Prepositions of Relationship, Purpose, and Possession
Introduction
In this lesson, you'll learn some English prepositions that are used to indicate relationships, purpose, and possession. You'll also learn some useful compound prepositions.
Example sentences and an interactive quiz are included to help you learn the prepsitions covered in this lesson.
The lesson starts with Chapter 8 of the story Ana and Alejandro in Vancouver, where they visit the Londale Quay Public Market for the first time. Audio is included so you can both read and listen to the story.
Anzeige
Chapter 8: A Trip to North Vancouver
Chapter Vocabulary
| It is a perfect day for exploring | Es ist ein perfekter Tag zum Erkunden |
| Ana and Alejandro decide to visit | Ana und Alejandro beschließen, einen Besuch abzustatten |
| Ana suggests | Ana schlägt vor |
| station | Station, Bahnhof |
| tourist | Tourist |
| to board | einsteigen |
| amazing | erstaunlich |
| to arrive | ankommen |
| market | Markt |
| vendor | Verkäufer |
| They try a piece of smoked salmon | Sie probieren ein Stück Räucherlachs |
| atmosphere | Atmosphäre |
| relaxed | entspannt |
| Vancouver keeps surprising me. | Vancouver überrascht mich immer wieder. |
Story
Listen to the story
Saturday morning arrives with clear skies and bright sunshine. It is a perfect day for exploring, so Ana and Alejandro decide to visit North Vancouver, a place they’ve heard a lot about.
“Let’s take the SeaBus,” Ana suggests. “I want to see the city from the water.”
They take the bus downtown and walk into Waterfront Station. The building is busy, full of travelers, families, and tourists looking at maps. The air smells faintly of the ocean.
When the SeaBus arrives, they get on and find seats by the window. As the ferry pulls away from the dock, the view opens up. The tall buildings of downtown are behind them, and the North Shore mountains are in front of them.
“This is amazing,” Alejandro says. “It feels like we’re in a postcard.”
Ana takes several pictures. “I love how the mountains look from here. They seem so close.”
After about 15 minutes, they arrive at Lonsdale Quay. The market is lively, with vendors selling everything from handmade jewelry to fresh fruit. A musician plays guitar and sings a pretty song near the entrance, adding to the atmosphere.
“Let’s walk around,” Ana says.
They try a small piece of smoked salmon and some local cheese. Then they buy a bag of dried mango, sandwiches, and coffee. They walk outside to the pier, where the air is cool and fresh. They sit at a picnic table and eat their lunch.
“I could stay here all day,” Alejandro says, watching the boats move across the water.
“Me too,” Ana says. “Vancouver keeps surprising me.”
After exploring for a couple more hours, they take the SeaBus back, feeling relaxed and happy after their trip.
Prepositions of Relationship, Purpose, and Possession
Prepositions of relationship, purpose, and possession show how people, places, or things connect to each other. This section describes some of these common prepositions.
With
With is used to indicate accompaniment, connection, or the instrument used to perform an action.
| I am going to the cinema with my brother. | Ich gehe mit meinem Bruder ins Kino. |
| She cut the cake with a sharp knife. | Sie schnitt den Kuchen mit einem scharfen Messer. |
| Can you go with me to the concert? | Kannst du mit mir zu dem Konzert gehen? |
Without
Without is used to indicate the absence of something or someone.
| He managed to finish the marathon without any water. | Es gelang ihm, den Marathon ohne Wasser zu beenden. |
| It is difficult to navigate the city without a map. | Es ist schwierig, sich ohne Karte in der Stadt zurechtzufinden. |
Against
Against is used to indicate opposition, disagreement, or physical contact/pressure.
| The local community voted against the new development. | Die lokale Gemeinschaft stimmte gegen die neue Entwicklung. |
| He leaned his bicycle against the brick wall. | Er lehnte sein Fahrrad an die Ziegelwand. |
For
For is used to indicate purpose, reason, or the person intended to receive something.
| I bought this bouquet of flowers for my mother. | Ich habe diesen Blumenstrauß für meine Mutter gekauft. |
| They are studying hard for their final exams. | Sie lernen hart für ihre Abschlussprüfungen. |
| He waited for two hours. | Er wartete zwei Stunden lang. |
Of
Of is used to indicate belonging, origin, or the material something is made from.
| This is the first page of the book. | Dies ist die erste Seite des Buches. |
| The table is made of solid oak. | Der Tisch ist aus massivem Eichenholz. |
About
About is used to indicate the subject or topic of a conversation, book, or thought.
| The story is about a cat. | Die Geschichte handelt von einer Katze. |
| We were talking about our plans for the summer. | Wir haben über unsere Pläne für den Sommer gesprochen. |
| I am reading a fascinating story about space travel. | Wir haben über unsere Pläne für den Sommer gesprochen. |
Compound Prepositions
A compound preposition consists of two or more words, but acts like a single preposition. The following table shows some common compound prepositions.
| ahead of | as far as | because of | by means of |
| in addition to | in back of | in case of | in regard to |
| in spite of | instead of | next to | out of |
Examples
| They arrived ahead of me. | Sie kamen vor mir an. |
| Your jacket is next to the door. | Ihre Jacke liegt neben der Tür. |
| I finished in spite of the interruptions. | Ich habe es trotz der Unterbrechungen beendet. |
Quiz
Fill in the blank with the best preposition from the choices in parentheses.
