An English Grammar Part 63

(6) _Gerunds_: "They shrink from _inflicting_ what they threaten;" "He is not content with _shining_ on great occasions."

(7) _Clauses_:

"Each soldier eye shall brightly turn To _where thy sky-born glories burn_."

[Sidenote: _Object usually objective case, if noun or p.r.o.noun_.]

309. The object of a preposition, if a noun or p.r.o.noun, is usually in the objective case. In p.r.o.nouns, this is shown by the form of the word, as in Sec. 308 (1).

[Sidenote: _Often possessive_.]

In the double-possessive idiom, however, the object is in the possessive case after _of_; for example,--

There was also a book _of Defoe's_,... and another _of_ _Mather's_.--FRANKLIN.

See also numerous examples in Secs. 68 and 87.

[Sidenote: _Sometimes nominative_.]

And the prepositions _but_ and _save_ are found with the nominative form of the p.r.o.noun following; as,--

n.o.body knows _but_ my mate and _I_ Where our nest and our nestlings lie.

--BRYANT.

USES OF PREPOSITIONS.

[Sidenote: _Inseparable._]

310. Prepositions are used in three ways:--

(1) _Compounded with verbs_, _adverbs_, or _conjunctions_; as, for example, with verbs, _with_draw, _under_stand, _over_look, _over_take, _over_flow, _under_go, _out_stay, _out_number, _over_run, _over_grow, etc.; with adverbs, there_at_, there_in_, there_from_, there_by_, there_with_, etc.; with conjunctions, where_at_, where_in_, where_on_, where_through_, where_upon_, etc.

[Sidenote: _Separable._]

(2) _Following a verb_, and being really a part of the verb. This use needs to be watched closely, to see whether the preposition belongs to the verb or has a separate prepositional function. For example, in the sentences, (_a_) "He broke a pane _from_ the window," (_b_) "He broke _into_ the bank," in (_a_), the verb _broke_ is a predicate, modified by the phrase introduced by _from_; in (_b_), the predicate is not _broke_, modified by _into the bank_, but _broke into_--the object, _bank_.

Study carefully the following prepositions with verbs:--

Considering the s.p.a.ce they _took up_.--SWIFT.

I loved, _laughed at_, and pitied him.--GOLDSMITH.

The sun _breaks through_ the darkest clouds.--SHAKESPEARE.

They will _root up_ the whole ground.--SWIFT.

A friend _prevailed upon_ one of the interpreters.--ADDISON

My uncle _approved of_ it.--FRANKLIN.

The robber who _broke into_ them.--LANDOR.

This period is not obscurely _hinted at_.--LAMB.

The judge _winked at_ the iniquity of the decision.--_Id._

The pupils' voices, _conning over_ their lessons.--IRVING.

To _help out_ his maintenance.--_Id._

With such pomp is Merry Christmas _ushered in_.--LONGFELLOW.

[Sidenote: _Ordinary use as connective, relation words._]

(3) As _relation words_, introducing phrases,--the most common use, in which the words have their own proper function.

[Sidenote: _Usefulness of prepositions._]

311. Prepositions are the subtlest and most useful words in the language for compressing a clear meaning into few words. Each preposition has its proper and general meaning, which, by frequent and exacting use, has expanded and divided into a variety of meanings more or less close to the original one.

Take, for example, the word _over_. It expresses place, with motion, as, "The bird flew _over_ the house;" or rest, as, "Silence broods _over_ the earth." It may also convey the meaning of _about_, _concerning_; as, "They quarreled _over_ the booty." Or it may express time: "Stay _over_ night."

The language is made richer and more flexible by there being several meanings to each of many prepositions, as well as by some of them having the same meaning as others.

CLa.s.sES OF PREPOSITIONS.

312. It would be useless to attempt to cla.s.sify all the prepositions, since they are so various in meaning.

The largest groups are those of place, time, and exclusion.

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE.

313. The following are the most common to indicate place:--

(1) PLACE WHERE: _abaft_, _about_, _above_, _across_, _amid_ (_amidst_), _among_ (_amongst_), _at_, _athwart_, _below_, _beneath_, _beside_, _between_ (_betwixt_), _beyond_, _in_, _on_, _over_, _under_ (_underneath_), _upon_, _round_ or _around_, _without_.

(2) PLACE WHITHER: _into_, _unto_, _up_, _through_, _throughout_, _to_, _towards_.

(3) PLACE WHENCE: _down_, _from_ (_away from_, _down from_, _from out_, etc.), _off_, _out of_.