0805852212.pdf

Some might be tempted to argue that the wordinin these sentences isn’t a

preposition but rather is an adverb, but that analysis seems off the mark. Prepo-

sitions are function words, so unlike adverbs their semantic content is second-

ary, often subtle. The semantic content ofinis quite different from the semantic

content of words that, although able to function as prepositions, more readily

function as adverbs. We always come insomething;we always walk insome-

thing.This point becomes clearer if we consider the opposite of beingin some-

thing,which is to beoutside something,as in sentence 76:

76. Buggsy and his goons walkedoutside.^6

Outsideis one of those words that can function as either a preposition or an

adverb, but in the case of sentence 76, the semantic content is clear and specific

becauseoutsidemeansoutdoors.In chapter 5, we look more closely at this

question of ending a sentence with a preposition, and we discuss a grammar

rule that produces such sentences.

Usage Note

The wordlikeis listed as a preposition, and in standard usage it introduces a

prepositional phrase similar to sentence 77:

77. There was no one quitelike Macarena.

Huge numbers of people, however, uselikeas a subordinating conjunction,

as in sentences 78 and 79:

78. ?Mrs. DiMarco talkedlike she knew something about science.


79. ?If Fred had taken the money to Buggsylike he should have,he wouldn’t
    have to hide from Buggsy’s goons.

This usage is questionable. In formal standard usage, only a subordinating

conjunction is appropriate in such constructions, as in sentences 78a and 79a:

78a. Mrs. DiMarco talkedas thoughshe knew something about science.

79a. If Fred had taken the money to Buggsyashe should have, he wouldn’t have to

hide from Buggsy’s goons.

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR 91

(^6) One could argue thatinmeansindoors,but replacinginwithindoorschanges the meaning of sen-
tences 74 and 75, which suggests that this argument isn’t sound.