EL001 Pre-Pathway Module 2010Grammar and Vocabulary DevelopmentSession 14 (is anyone counting?)

Pattern grammar & prepositions

PREPOSITIONS

TIME

Here are three sentences taken from texts we have read this week, but what are the missing prepositions?

1.Anyone attending the launch ____ May 12th of the latest version of Microsoft’s Office software suite could have been forgiven for thinking they had walked into a meeting about meteorology rather than technology.

2.They believe in rules that are obeyed by the vast majority of speakers, writing or speaking naturally, not those invented by random rulebook writers ____ the 1700s.

3.He had his first serious crush ____ the age of 13.

Here are three sentences taken from texts we have read this week, but what are the missing prepositions?

1.Anyone attending the launch ON May 12th of the latest version of Microsoft’s Office software suite could have been forgiven for thinking they had walked into a meeting about meteorology rather than technology.

2.They believe in rules that are obeyed by the vast majority of speakers, writing or speaking naturally, not those invented by random rulebook writers IN the 1700s.

3.He had his first serious crush AT the age of 13.

Which preposition is used to refer to the following:

1.12pm, 7am, quarter past six2.November, January, March3.the 1980s, the 1650s4.the 20th Century, the 1600s5.Spring, Winter, Autumn6.Easter, Christmas7.the weekend, the end of the month, the beginning of the year8.1974, 1812, 1AD9.the morning, the afternoon, the evening, the night10.night

Which preposition is used to refer to the following:

1.AT 12pm, 7am, quarter past six2.IN November, January, March3.IN the 1980s, the 1650s4.IN the 20th Century, the 1600s5.IN Spring, Winter, Autumn6.AT Easter, Christmas7.AT the weekend, the end of the month, the beginning of the year8.IN 1974, 1812, 1AD9.IN the morning, the afternoon, the evening, the night10.AT night

So we could therefore say that...

AT is for...

ON is for...

IN is for...

So we could therefore say that...

AT is for specific points in time and “stages” (like the end of the month, or Easter)

ON is for specific days / dates (a 24 hour period)

IN is for parts of the day, and periods longer than 24 hours

Are there any exceptions?

SPACE

What’s the fundamental difference between IN, AT, and ON?

1. take a piece of paper

2. draw a circle

3. draw eyes, a nose, and a mouth in the circle

4. now you have a face…

5. draw a beard on the face

6. draw a square around the face

7. draw a triangle against the square

8. draw an x in the triangle

9. draw a y outside the triangle

10.draw an arrow from the x to the y

11.compare your drawing with a partner. are there any

differences?

PATTERN GRAMMARAND PREPOSITIONS

Verbs / adjectives Pattern

define, classify, categorise, distinguish, dismiss, recogniseresult, end (up), delight, indulge, invest, believe,

think, state, claim, say, write, argue, hold

blame, substitute, commend, respect, praise, criticise, buy, prepare,

blame, pick someone up, congratulate, compliment

bored, tired, fed up, afraid, frightened

abstain, emerge, borrow, escape

depend, act, build, comment, concentrate, work, collaborate,

worry, get upset, joke, laugh, talk, speak, think

work, collaborate, co-operate

easy, simple, straightforward, clear, difficult, hard, problematic

Verbs / adjectives Pattern

define, classify, categorise, distinguish, dismiss, recognise

define + noun phrase + as + noun phrasedefine + noun phrase + as + adjective

result, end (up), delight, indulge, invest, believe,

think, state, claim, say, write, argue, hold

blame, substitute, commend, respect, praise, criticise, buy, prepare,

blame, pick someone up, congratulate, compliment

bored, tired, fed up, afraid, frightenedabstain, emerge, borrow, escape

depend, act, build, comment, concentrate, work, collaborate,

worry, get upset, joke, laugh, talk, speak, think

work, collaborate, co-operate

easy, simple, straightforward, clear, difficult, hard, problematic

Verbs / adjectives Pattern

define, classify, categorise, distinguish, dismiss, recognise

define + noun phrase + as + noun phrasedefine + noun phrase + as + adjective

result, end (up), delight, indulge, invest, believe, result + in + noun phrase

think, state, claim, say, write, argue, hold think + that + subject + verb

blame, substitute, commend, respect, praise, criticise, buy, prepare,

blame + noun phrase + for + noun phrase

blame, pick someone up, congratulate, compliment blame + noun phrase + on + noun phrase

bored, tired, fed up, afraid, frightened bored + of + noun phraseabstain, emerge, borrow, escape abstain + from + noun phrase

depend, act, build, comment, concentrate, work, collaborate,

depend + on + noun phrase

worry, get upset, joke, laugh, talk, speak, think worry + about + noun phrase

work, collaborate, co-operate work + with + noun phrase

easy, simple, straightforward, clear, difficult, hard, problematic

easy (adjective) + to + verb