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next to
1) If one thing is next to another, it is at the side of it. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He sat down next to me on the train.
Her room in the hotel was next to mine.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
The post office is the building next to the police box.

2) You can say that next to one thing, another thing is best or most important as a way of indicating what has second place.
e.g
Next to soccer, his favourite sport is sumo.

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2) You use of to indicate what group something belongs to or what thing a part or amount belongs to. Used after a pronoun, number or noun:
e.g
Some of the buildings in the laboratory site were damaged in the earthquake.
I have three of your books in my office.

3) You can also use of when mentioning a date, to indicate what month a day occurs in:
e.g.
American Independence Day is the fourth of July.

4) You can also use of after nouns like 'kind' or 'sort' to indicate what general type or group you are talking about:
e.g.
This electronic document is a new kind of self-study material.
Certain types of people come down with certain kinds of ailments.

5) You can also use of after nouns such as 'version' and 'copy' to indicate what basic thing you are talking about.
e.g.
Do you have the latest version of the software?
Please give your friends a copy of this electronic document.

6) You use of to indicate who or what a thing or quality belongs to or is connected with.
e.g.
The Constitution deals with the rights of citizens.

7) Of is also used to indicate that someone has a quality or characteristic like the one that a type of person or thing has; a literary use. Used with nouns:
e.g.
He has the strength of a bull.

8) You use of to indicate what something relates to or concerns. Used after nouns:
e.g.
He had happy memories of his childhood.
He works for the Department of Education and Science.

9) You use of with some verbs to indicate something else involved in the action, especially when the action involves knowledge or communication, having a quality or attitude, or removal.
e.g.
He informed his employers of his intention to quit.
They did not approve of his decision.
A tactical mistake deprived his team of victory.

10) You use of with some adjectives to indicate the thing that a feeling or quality relates to.
e.g.
He was not afraid of controversy.
He felt that he was capable of greater things.
He was never unsure of himself.

11) You use of with nouns referring to actions to specify the person or thing that is affected by the action or that performs the action.
e.g.
The kidnapping of the child caused a great outcry.
The arrival of the next train will be delayed by ten minutes.

12) You can also use of to specify something that occurs and is experienced. Used after nouns:
e.g.
Some of the guests suffered an attack of food poisoning.
A sudden feeling of regret passed over him.

13) You also use of to indicate what someone you are referring to creates, affects or has a particular attitude towards. Used with nouns:
e.g.
The police tried to arrest the organizer of the demonstration.
He gave thanks to the supporters of the proposal.

14) You can sometimes use of to indicate a characteristic or quality that someone or something has. Used after nouns:
e.g
She is a lady of great charm and intelligence.
This carpet is made from material of the finest quality.

15) You use of when indicating how old someone is or how great an amount is. Used with nouns:
e.g.
She was only a girl of sixteen.
There has been a sales increase of 15 per cent.

16) You use of to indicate the materials or things that form something. Used with nouns:
e.g.
There were two rooms divided by a sliding partition of paper and wood.
Gunpowder is a mixture of carbon, sulphur and saltpetre.
Also used after the participle 'made':
e.g.
He wore a brown jacket made of wool.

17) You also use of with nouns such as 'gasp' or 'shriek' to indicate the feeling that causes a reaction.
e.g.
He gave a gasp of amazement.
She gave a shriek of rage.

18) You also use of to say exactly what something is. Used with nouns.
e.g.
The government have promised many times to address the problem of corruption, but nothing ever changes.

19) You use of in front of dates and periods of time to indicate when the thing you are referring to happened. Used after nouns:
e.g.
The family lost their fortune in the great depression of the thirties.
Many people lost their homes in the earthquake of January '95.

20) You use of after nouns referring to the time that an event occurred to indicate what the event was.
e.g.
The explanation given at the time of the crash was pilot error.
We found out the truth on the day of the funeral.

21) You can use of to say what caused someone's death.
e.g.
The hospital said that Mr Garcia died of heart failure.

22) You can use of before a word referring to the person who performed an action when saying what you think about the action.
e.g.
It was very kind of him to take the boys fishing on his birthday.
It was very thoughtless of me to forget our anniversary.
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2) When you get off a bus, train or plane, you leave it. Used with verbs:
e.g.
Get off the train at Sannomiya and change to the subway.
He is not to be allowed off the aeroplane for any reason.
Used after a noun:
e.g.
He was the first person off the train at Kyoto.
Also used as an adverb:
e.g.
When the train stopped at a small country station, he got off.

3) If you keep off a street or a piece of land, you do not go on it.
e.g.
There was a notice on the fence saying 'Keep Off'.

4) If something is off a coast, it is out in the sea but near land.
e.g.
Last night the ship was about fifty miles off the coast of China.

5) If a building is off a road or square, it is on a road which joins that road or square.
e.g.
His office is just off the Ginza.

6) If you are off work, you are not working because you are sick.
e.g.
He's off work today with a fever.

7) If you keep off a subject, you deliberately avoid talking about it.
e.g.
It's best to keep off religion and politics in this bar.

8) If you are off something, you have stopped liking it; an informal use.
e.g.
I have been off sweet things for a few years now.

9) If an amount of money is taken off the price of an item, the price is reduced by that amount ( a discount).
e.g.
You can get up to 25 per cent off some things if you pay cash.

10) If you get something off someone or somewhere, you obtain it from that person or place; an informal use.
e.g.
I got this coat off a man selling them in the street.

11) If you live off a particular kind of food or money, you eat it or use it to live. If a machine runs off a particular kind of fuel or power, it uses it to function.
e.g.
He has been living off his savings since he became unemployed.
This tape recorder runs off rechargeable batteries.

12) When a radio or television station stops broadcasting, you can say that it goes off the air.
e.g.
NHK usually goes off the air sometime after midnight.
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1) If something is standing or resting on something, it is underneath it and is supporting its weight. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He went outside and stood on the balcony.
There was a photograph of his family on his desk.
Used after a noun:
He picked up the telephone on the desk in front of him.

2) If you put something on a surface, you move it so it is then supported by that surface.
e.g.
He put a hand on her shoulder.
She flung herself on the floor weeping.

3) If you are on a bus, train, plane or ship, you are travelling in it. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He had come out on the bus to visit his friend.
As soon as she was on the train she opened his letter.
Used after nouns:
e.g.
He got into a long conversation with a man on the plane.
Also used as an adverb:
e.g.
The bus stopped in a small village and several people got on.

4) If something is on a piece of paper, it has been written or printed there. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He wrote some figures quickly on the chart.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
Some people have difficulty in recognizing words on a page.

5) You use on when saying what part of your body is supporting your weight. Used with verbs:
e.g
Bill lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.
Mary got down on her hands and knees to look for the missing jigsaw piece.

6) If you are on an area of land, you are there. Used with verbs:
e.g.
She was born on Kyushu, the south island.
He worked on the estate of a rich landowner.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
He is a tenant on a farm just outside the town.

7) If a building is on a road, it is next to it. Used with verbs:
e.g.
Sophie Clark lived on Huntingdon Avenue.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
Do you know the big house on Sixty-Second Street?

8) If something is on a vertical surface, a ceiling, or some other object, it is attached to it or is sticking to it. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He took the calendar and hung it on the wall.
She wore a cross on a chain around her neck.
Used after nouns:
e.g.
He looked up at the light fixture on the ceiling.
Also used as an adverb:
e.g.
Will you sew this button on for me?

9) If you hurt yourself on something, you accidentally hit part of your body against it.
e.g.
He fell over and hit his head on the corner of the table.

10) You can indicate when something happens by saying that it happens on a particular day or part of a day. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He was born on the fourth of July.
We drove down to see them on Sunday morning.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
I 'll see you at the annual meeting on June 6.

11) You use on or upon when mentioning an event that was followed by another one.
e.g.
On reaching the finish line, the marathon winner collapsed with exhaustion.

12) If something is done on an instrument or machine, it is done using that instrument or machine.
e.g.
This document was made on a Macintosh computer.

13) If something is being broadcast, you can say that it is on the radio or television.
e.g.
Cigarette advertising is banned on the radio and television in the UK.
Also used as an adverb:
e.g
Is there anything good on tonight?

14) If something is done on or upon a particular system, principle or basis, that is the way it is done.
e.g.
Travelling expenses are paid on a per diem basis.

15) Someone who is on a drug takes it regularly.
e.g.
He is on a course of medication to cure his sleeping problems.

16) If you live on a particular kind of food, you eat it. If a machine runs on a particular kind of fuel or power, it uses it in order to function.
e.g.
Many people live only on vegetables and fruit.
This refrigerator runs on natural gas.

17) If you are on a particular kind of income, that is the kind of income you have. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He experienced many problems living on a minimum wage.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
He represents manual workers on low incomes.

18) If you are on a committee or council, you are a member of it.
Used with verbs:
e.g.
Both of them sit on the Executive Committee.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
The issue was of interest to the women workers on the committee.

19) If something is on a list or agenda, it is included in it. Used with verbs:
e.g.
The issue of proper staff training was placed high on the agenda for the meeting.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
There were a lot of items on her shopping list.

20) You use on to indicate that someone is doing something. Used with verbs:
e.g.
They decided to go on a shopping expedition to the West End.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
The grants are only available to students on a full-time course of study.

21) You use on or upon with some words to indicate what something affects, relates to or involves. Used with verbs:
e.g.
His disabled mother relies on him to do most of the housework.
I walked to the station rather than spending money on a taxi.
He gave up sports in order to concentrate on his studies.
Used with nouns:
The news had a terrible effect on him.
The government have placed a ban on beef imports from the UK.
Used with adjectives:
e.g.
He was especially keen on competitive sports like rugby.
His family are dependent on him to bring home a salary.

22) Books, discussions or ideas on a particular subject are concerned with that subject.
e.g.
His lawyer gave him useful advice on buying a house.
There is an ongoing debate on education at the moment.
Used with verbs:
After some thought he decided on a holiday in Europe.
It is often useful to reflect on past decisions.

23) If you spend time on something, you spend time doing it, making it or dealing with it. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He was up all night working on his latest book.
Used with nouns:
e.g.
He has done a lot of work on it this year.

24) If you congratulate or compliment someone on something they have done or that they have, you express your admiration of it.
e.g.
After the game the coach congratulated his team on their victory.

25) If you turn or set on or upon someone, you start criticizing or attacking them.
e.g.
He suddenly turned on his colleagues and said they must be stupid.
At school, he was often set upon by a group of bullies.

26) If you stumble or come or chance on or upon something, you discover it, usually by accident.
e.g.
He felt certain that they had stumbled on something very important.
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2) If something is fastened or put onto an object, it is then attached to it or stays on its surface. Used with verbs:
e.g.
She carried a black handbag with silver sequins sewn onto it.

3) When you get onto a bus, train or plane, you enter it in order to travel somewhere. Used with verbs:
e.g.
He held his mother's hand as they went up the steps and got onto the bus.

4) If you hold onto something, you hold it firmly.
e.g.
Hold onto that rope whatever happens!

5) If a speaker gets onto a subject or moves onto a different subject, they begin talking about it.
e.g.
He's such a bore when he gets onto politics.

6) If a door opens or gives onto a place, or if a building backs onto a place, it is next to that place.
e.g.
The French windows in the living room gave onto a flagstone path leading to the garden.
His house backs onto a golf course.

7) If someone is onto something, they are about to make a discovery; an informal use.
e.g.
He has been very excited recently; he must be onto something.

8) If someone is onto you, they have discovered that you are doing something wrong or illegal; an informal use.
e.g.
He embezzled nearly a million dollars before the police were onto him.
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2) If something happens or exists on top of something else, it happens or exists in addition to it, often causing further problems.
e.g.
There was now a railway strike to deal with, on top of everything else.

3) If you are on top of a situation, you are dealing with it successfully.
e.g.
It was a hard struggle but he finally got on top of his new job.
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