Giôùi  Töø

PREPOSITIONS

Giôùi töø (preposition) laø töø duøng ñeå noái moät danh töø (noun) hoaëc ñaïi töø (pronoun) vôùi nhöõng thaønh phaàn khaùc trong caâu.

- He goes to school every day.

- I usually get up at six o’clock.

- He’s been waiting for her since early morning.

[A] : Moät soá giôùi töø chæ thôøi gian thoâng duïng. (Some common prepositions of time)

* AT : Ta duøng at vôùi ñieåm thôøi gian (times)

at 5 o’clockat 11.45at midnightat noonat lunchtime

- Tom usually leaves work  at 5 o’clock.

Ta cuõng duøng at trong nhöõng thaønh ngöõ sau:

At night- I don’t like going out at night.

At the weekend / at weekends- Will you be here at the weekend?

At Christmas / at Easter- We give each other presents at Christmas.

At the moment / at present- Mr Benn is busy at the moment.

At the same time- Ann and I arrived at the same time.

At the age of…- Tom left school at the age of 16 / at 16.

* ON : Ta duøng on vôùi ngaøy trong tuaàn (days) vaø ngaøy trong thaùng (dates)

on March 12thon Fridayon Christmas Day

- They got married on March 12th.

Ta cuõng coù theå noùi :

on Friday morning(s)  on Sunday afternoon(s)on Saturday night(s)

on the morning of the fifth …

- I usually go out on Sunday evenings.

* IN : Ta duøng in vôùi khoaûng thôøi gian daøi hôn nhö : thaùng (months), naêm (years), muøa (seasons):

in Aprilin 1968in (the) winter

in the 18th centuryin  the 1970sin the Middle Ages

Ta cuõng coù theå noùi :

in the morning(s)in the afternoon(s)in the evening(s)

- I’ll see you in the morning.(nhöng I’ll see you on Friday morning.)

Ta khoâng ñöôïc duøng at / on / in tröôùc last vaø next:

- I’ll see you next Friday.

- They got married last March.

Neáu sau in laø moät khoaûng thôøi gian thì thôøi gian ñoù ôû töông lai:

- The train will leave in a few minutes. (= a few minutes from now)

- Jack’s gone away. He’ll be back in a week. (= a week from now.)

- They are getting married in six months.

[B]: Moät vaøi giôùi töø chæ vò trí thoâng duïng. (Some common prepositions of position)

* AT : Ta duøng at khi ta muoán noùi ai ñoù ñang coù maët taïi moät söï kieän naøo ñoù ñang xaûy ra (someone is at an event) nhö :

at a partyat a meetingat a conference

at a concertat a football matchat a cinema

- Were there many people at the party?

- I saw Jack at the football match on Saturday.

Chuùng ta noùi :

at homeat universityat the seasidein bed

on a farmat workat a stationat sea (on a voyage)

in hospitalat schoolat an airportin prison

- Julia is studying medicine at university.

- Tom’s father is in hospital.

- Have you ever worked on a farm?

* IN : Ta duøng in vôùi thaønh phoá (cities) vaø laøng maïc (villages).

- His parents live in London.

- He was born in a small village near Manchester.

Ta thöôøng noùi :

in a roomin a buildingin the waterin a row /in a line

in a gardenin a parkin the seain a queue

in a townin a countryin a riverin an armchair

in a picturein a photograghin a mirrorin the sky

in your handin a newspaperin your hand in the mountain

- “Who is that woman in that photogragh ?”

- It was a lovely day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

- Don’t sit in that armchair. It’s broken.(nhöng Don’t sit on that chair.)

at the top   at the end of the streetat the backat the bus stop

at the bottom   at the corner of the streetat the frontat the door

- Who is that man standing at the door ?

- Write your name at the top of the page.

- Jack’s house is a white one at the end of the street.

- There’s a telephone box at / on the corner of the street.

Nhöng :- The television  is in the corner of the room.

on the ceilingon the wallon the flooron a page

on a boardon a shelfon a chairon your nose

on the lefton the righton the groundon the beach

on an islandon the coaston a roadon the way

- In Britain we drive on the left.(…on the left-hand side.)

- Our flat is on the second floor of the building.

- Tom spent his holiday on a small island off the coast of Scotland.

[C] : Giôùi töø theo sau tính töø :  (Prepositions following Adjectives.)

Coù moät soá tính töø maø theo sau chuùng buoäc phaûi coù nhöõng giôùi töø nhaát ñònh naøo ñoù (theo caáu truùc Adjective + preposition). Haõy hoïc thuoäc loøng caùc nhoùm tính töø döôùi ñaây :

* nice / kind / good / generous / mean / stupid / silly / intelligent / clever / (im)polite / rude / unreasonable OF someone (to do something) :

- Thank you. It was very kind of you to help me.

- It’s stupid of her to go out without a coat. She’ll catch cold.

Nhöng : (to be) nice / kind / good / generous / mean/ (im)polite / rude/ (un)pleasant / (un)friendly / cruel TO someone :

- She’s always been very nice to me.

- Why were you so rude to Ann?

* angry / annoyed / furious ABOUT something

 angry / annoyed / furious WITH someone FOR doing something

- What are you so angry about ?

- They were furious with me for not inviting them to the party.

* delighted / pleased / satisfied / disappointed WITH something :

- I was pleased with the present you gave me.

- Were you disappointed with your examination results?

* bored / fed up WITH something :

- You get bored with doing the same thing every day.

* surprised / shocked / amazed / astonished AT / BY something

- Everybody was very surprised at the news.

* excited / worried / upset ABOUT something :

- Are you excited about going on holiday next week ?

- Ann is upset about not being invited to the party.

* afraid / frightened / terrified / scared OF someone / something :

- “Are you afraid of dogs ?” – “Yes, I’m terrified of them.”

* proud / ashamed OF someone / something :

- I’m not ashamed of what I did. In fact I’m quite proud of it.”

* jealous / envious / suspicious OF someone / something :

- Why are you always jealous of other paople?

- He didn’t trust me. He was suspicious of my intentions.

* aware / conscious  OF something :

- “Did you know they were married ?” – “No, I wasn’t aware of that.”

* good / bad / excellent / brilliant / hopeless AT (doing) something :

- I’m good at repairing things.

* married / engaged TO someone :

- Linda is married to an American.

* sorry ABOUT something :

- I’m sorry about the noise last night. We were having a party.

Nhöng : sorry FOR doing something :

- I’m sorry for shouting at you yesterday.

Nhöng caùch noùi naøy thì ñöôïc duøng thöôøng hôn : I’m sorry I …

- I’m sorry I shouted at you yesterday.

* (feel / be) sorry FOR someone :

- I feel sorry for George. He’s got no friends and no money.

* impressed BY / WITH something :

- I wasn’t very impressed by the film.

* famous FOR something :

- Florence is famous for its art treasures.

* responsible (TO someone) FOR something :

- Who was responsible for all that noise last night ?

- I’ll be responsible to the principal for my teaching.

* different FROM (or TO) someone / something :

- The film was quite different from what I expected.

* interested IN something :

- Are you interested in art and architecture?

* capable / incapable OF something :

- I’m sure you are capable of passing the examination.

* fond OF someone / something :

- Mary is very fond of animals. She has three cats and two dogs.

* full OF something :

- The letter I wrote was full of mistakes.

* short OF something :

- I’m a bit short of money. Can you lend me some?

* tired OF something :

- Come on, let’s go. I’m tired of waiting.

* keen ON something :

- We stayed at home because Ann wasn’t very keen on going out in the rain.

* similar TO something :

- Your handwriting is similar to mine.

* crowded WITH (people) :

- The city centre was crowded with tourists.

Tuy nhieân, coù moät vaøi tính töø maø theo sau chuùng laø nhöõng giôùi töø khaùc nhau vaø nghóa cuûa chuùng cuõng khaùc nhau:

- Swimming is good for health. (Bôi loäi coù lôïi cho söùc khoeû )

- Jack is good at Japanese. (Jack gioûi tieáng Nhaät)

- Mary is very good with her hands. (Mary raát kheùo tay)

- Mr Brown  is good to all of us. (oâng Brown töû teá vôùi taát caû chuùng toâi)

EXERCISE I : Put in the correct prepositions: at, on or in.

1/ The course begins __________ 7 January and ends __________ 10 March.

2/ I went to bed __________ midnight and got up __________ 6.30 the next morning.

3/ Mozart was born __________ Salzburg __________ 1756.

4/ There are usually a lot of parties __________ New Year’s Eve.

5/ Mary and Henry always go out for a meal __________ their wedding anniversary.

6/ The price of electricity is going up __________ October.

7/ I might not be at home __________ the morning. Can you phone __________ the afternoon ?

8/ Tom doesn’t see his parents very often these days – usually only __________ Christmas and sometimes __________ the summer for a few days.

9/ Tom’s grandfather died __________ 1977 __________ the age of 79.

10/ I’m going out to do some shopping. I’ll be back __________ half an hour.

11/ The doorbell and the telephone rang __________ the same time.

12/ Do you fancy going to the cinema __________ Friday night ?

13/ Hurry up. We’ve got to go __________ five minutes.

14/ Are you doing anything special __________ the weekend ?

15/ Carol got married __________ 17, which is rather young to get married.

EXERCISE II : Complete these sentences with in, at or on.

1/ Turn left __________ the traffic lights.

2/ You’ll find the cups __________the top shelf.

3/ It can be dangerous when children play football __________ the street.

4/ We got stuck in a traffic jam __________ the way to the airport.

5/ Ann’s brother lives __________ a small village _________ the south coast of England.

6/ Paris  is __________ the river Seine.

7/ Do you take sugar __________ your coffee ?

8/ Mr Brown’s office is __________ the first floor. When you come out of the lift, it’s the third door __________ your left.

9/ Look at those beautiful horses __________ that field.

10/ I’ll meet you __________ the corner of the street __________ 10 o’clock.

11/ I can’t find Tom __________ this photogragh. Is he __________ it ?

12/ You’ll find the sports results __________ the back page of the newspaper.

13/ I didn’t see you __________ the party  __________ Saturday. Where were you ?

14/ Tom’s  ill. He wasn’t __________ work today. He was __________ home __________ bed.

15/ I haven’t seen Ken for some time. I last saw him __________ Dave’s wedding.

16/ Paul is a student __________ London University.

17/ The exhibition __________ the art gallery finished __________ Saturday afternoon.

18/ What time did you arrive __________ London ?

19/ When we arrived __________ London Station, there was a long queue outside.

20/ He speaks quite good French. He studied __________ Paris for a year.

EXERCISE  III: Supply the correct prepositions.

1/ It’s very nice __________ you to let me use your car. Thank you very much.

2/ Why are you always so rude __________ your parents ? Can’t you be nice __________ them ?

3/ It wasn’t polite __________ him to leave without saying thank you.

4/ I don’t understand people who are cruel __________ animals.

5/ Why do you always get so annoyed __________ little things ?

6/ The people next door are annoyed __________ us __________ making so much noise last night.

7/ We enjoyed our holiday but we were rather disappointed __________ the hotel.

8/ I was surprised __________ the way he behaved. It was quite out of character.

9/ She doesn’t often go out at night. She’s afraid __________ the dark.

10/ I’ve been trying to learn Spanish but I’m not satisfied __________ my progress.

11/ Jill starts her new job on Monday. She’s quite excited __________ it.

12/ I was shocked __________ what you said. You should be ashamed __________ yourself.

13/ Did you know that Linda is engaged __________ a friend of mine ?

14/ I had never seen so many people before. I was astonished __________ the crowds.

15/ Bill has been doing the same job for too long. He’s bored __________ it.

16/ These days everybody is aware __________ the dangers of smoking.

17/ Are you still upset __________ what I said to you yesterday ?

18/ She’s quite nice but I wouldn’t like to be married __________ her.

19/ I’m hopeless __________ repairing things.

20/ I’m not very good __________ tennis.

21/ I’d rather not go to an Indian restaurant. I’m not very keen __________ Indian food.

22/ I’m sorry __________ the smell in this room. It’s just been painted.

23/ The police are responsible __________ maintaining law and order.

24/ Ann is very fond __________ her younger brother.

25/ Britain certainly isn’t famous __________ its food.

26/ This place is always very lively at night. It’s usually crowded __________ people.

27/ That man’s very honest. He  isn’t capable __________ telling a lie.

28/ Our house is similar __________ theirs – I think ours is a bit larger.

29/ I felt sorry __________ the children when we went on holiday.It rained very hard and we had to spend most of the time indoors.

30/ Bill and I come from the same town but my accent is different __________ his.

EXERCISE IV : Fill in the blanks with proper prepositions :

1. Mr. Smith is very kind ________ us.

2. He is different ________ his wife.

3. We are pleased ________ the result of our work.

4. We are confident ________ the success.

5. Most people are afraid ________ snakes.

6. Our country is rich ________ natural resources.

7. Hue city is famous ________ its historical vestiges.

8. My mother is always busy ________ her housework.

9. Dirty air is harmful ________ our health.

10. We are proud ________ our people’s heroic tradition.

11. The teacher’s advice is profitable ________ the students.

12. The streets are crowded ________ vehicles at the rush hour.

13. The climate of our city is favourable ________ agriculture.

14. The air at the seaside is good ________ health.

15. My friend is good ________ maths and physics.

16. John is skilful ________ dancing.

17. This opportunity is lucky ________ us.

18. I’m not accquainted ________ those fellows.

19. Mr. Smith is not accustomed ________ hot weather.

20. Your words are contrary ________ your acts.

21. My home is far ________ school.

22. He is sad ________ his son’s laziness.

23. Many young people want to be independent ________ their parents.

24. We are grateful ________ our teacher.

25. I’m interested ________ current events.

26. Your profession is similar ________ mine.

27. This chemical is dangerous ________ humans.

28. This work is not suitable ________ him.

29. Her voice sounds familiar ________ me.

30. This student is eager ________ study.

31. My house is next ________ the post office.

32. This man is greedy ________ fame.

33. I was absent ________ class yesterday.

34. Children are fond ________ candies.

35. The beach is full ________. tourists in summer.

36. We are present ________ the lecture yesterday.

37. We must hurry, otherwise we should be late ________ school.

38. Air is necessary ________ life.

39. He is friendly ________ everybody.

40. This sweater will keep your safe ________ the cold.