Prepositions are not inflected. Since they have so little meaning of their own, they cannot be compared, as were the adverbs from which they are derived.

The words like and near are considered prepositions by some; but since they can be compared (near, nearer, nearest; like, more like, most like), it seems better to class them with adjectives and adverbs. The nouns that follow them are added to them adverbially.

260. Remarks upon the Use of Some Prepositions.

1. From. Use from instead of than or to after different. Say, This is different from that.

2. In, into. In suggests presence within; into implies motion from outside to within. She is in the house. She has gone into the house.

3. On and upon are similar to in and into. The cat is on the table. The cat jumped upon the table.

4. Onto. Usage does not justify this preposition. Use instead either on or to or upon, according to the meaning.

5. To, at. To implies limit of motion. At should be used when no motion is implied. Say, She is at school and She has gone to school.

6. Back of. Do not use these words instead of behind as a preposition. Say, The well is behind the house.

7. Between, among. Use between in speaking of two, and among in speaking of more than two.

Exercise 318

Fill the blanks with correct prepositions, choosing from those mentioned in § 260.

1. Put this ------ the closet.

2. Hang it up ------ the closet.

3. He jumped ----- the floor from the hayloft.

4. The man jumped ----- the platform.

5. The child is lying ------ the bed.

6. This book is very different ------ that.

7. Divide the apples ----- the crowd of boys.

8. I cannot choose ------ the two rings.

9. The dog is hiding ------ the door.

10. I have been ----- home all day.

11. I was ------ church when you called.

12. She has been ------ Bloomington and back since dinner.

13. I will pour the liquid ------ the bottle.

14. Mrs. Brown's property was divided ------ her two daughters.

15. She has been ------ the convention all the week.

16. Do you walk ------ school ?

17. She is painting ----- the north room.

18. Will you come ------ my den ?

19. It is hard to select the best composition ------ so many good ones.

20. I have stood ------ Plymouth Rock.

21. The child dropped the money ----- his bank.

22. She sat ----- me.

23. Put this ----- the top shelf.

24. This flower is different ----- any I have ever seen before.

25. Shall you stay ----- school until four o'clock?

26. The child disappeared ----- the trees.

Exercise 319

Show in original sentences that nouns, pronouns, gerunds, infinitives, and noun clauses may be objects of prepositions.

Topics For Compositions

1. Write arguments for or against making some public improvement in your neighborhood. The following list offers suggestions. Perhaps you will all like to choose the same general subject. You can then divide the class into two sides. After you have all written out your arguments you can compare and criticize the papers in class and finally choose leaders and have an oral debate.

A better water supply. A new schoolhouse.

Better physical equipment of your school. More teachers. Pavements. Better roads.

The eradication in the neighborhood of some weed or insect pest.

The protection of birds.

A park.

Better street lighting.

A library building.

More books for the school or public library.

A house for the use of the community.

A new street car line.

A public highway connecting cities.

An interurban electric line.

2. Arguments for or against combining grades seven, eight, nine, and ten into a junior high school.

3. Why every boy and girl should have at least a high school education.

4. Advantages and disadvantages of the one-roomed rural school.

5. Advantages of the ------- high school course.

6. Write a short article taking this for a topic sentence : A great need in our community is good evening schools.

7. How some boys and girls have helped to pay their expenses through school.

8. Take this for a topic sentence: We pupils can do more than any one else for the improvement of our school.

9. Topic sentence: Offensive warfare is never justified in this century.

10. Topic sentence: The acreage of alfalfa in our county should be doubled.