PrepositionsChoosing the Right Preposition: Problem Pairs
Some pairs of prepositions cause problems for even the most careful
writers. Often those problems arise from the dialects we speak, and
so our ears aren’t trained to hear the problems. Fortunately,
a little logic can often tell us which one of the pair is the correct
choice in any given situation.
1. Off/Of
Do not use the word of after the word off.
Right: The book fell off the table.
Wrong: The book fell off of the table.
2. From/Than
When you are trying to say that something is unlike something else,
that something is different from something, use from. Than means in
comparison to (similarity). It is illogical to use than to express
difference.
Right: My ideas are different from yours.
Right: These blouses are different from those.
**Note: When differ means disagree, the correct preposition to use
with it is with.
Right: I beg to differ with you.
3. Among/Between
Between is the correct preposition to use when there
are two people or things involved. Among is correct
when there are three or more.
Right: We will put this book between the other two.
Right: We will put this book among all the many others in this group.
4. Like/As
Both like and as are prepositions that express similarity. People
tend to think of them as interchangeable, but they are not. As is
a conjunction that shows similarity, but like is not. Problems arise
when we substitute the preposition like for the conjunction as. The
following sentence is an example of the problem:
Wrong: I will do like you advise. (“you advise” is a
clause [it has a subject and a verb] and can’t be the object
of a preposition; the clause requires a conjunction to introduce it.)
Right: I will do as you advise.
5. In/Into
In means inside of, it indicates location-no action. Into indicates
direction, movement from the outside to the inside of. It merely indicates
location; in indicates no action.
Right: The cat is in the basket.
Right: The cat went into the basket.
**Note: If you need to indicate movement, use into.
Continue to Choosing the Right Preposition to Say what You Mean
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