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dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Basil, prepositions are one of the most difficult things a Turkish speaker can master. The reason is is L1 influence. For example, in, on and at are all the same preposition in Turkish.(well there are actually two but that relates to vowel harmony) Also in Turkish verb/preposition collocations are different from English. For example, in Turkish you look to a person not look at.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Spanish speakers have difficulties with prepositions as well. I find students here in Mexico use 'to' too often, as it is used freuqently in Spanish as 'a'. Stringing too many prepositions together is common as well.

The box is below under the desk

The cinema is near to the store.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

valley_girl · Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2005 7:04 pm Post subject:

I think there will be some prepositional usage queries that we will never agree on as an international group. I mean, whether you say "on the weekend" or "at the weekend" depends on where you learned English. For me, "at the weekend" sounds really strange (and incorrect, even though I am cognitively aware that it isn't).

"It's near to my heart." -- Isn't this one a malapropism? Shouldn't it instead be "It's dear to my heart"?

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Bad example of mine...I think you're right on near to my heart.

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Thefirst time I read something like the following I had to read twice before I really understood it:

"Henry Cowthorpe is married with two daughters"

The FILL In versus FILL OUT thing clearly is a British versus American English dichotomy; when HK was British (until 1997) you used to "fill in" this form or that form. Nowadays, you read more often "fill out", thanks to the growing Australian and American influences.

English prepositions are bewildering because of their sheer numbers and the way some of them tend to become synonymous when used with verbs. Other languages have fewer of them, or, as in the case of German, use fewer and resort to the use of case endings on nouns to take care of what an English prepositions does .