Using A, An & The...PrepositionsConfusion Zones
Articles
The three
little words A, An and The are used (or not
used) before nouns. When an English speaker uses (or omits) these
words, a lot of meaning is put into the sentence. For non-native
speakers, the system for using these words is very complex and
difficult to understand. Click on the link below for a systematic
look at the article system. We have tried to make this as comprehensive
as possible.
This part of the site was inspired by the book:
"Three Little Words"
Alan S. Brender
McGraw Hill
ISBN 4-89501-275-1
Prepositions
There are over 100 prepositions in English. This is a small
number compared with the number of nouns, adjectives and verbs.
Most sentences that people make contain at least one preposition
and so usage frequency is higher than for other words. Using the
wrong preposition is one of the most common errors made by people
learning English. This document is intended to help you choose
the right preposition at the right time. There are 124 prepositions
explained here, arranged in chapters as shown below. Click on
a chapter link to go to it or an individual link.
Chapter
One (aboard / about
/above /according
to /across / across from /after /against
/ahead of)
Chapter Two
(along / alongside
/ along with / amid
/ among / apart
from / as / as
for / as to / astride
)
Chapter Three
(at / away
from / bar / barring
/ because of / before / behind
/ below / beneath
)
Chapter
Four (beside / between
/ beyond / but
/ by / by
means of / close to
/ concerning / considering)
Chapter
Five (contrary to / depending
on / despite / down / due
to / during / except
/ except for / excluding)
Chapter Six
(following / for
/ forward of / from
/ in / in
between / including /
in favour of / in front of)
Chapter
Seven (in lieu of /
inside / in spite of
/ instead of / into
/ irrespective of
/ like / minus
/ near (to))
Chapter
Eight (next to / notwithstanding
/ of / off
/ on (upon) / on
account of / on board
/ onto / on
top of)
Chapter
Nine (opposite / other
than / out of / outside /
over / owing to /
past / pending
/ per
Chapter Ten
(plus / preparatory
to / prior to / regarding / regardless
of / round / save
/ save for /
since )
Chapter
Eleven (than / thanks
to / through / throughout / till
/ to / together
with / towards /
under )
Chapter
Twelve (underneath / unlike / until
/ up / up
against / upon / up to / up
until / via / with
/ within / without
/ worth )
Try the Quizzes (Level 4 browsers only)
Confusion Zones
Use of these words often
causes confusion. Click on each link for explanations and examples
of use.
Dialogues
These dialogues have been
written to give you basic models of the kinds of conversations
which often take place between native speakers.
Used as a guide, they will help
you communicate more effectively in real-life situations.
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English for Presentations
This part of the site aims to help you with giving presentations in English. It is not a guide on presentation techniques. It provides some useful structures and phrases which will make your presentation easier to understand for your audience.
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How do I say...?
This part of the site explains how to express Japanese colloquial terms in English. Click on any button below to go to that page.
This part of the site is designed
for students interested in reading about various topics in English,
and also in expanding their vocabulary.
The articles feature a brief exercise to check understanding of
the contents and meaning.