Tips and tricks for using prepositions to boost grammar for IELTS

Isn’t it trending to communicate in another language than your native language? Indeed, it gives a view to others that one is highly educated. Nowadays, speaking in English has become a fad amongst the masses. Those who are not good at English may learn it via online sites. And, if one is planning to move abroad then it is a must to practice the language very well. They must be well-versed in using grammar for IELTS. Also, using tenses, nouns, prepositions, etc in distinct ways is extremely important.

Having a good level of IELTS vocabulary will work for you during your IELTS writing and speaking tests. You can enroll in IELTS training to prepare yourself thoroughly under guidance. Tutors will provide you with IELTS speaking vocabulary words and some examples of IELTS writing task 1 vocabulary. Moreover, prepositions play a leading role in speaking and writing tasks. Most people fumble during their speech while trying to maintain speed and temp. Hence, candidates must make a preposition list and revise it with determination until they feel them at their fingertips.

Prepositions and their uses

Prepositions are the small words that make big differences in their presence or absence. In a nutshell, a preposition is a word or group of words placed just before a noun, noun phrase, or a pronoun to denote time, place, direction, location, spatial relationships, or for an object introduction.

Why prepositions are necessary? There are logical explanations as to why prepositions are important to use in English.
StructureTeachers tell the students to use Prepositions because they help in completing the style and format of the sentence. They add more sense and clarity to the sentences. For instance, ‘She is sitting _ a chair's above sentence seems incorrect due to a lack of prepositions. The meaning is unclear and the sentence looks senseless because of the absence of a preposition. Also, it throws up many other options that can substitute the real meaning and sense of the sentence. For example, she is sitting on a chair, she is sitting beside a chair, etc. Hence, you must use the correct preposition to convey the real meaning and sense to the structure and impart completion.

Impact on meaning keeps in mind, that prepositions are vital because they have a direct influence on the meaning of a sentence. A wrong preposition in a sentence can entirely change the meaning of the sentence conveyed by the user. For instance,‘He spoke to me in English.’‘He spoke about me in English.’In the first sentence, the preposition ‘to’ before I depict that a sentence is a form of a dialogue between me and him, the conversation is happening in English, and the subject of the conversation is not mentioned specifically. The second sentence, with the preposition ‘about’ before me, clearly denotes that the subject of the conversation is ‘me’ and the language used is English. But since different prepositions are throwing different meanings. Hence, user intent must be in the mind before inserting a preposition in the sentence, so that the intent and meaning of the sentence are not lost.

Grammar Prepositions are considered an integral part of grammar. The sentence still remains incorrect without placing the correct preposition wherever it is needed. Though the listener may get some sense of the sentence. For instance, ‘He lives in Bombay’The above sentence is still grammatically incorrect and requires a preposition to complete it grammatically. Thus, prepositions hold some value in joining words and inculcating the meaning of a sentence clearly, as well as, completing the structure of the sentence. A person who is well-versed in using suitable prepositions along with other parts of speech will make a guaranteed sturdy impression.

 Three types of prepositions are as follows: Preposition of time you can use whenever you need to tell when something happened. For instance, on, at in, till, and during are some examples of prepositions of time. For example

  1. I visited Golden Temple at night.
  2. We waited for you guys till 9 pm for dinner.
  3. People faced a financial crisis during covid-19.      

The preposition of direction denotes the movement or direction of something. Some of the common prepositions of direction are as follows: to, up, down, from, over, under, into, and through. For example
  1. You may walk down the road to see that beautiful view.
  2. A crow flew over me suddenly.
  3. She sat beside him in the hall yesterday.

An important thing to remember is that most prepositions do not have stringent rules of usage. The only exact way to practice them is by using the dictionary or the Internet when you are doubtful. Some prepositions can also be placed in sentences to introduce an object. It is important to thoroughly revise different prepositions to answer IELTS writing, reading, and IELTS speaking sections. Hopefully, this content will guide you on how to use prepositions for IELTS. There are also some of the most commonly used two-word prepositions that you can use in speaking and writing tasks. Look below to check them:

According to

Meaning 1: To be expressed or reported by somebody or something

Example: According to the school norms, students should be dressed in proper uniforms.

Example: Girls have outweighed boys in CBSE according to the news reports.

Meaning 2: Used with Following, agreeing with, or depending on something

Example: The boiled curry was prepared according to an online video.

Example: The stipend can vary according to your experience level.

Ahead of

Meaning 1: 

To be in front or before something or someone with respect to time or space. Example: You are ahead of him by nearly 5 kilometers.Example: Her thinking is ahead of time. Meaning 2:

 Earlier than example: She worked day and night to complete the project ahead of the deadline. Example: The company is striving hard to be ahead of its competitors.

Meaning 3:

 Additional progression than somebody or something(for instance- in a race or competition) Example: She is always ahead of every chapter the teacher discusses in the class. 

Apart from/Aside from

Meaning: See ExceptExample: Apart from him, everyone else was present in the hall. 

As for meaning: 

Alternative to RegardingExample: As for now, you can avoid taking the medicine, but make sure that you take proper rest until next week.

 Owing to

Meaning: Because of/ due to example: Final exams were delayed owing to the pandemic crisis. Prior toMeaning: Before something example: This business trip was organized prior to a week. 

Regardless of

Meaning: When someone is paying no attention to something or somebody; treating something or somebody as less noticed. Example: Mehak copied the assignments regardless of harsh punishment. Subsequent toMeaning: After, 

Following

Example: There need to be some improvements subsequent to your new changes in the project. Some of the examples of using prepositions in IELTS writing task 1 are given below. The three graphs depict the preposition uses differently.

Conclusion

In conclusion, one must understand English wholeheartedly to improve their speaking and writing skills. Knowledge about using nouns, pronouns, prepositions, and their types is important, especially in IELTS writing tasks. Also, you must keep practicing orally with your friends, and colleagues to improve your flow in speech. Prepositions are a very commonly used part of grammar but are often misused if not understood well. Moreover, it is far better to opt for IELTS online coaching classes for quality assurance training.

Dr.Roma

Content Writer