenses, right? In your writing Task 1 for example, you have to be careful with the use of the Tense. If the year says 1960 and you use Present Tense, it could be (and would be) considered as a grammatical mistake. You got low score in grammatical aspect, you overall writing score might be affected.
That’s all for Preposition vs Adverb. I hope this will help you (and me, myself and I) deal with the Preposition-Adverb confusion.
Absolutely. In fact, we can find many questions that are related to Preposition and Adverb in the structure and written expression part of the TOEFL test. Take a look at these examples!
Structure
1. I’m tired of just _______________ here
a. Sit
b. To sit
c. Am sitting
d. Sitting
This is one example of how Preposition is used in a question. You have to find what word can best follow the Preposition “of”. Of course, a Preposition can only be followed by a Gerund, so you know which one is the correct answer.
Written Expression
1. My brother and I (A) bought some (B) supplies in (C)Darcy’s store yesterday (D)
This type of question requires you to find one grammatical error in the sentence. Preposition “in” is not suitable for specific place or location, so it’s obvious where the mistake is.