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.
广告
Chapter 8: A Trip to North Vancouver
Chapter Vocabulary
| It is a perfect day for exploring | 这是探索的完美一天 |
| Ana and Alejandro decide to visit | Ana和Alejandro决定去参观 |
| Ana suggests | Ana建议 |
| station | 火车站 |
| tourist | 游客 |
| to board | 登上 |
| amazing | 惊人的 |
| to arrive | 到达 |
| market | 市场 |
| vendor | 供应商 |
| They try a piece of smoked salmon | 他们尝试了一块熏鲑鱼 |
| atmosphere | 氛围 |
| relaxed | 放松 |
| Vancouver keeps surprising me. | 温哥华一直让我感到惊讶。 |
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. | 我要和我哥哥一起去电影院。 |
| She cut the cake with a sharp knife. | 她用锋利的刀切蛋糕。 |
| Can you go with me to the concert? | 你可以和我一起去听音乐会？ |
Without
Without is used to indicate the absence of something or someone.
| He managed to finish the marathon without any water. | 他在没有水的情况下成功完成了马拉松比赛。 |
| It is difficult to navigate the city without a map. | 没有地图就很难游览这座城市。 |
Against
Against is used to indicate opposition, disagreement, or physical contact/pressure.
| The local community voted against the new development. | 当地社区投票反对这一新开发项目。 |
| He leaned his bicycle against the brick wall. | 他把自行车靠在砖墙上。 |
For
For is used to indicate purpose, reason, or the person intended to receive something.
| I bought this bouquet of flowers for my mother. | 我给我妈妈买了这束花。 |
| They are studying hard for their final exams. | 他们正在为期末考试努力学习。 |
| He waited for two hours. | 他等了两个小时。 |
Of
Of is used to indicate belonging, origin, or the material something is made from.
| This is the first page of the book. | 这是这本书的第一页。 |
| The table is made of solid oak. | 桌子由实心橡木制成。 |
About
About is used to indicate the subject or topic of a conversation, book, or thought.
| The story is about a cat. | 故事讲述的是一只猫。 |
| We were talking about our plans for the summer. | 我们正在讨论夏季的计划。 |
| I am reading a fascinating story about space travel. | 我正在读一个关于太空旅行的有趣故事。 |
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. | 他们到达那里我前面的。 |
| Your jacket is next to the door. | 你的外套是在门旁边。 |
| I finished in spite of the interruptions. | 我尽管有中断的完成了工作。 |
Quiz
Fill in the blank with the best preposition from the choices in parentheses.
