6.56 WARNING

Because English has a large number of prepositions, some of them, such as 'beside', 'by', 'near' and 'next to', are very close in meaning. Other prepositions, for example, 'at' and 'in', can be used for several different meanings. The meaning and usage of prepositions should be checked where possible in a dictionary.

6.57

Prepositions have an object, which comes after the preposition.

• The switch is by the door.
• Look behind you, Willie!

Note that if a personal pronoun is used as the object of a preposition, it must be the object pronoun i.e. 'me', 'you', 'him', 'her', 'it', 'us', 'them'.

Prepositions can also combine with complex noun groups to describe places in some detail. See paragraph 2.292 to 2.300 for information on the use of 'of' in noun groups.

• I stood alone in the middle of the yard.
• He was sitting towards the rear end of the room.
• He went to the back of the store.