Spre deosebire de adverb, prepozitia nu are un īnteles de sine statator; spre deosebire de conjunctie, ea nu leaga parti de vorbire "omogene" (de acelasi fel: substantive cu substantive sau pronume etc.), ci parti de vorbire diferite, stabilind raporturi īntre obiectele exprimate pe plan morfologic prin substantive si īnlocuitori.
a) spatiale:
Words, phrases, and clauses should be placed as near as possible to the words with which they are gramatically connected.
b) temporale:
Shelley lived from 1792 to 1822.
c) cauzale:
by mistake
on account of the fog
d) de referire:
Of Truth
What are you talking about?
It is a treatise on psycholinguistics.
e) alte raporturi:
There is a time when a man distingushes the idea of felicity from the idea of wealth; it is the beginning of wisdom.
Every roof is agreeable to the eye (dativ!)
until it is lifted.
He is above suspicion.
by my watch
I learn by this letter that...
by train
a poem by Walter Scott
Nota. Dupa cum s-a putut vedea si din unele din exemplele de mai sus, prepozitia poate lega īntre ele si parti de vorbire omogene. Īn majoritatea cazurilor īnsa raportul este aparent, īntrucāt este de natura eliptica, de exemplu:
a poem by Walter Scott = a poem that was written by Walter Scott.
Din punctul de vedere al formei, prepozitiile engleze pot fi:
a) Simple: on, in, for;
b) Compuse: into, without, throughout;
c) Complexe (formate dintr-un adverb, o prepozitie sau o conjunctie si o prepozitie: out of, because of, long before;
d) Locutiuni prepozitionale: in the middle of, with the help of, by means, thanks to, on account of etc.
Cu exceptia prepozitiei of cu care se construieste cazul genitiv (analitic) si to de la dativul prepozitional, toate prepozitiile din limba engleza guverneaza cazul acuzativ.
Din punct de vedere sintactic, prepozitiile nu pot forma parti ale propozitiei, dar intra īn alcatuirea acestora: The Wind in the Willows (parte dintr-un atribut); He went to school (parte dintr-un complement circumstantial de loc); This landscape was painted by Turner (parte dintr-un complement prepozitional) etc.
Dupa cum sugereaza si numele (Lat. praeponere -- a pune īn fata), prepozitia se aseaza īnaintea cuvāntului cu care stabileste o relatie. Īn limba engleza īnsa prepozitia se poate īntālni si īn post-pozitie. Aceasta se īntāmpla mai ales:
a) Atunci cānd corelativul ei este asezat la īnceputul unei propozitii interogative (īndeosebi īn limba vorbita):
Who(m) is this play written by?
b) Dupa pronumele relativ that sau such ... as; de asemenea, īn propozitiile relative din care pronumele relativ a fost omis (elipsat):
He was the man (that) I was waiting for.
Such books as he thinks of are not to be found in our library.
c) Īn constructii cu elipsa relativului, propozitia relativa fiind contrasa (exprimata printr-un participiu trecut):
the passage alluded to
d) Īn propozitiile īn care what are sensul de "ceea ce":
What I want to tell you about is...
e) Īn unele constructii pasive (mai ales īn cele obtinute prin "tranzitivarea" unor verbe intranzitive), prepozitia devenind un fel de particula adverbiala:
The doctor was sent for.
f) Īn constructii eliptice cu infinitivul:
to begin with
There was something more important to think of.
to be held/left till called for
g) Dupa anumite substantive (desemnānd locul sau timpul), precedate mai ales de all:
all the world over
all the year round/through
Elipsa prepozitiei se īntālneste:
a) La dativul neprepozitional:
He gave (--) her a flower.
b) Īn anumite expresii si sintagme:
this way
that way
(At) what time shall we start?
He lives N. street.
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