Delahunty and Garvey
according to along with with respect to
apart from as for round about
by means of with regard to with reference to
by reason of by virtue of on account of
by way of except for out of
in accord(ance) with in addition to in spite of
in case of in compliance with instead of
in opposition to in place of in regard to
table 8: multi-word prepositions
The structure of these multi-word prepositions falls into two patterns: (a)
preposition + noun + preposition (P + N + P; e.g., by means of, in case of) and
(b) miscellaneous word + preposition (X + P; e.g., according to, because of). It
would, of course, be possible to view such expressions—particularly the P +
N + P type—as simply combinations of two prepositional phrases; however,
most speakers perceive them as grammatical units. We will not take a hard-
and-fast position on this issue, but simply note, as do most grammars, the
presence of such constructions.
Exercise
Select five of the multi-word prepositions from Table 8 and create a PP
around each one, e.g., in spite of his insistence.
Prepositions cover a wide range of meanings. Traditional categories, along
with some typical examples, are given in Table 9.
Place (Locative): above, around, at, behind, beneath, between
Direction: up, down
Time (Temporal): about, after, at, during, for, since
Manner: with (exit with a flourish)
Accompaniment: with (went with Flora)
Instrument (Means): by, with (open it with a knife)
Recipient: to (gave it to Lucy)
Beneficiary: for (did it for Lucy)
Miscellaneous: of, about, like, without
table 9: semantic types of prepositions