Prepositional phrases. Set expressions with prepositions in English

6 cue phrases

I don’t know how many “sources” and “component parts” the English language has, but two sources of modern English idiom can be named without hesitation - this is the Bible in the King James Version (of course, not James!) - the King James Version of 1611(see article Bible words and phrases ) and Shakespeare. In a famous English joke, a certain lady says that she likes Shakespeare, but one thing irritates her - the abundance of clichés! Shakespeare is the most quoted author, and words, expressions, sometimes entire passages from Shakespeare are found in the speech of people who read him a long time ago or who have not read him at all. The amazing power of Shakespeare's words, no less than his genius as a playwright, makes many doubt that the author of his great works was really an unremarkable and, judging by the fragments of historical information that survive, an unattractive resident of Stratford. I share these doubts, but there is no opportunity to discuss this topic here. Unfortunately, in a short dictionary there is not enough space for a small fraction of Shakespearean idiom, with which a self-respecting translator (including those who work mainly orally) should be at least superficially familiar. We will limit ourselves to a minimal “Shakespearean educational program” in the hope of the reader’s ability to self-educate.

Of course, there are few people who do not know that it was Shakespeare who wrote the words To be or not to be: that is the question or A horse! A horse! My Kingdom for a horse(from "Richard III"), or those not familiar with their “canonical” translations included in the Russian language ( To be or not to be - that is the question And Horse, horse! Half a kingdom for a horse!). Many will correctly point out the origin of another frequently quoted passage:
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
(Romeo and Juliet)
Translated by Shchepkina-Kupernik:
What's in a name? What we call a rose
And under a different name it would be saved
Your sweet smell.
There are two interesting quotes that appear almost more often in Russian than in English texts.
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women are merely players.
The whole world is a theater, and the people in it are actors.
(From the comedy As You Like It- “As you like it”)
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamed of in your philosophy.
There are many things in the world, friend Horatio,
What our sages never dreamed of
(From "Hamlet" translated in 1828 (!) by M. Vronchenko; It is in this form that this quote entered the Russian language.)
But here is another “Shakespeareanism”, also from “Hamlet” and also addressed to Horatio: In my mind’s eye, Horatio (in translations, with different variations - In the eyes of my soul, Horatio). The vast majority of English speakers do not realize that they are “quoting Shakespeare” when they use this common expression. (In Russian we will say something like in my thoughts I see or in your mind's eye.)
Some similar examples:
foregone conclusion (from "Othello"). It has firmly entered the language. Used when we're talking about about a clear result in advance, a foregone conclusion, about something beyond doubt. The outcome of the general elections was a foregone conclusion(International Herald Tribune);
to the manner born (from Hamlet). It means a natural inclination towards something, an innate ability, ease in doing something or performing duties. There is an option to the manor born(the difference is in writing, but not in pronunciation). Successful translation: It's in his blood;
True it is that we have seen better days (from As You Like It) The translation is obvious: We've seen (we've had) better times. Sometimes they say this about a woman who is not in her early youth: She has seen better days or about a politician in crisis;
to wear one's heart upon one's sleeve (from Othello) – don't hide yours feelings . In Russian you can say soul wide open;
a plague on both your houses. Mercutio's words from Romeo and Juliet. Often used in Russian speech ( a plague on both your houses), often without the slightest idea of the source;
brevity is the soul of wit. It has become a proverb in Russian ( Brevity is the soul of wit). But it’s still good to know that this is from Hamlet, where the meaning is deeper (translated by M. Lozinsky - "Brevity is the soul of the mind");
brave new world (from "The Tempest" - The Tempest). And of course, from the title of a previously semi-banned novel by Aldous Huxley. From Shakespeare: O brave new world that has such people in’t (Oh, wonderful world where there are such people). Huxley ("Beautiful" new world") we are dealing with a typical (and, in my opinion, rather boring) dystopian novel. It must be borne in mind that this expression is most often used ironically or with a hint of condemnation;
honorable men (from "Julius Caesar" - Julius Caesar). A similar case: the ironic and condemnatory use of a seemingly understandable phrase. True, there are often cases when it is used in direct meaning (worthy people). But the translator must be careful. Many English speakers remember the place in Shakespeare's tragedy where Mark Antony calls Brutus an honorable man, meaning exactly the opposite. IN written translation quotes will help ( "honorable" citizens), verbally you will have to take a risk or say something neutral ( Human with a famous reputation);
there is method in the madness. Modified quote from Hamlet. It is understood that behind the external illogicality, the strangeness of some act or phenomenon, lies its own logic, its own meaning;
more in sorrow than in anger (also from Hamlet). Pasternak’s “rather with melancholy than with anger” is not very suitable in translating this expression into his modern usage. It's better to say more with regret than with indignation/anger;
more sinned against than sinning. My favorite quote from "King Lear"(this is what he says about himself main character: I am a man/more sinned against than sinning). In the wonderful, undeservedly forgotten translation by M. Kuzmin: There are others before me/more sinners than I am before them. An example of conciseness and accuracy!
the wheel has come full circle (from King Lear). It is most often used like this: we have come full circle - we have come to where we started;
strange bedfellows (from "The Tempest") Often quoted as in the play ( Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows – In need you won’t be fooled by anyone), but more often than not, unaware of the Shakespearean roots of this phrase, they say Politics makes strange bedfellows. Fresh modification from Time magazine: President Jacques Chirac and newly-elected Prime Minister Lionel Jospin make uneasy bedfellows. This refers to strange (at first glance) political alliances, coalitions or, as in the last example, “cohabitation” (fr. cohabitation). But it’s not just like that, but bedfellows! English speakers certainly feel this "bed" connotation. Thus, in Time magazine, the quoted phrase is accompanied by a corresponding cartoon. So, if desired, the translator has room to turn around;
salad days (from "Antony and Cleopatra"). Sometimes quoted, as in the play: My salad days, when I was green in judgment.(Translated by M. Donskoy: Then I was/was a girl, inexperienced, immature. Perhaps the word girl still inappropriate in the mouth of Cleopatra.) Used quite often, sometimes with irony: the salad days of detente(W. Safire) – détente (of international tension) in its first flowering. You can use Russian in conversation young green. A more “serious” translation – period/era of formation;
at one fell swoop (from "Macbeth"). Another example when the Shakespearean origin of a phrase is not felt by almost anyone (there are others - fight till the last gasp – fight/fight until the last breath from "Henry VI"/ Henry VI; as good luck would have it - fortunately; and then luck smiled at me from "The Merry Wives of Windsor"/ The Merry Wives of Windsor). At one fell swoop - in one fell swoop, overnight, in an instant;
sound and fury. Also from Macbeth, as well as from the title of Faulkner's novel (Russian translation of The Sound and the Fury). For lack of space, it is impossible to fully quote Macbeth's brilliant monologue. Main: is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury/Signifying nothing. Translated by M. Lozinsky: This is news/Told by a fool, where there is a lot/of noise and passion, but no meaning. Shakespeare sounds worse. Sound and fury figuratively can have two meanings: one is close to much ado about nothing(by the way, also “Shakespeareanism” is the title of the play Much Ado About Nothing), the second means remarkable passions, dramatic events. Moreover, it is not always easy to feel the contextual meaning;
every inch a king (from King Lear). Translated by T. Shchepkina-Kupernik King, from head to toe. Instead of a word king Others are also often used - gentleman, lady, statesman, etc. In Russian – the most real, to the core. Attention: often used humorously, ironically;
‘tis neither here nor there. So in Othello. In everyday speech, of course, it’s. In English-Russian phraseological dictionary A.V. Kunin does not indicate the Shakespearean origin of this phrase. You shouldn't translate it into Russian neither to the village nor to the city(Russian flavor is too strong). May be, this is not from that opera? It's probably better to stay within the neutral style: this is unimportant / not relevant / I was talking about something else;
cry havoc (from the immortal “Julius Caesar”). In the play: Caesar’s spirit... shall... cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war. Translated by I. Mandelstam: “Death to everyone!” - unleashing the dogs of war. Lately (maybe this is the time?) both parts of this quote have been popular - remember F. Forsyth’s novel The Dogs of War. The figurative meaning is quite diverse - give a signal for robbery, engage in incitement; wage a merciless war, destroy everything around etc. But there is another meaning cry havoc - shout guard, sow panic. Wed. play havoc with something – to sow destruction, devastate, disorganize.
What can I say in conclusion (and in my own defense)? “You cannot embrace the immensity” (this, of course, is not from Shakespeare, but from Kozma Prutkov, but it can also baffle the translator. A possible - I admit, not brilliant - translation option You can't cover what's boundless. It can be said more simply: I couldn’t do it if I tried!).

8 prepositional

9 prepositional

10 fluent phrases

11 important phrases

12 prepositional

13 sententious phrases

14 prepositional

15 sententious phrases

16 prepositional

17 prepositional

[ˌprepəˈzɪʃənl]

prepositional gram. prepositional

18 intelligence of phrases

19 fluent phrases

20 lofty phrases

List of common expressions in English with translation

Yes, we have prepared a small list of ≈ 140 expressions. These same stable phrases are duplicated in our set of words - .

And yes, just in case: set expressions– these are combinations of 2 or more words that are often used together with each other and sound natural to a native speaker. It can be a noun + adjective, noun + verb, verb + adverb, etc.

Translation of set expressions from English into Russian

1. Set expressions with the verb to do in English

To do someone a favor (Do someone a favor)

To do the cooking

To do the housework (Do housework)

To do the shopping

To do the washing up (Wash the dishes)

To do your best (Try)

To do your hair

2. Set expressions with the verb to have in English

To have a good time (To have a good time, more often used as a wish)

To have a bath (Take a bath)

To have a drink

To have a haircut

To have a holiday (Have a vacation / vacation)

To have a problem (Have a problem, face a problem)

To have a relationship / to be in relationship (Be in a relationship)

To have lunch (Dine, have lunch)

To have sympathy

3. Set expressions with the verb to break

To break the law (Break the law)

Break a leg (Informal: I wish you good luck! No fluff, no feather!)

To break a promise

To break a record

To break someone's heart (Break someone's heart)

To break the ice (Idiom: break the ice, take the first step, soften the situation, make a start)

To break the news to someone (Tell someone important news)

To break the rules

4. Set expressions with the verb to take

To take a break (Take a break)

To take a chance (Take a chance, take a chance)

To take a look (Take a look)

To take a rest (Relax)

To take a seat (Sit down)

To take a taxi (Take a taxi)

To take an exam (Take the exam)

To take notes

To take someone's place (Take someone's place)

5. Set expressions with the verb to make

To make a difference (Make a difference, matter, significantly change things)

To make a mess (Make a mess)

To make a mistake (Make a mistake)

To make a noise

To make an effort (Make an effort)

To make money (Earn money)

To make progress

To make room (Provide a place for someone)

To make trouble

6. Collocations with the verb to catch

To catch the bus (Catch the bus)

To catch a ball (Catch the ball)

To catch a cold (Catch a cold)

To catch a thief (Catch a thief)

To catch fire

To catch sight of (See, notice)

To catch someone’s attention (Catch someone’s attention)

To catch someone's eye (Get someone's attention)

To catch the flu (Get the flu)

7. Set expressions with the verb to pay

To pay respect

To pay a fine

To pay attention

To pay by credit card

To pay cash

To pay interest

To pay someone a visit (Visit someone)

To pay the bill

To pay the price

8. Stable expressions with the verb to keep

To keep the change (Keep the change for yourself, as an appeal: no change needed)

To keep a promise (Keep a promise)

To keep an appointment (Come to the appointed place)

To keep calm

To keep in touch

To keep quiet

To keep someone’s place (Take, hold someone’s place)

9. Collocations with the verb to save

Dictionary of English Expressions

Phew, that's quite an impressive list, isn't it? to learn these expressions through interactive training.

But that's not all. Let's move on to the promised dictionaries. Oxford Collocations Dictionary– an amazing dictionary of fixed expressions in the English language. It works like this: you open the word you are currently learning and look at lists of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, collective words etc.) combined with it.

There is another source where you can find the context of a word - these are English-English online dictionaries: Cambridge Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary, Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries. You type a word into the search bar and find a bunch of examples of use next to its meaning. It is immediately clear which independent and auxiliary parts of speech are used together with it.

Learn not only individual words, but also common phrases that native speakers use. Learn and perceive them together as a whole.
To find them, use a special dictionary with fixed expressions or look at the context in which the word is used in English-English dictionaries. You need to do this with every new word you learn!
When you read texts / watch films / listen to songs in English, also write down the combinations of words that you hear there.
You can learn fixed expressions in English in different ways: by topic (food, time, business, etc.) or by keyword (as in our article). If it is more convenient for your memory to remember by topic, take our examples and divide them into thematic groups.
If you are writing a text or composing a story in English on some topic, then look for English-language articles on this topic. Look at what expressions are used there (most often, they will be the same). If you find it, feel free to use it: this is exactly how native speakers talk about this topic.

: We have a huge amount of authentic materials in English, from which you can take set expressions, and then run them in training. 🙂

Phrases with prepositions - Set expressions with prepositions

In English there are a number of set expressions with prepositions that you need to remember:
1. Prepositions with nouns
A. Nouns with the preposition by
by mistake
by accident accidentally
by chance
by the way, by the way
by your favor/with your permission
b. Nouns with the preposition for
for a walk/swim, etc. walk, swim, etc.
for breakfast/lunch, etc. for breakfast/lunch, etc.
V. Nouns with the preposition in
in somebody's opinion
in fact, in fact, in fact, essentially
in case
d. Nouns with the preposition on
on the radio/television, etc. on radio/television
on holiday/business/a trip/an cruise, etc. on vacation/on a business trip/on a trip/on an excursion/on a cruise, etc.
2. Prepositions with adjectives
A. Adjectives with the preposition of
to be afraid/frightened of being scared/frightened by something or someone; afraid
to be ashamed/proud of to be ashamed/proud of something or someone
to be aware of being aware of something
to be fond of loving something
to be full of to be full of something (strength, energy)
to be jealous/envious of jealous/envy someone or something
to be tired of
it is nice (kind/good/stupid/impolite, etc.) of someone nice, stupid, impolite, etc. from someone's side
b. Adjectives with the preposition at
to be bad/good/hopeless, etc. at have no ability (success)/have ability (success)/be hopeless, etc. in any activity
to be shocked/surprised, etc. at/by be shocked/surprised, etc. anything
V. Adjectives with the preposition with
to be disappointed/satisfied with to be disappointed/satisfied with something
d. Adjectives with the preposition about
to be angry/annoyed about to be angry/annoyed with someone/something
d. Adjectives with the preposition for
to be responsible for
to be famous for being famous for something (a record, an act, etc.)
to be/feel sorry for smb. feel sorry for/sympathize with someone
e. Adjectives with the preposition in
to be interested in
in general
and. Adjectives with the preposition to
to be similar to
to be glad to meet smb. be glad to meet someone
to be married/engaged to be married/engaged
it is nice to meet you
3. Prepositions with verbs
A. Verbs with the preposition for
apply for
care for
look for look after
punish for
search for to look for something, someone
wait for something, someone
go for a (walk/swim)
b. Verbs with the preposition in
believe in
succeed in
V. Verbs with the preposition to
belong to belong
happen to happen, happen with
listen to listen to something, someone
speak to/with say something
d. Verbs with the preposition about/of
complain about
dream about/of dream about
think about/of think about
consist of
remind of resemble, remind
d. Verbs with the preposition on
depend on
insist on
live on
rely on
be on go, happen
e. Verbs with the preposition at
laugh at laugh at
mock at
look at
shout at
and. Verbs with the preposition after
look after
h. Verbs with the preposition through
look through (newspaper, magazine)
And. Verbs with the preposition from
suffer from
j. Verbs with the preposition by
stand by to be nearby, to be ready to help
l. Verbs with preposition off
be off
put something off
m. Verbs with the preposition around/about
wait around/about
n. Verbs with the preposition up
wake up
get up

So as not to miss new ones useful materials,

Based on my own teaching experience, I can say with confidence that work on prepositions is like a renovation: it cannot be completed, but can only be suspended. We first encounter prepositions at the very early stages of learning a language, but we don’t forget about them later. high levels. In this article we will look at stable expressions with prepositions on, in, by, for, at, out of, from, to, up. I think this material will be useful to all students from Elementary to Advanced levels.

The use of some prepositions is easy to remember because expressions with similar meanings are used with the same prepositions. In addition, such phrases are quite logically translated into Russian, which also makes them easier to remember.

for: for example, for instance- For example ( For example);
in: in a pair of trousers, in a dress – V some clothes;
at: at breakfast, at lunch, at dinner – for some kind of meal, meal (but for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner – on breakfast, lunch or dinner, talking about food).

It often happens that expressions with a similar meaning (place, manner of action, etc.) are formed using different prepositions:

in cash(cash) – by credit card(by credit card);
by accident(accidentally) - on purpose(deliberately);
at the bottom(below) – in the bottom of the right-hand corner of the page(in the lower right corner of the page);
by car(by car) – on foot(on foot);
on holiday(on vacation / on vacation) – at work(At work);
in a loud voice(in a loud voice) – at the top of his voice(out loud);
on earth(on the ground) - in the world(in the world).

As for the expression “on earth,” here, of course, a parallel can be drawn with a certain surface on which we live. Accordingly, “the world” is the place in which we live. That is, the last pair of expressions will be easy to remember, because they are literally translated into Russian and seem logical to us. Similarly with the expression by car knowing the rules for using prepositions helps us by: We use it when we refer to a mode of transport. However, with most prepositional phrases(expressions with prepositions) this number will not work, you just need to remember them.

To better understand the nature of such expressions, the purpose of their use in a sentence, and also to find out what prepositional phrase or set expressions with prepositions in English, I suggest watching the following video:

As we can see, knowing and using phrases with prepositions helps us write and read better. Our speaking skills also improve significantly with the correct use of these expressions, as they add more detail and color to our speech.

Prepositional phrases used to indicate location ( location), directions ( direction), time ( time), mode of action ( manner), feelings ( feeling), the speaker's attitude to the subject of discussion ( attitude).

We bring to your attention a table with a selection of frequently used expressions with prepositions on, in, by, for, at, out of, from, to, up:

on
on behalf of– on behalf of, on behalf of (someone) on condition that- provided that on no account- under no circumstances on my own- on one's own on purpose- purposefully, intentionally on second thoughts- after mature reflection, having weighed everything again on the whole- generally	on business- to the point on a diet- on a diet on arrival– upon arrival on average– on average on foot- on foot on the one hand- On the one side on the other hand- on the other side on line- in action, at work	on duty– in the performance of (official) duties on fire- burning, engulfed in fire on horseback- on a horse on the left/right– left (right) on my part- from my side on the phone– by phone on the screen– on the screen on holiday- on vacation on my side- on my side
in
in conclusion– in conclusion in the west- in the west to be in control of- control, manage in danger- in danger in favor of– in defense, in support of someone (something); in favor of someone (something) in general- All in all	in other words- in other words in time- during in cash– cash in a uniform- in uniform in a dress- in a dress in haste- in a hurry in Germany– in German in pencil– pencil	in a group– group in addition to– in addition to in answer to- in response to in the future– in the future in the news- in the news in pairs– in pairs in this respect- in this regard
by
by accident– unintentionally by heart– by heart by chance- accidentally by mistake- by mistake by the way- By the way by bus– by bus by sea/land/air– by sea / by land / by air by example- according to example (sample)	by sight- by eye by means of– through by no means– in no way; under no circumstances by check– by check day by day- every day, day by day by Mozart– (written by) Mozart by air mail– by airmail	by e-mail– by email by fax/phone– fax (telephone) by far- obviously, generally accepted, unconditionally by the rules- according to the rules by the arm- by the hand (take) by telepathy– using telepathy by hand– manually
for
for a change– for variety for ages- for an eternity for breakfast– for breakfast for fear of- out of fear for fun- for fun for pleasure- for fun for good- forever; for the sake of, for the benefit	for granted- for granted for ever- forever, forever for luck- for luck for life- for life for nothing- in vain, in vain for sale– for sale for short– for short, abbreviated	for a walk- for a walk for a while- for some time for now- for now for birthday- for birthday for better or worse– for the better or not; one way or another for my sake- for my sake for the moment- for now
at
at all times- at all times at first sight- at first sight at the moment- at the moment at the age of– aged at the beginning- at the beginning at breakfast- at breakfast at the bottom of– below at the bus stop- at the bus stop	at dawn- at dawn at sea- in complete bewilderment, at a loss at the corner- in the corner at last- finally at the door- at the door at the end- at the end at first- at first at once- straightaway	at home- Houses at arm's length- at arm's length at least- at least at the same time- at the same time at times- Sometimes at daybreak- at dawn at work- At work
out of
out of order- spoiled, not in order out of favor- undesirable, not in esteem, not in honor out of the way- out of the way, to the side out of touch– lost connection out of the wood- be out of danger out of work– unemployed	out of breath- out of breath out of control– uncontrolled out of danger– out of danger out of date– outdated out of doors- outside, on the street out of luck- no luck out of money- no money	out of print– sold out; sold out (product) out of sight- great, wonderful out of tune- out of tune, out of tune out of earshot- out of earshot out of time– untimely
from
from now on- from now on from A to B– from point A to point B from bad to worse– from bad to worse (talking about a situation that is getting worse)	from place to place- from place to place from time to time- from time to time	from morning to night- from morning to night from my point of view- from my point of view
up
up to date- modern up to you- at your discretion up and down– up and down	up till/until- until (at some point) up the hill- up the hill up the spout- in a hopeless situation	up to no good- have nothing good on your mind up and about– be on your feet, recover from illness
to
to some extent/degree- to some extent to the point- relevant to my surprise- to my surprise	to your benefit- to your benefit to our amazement- to our amazement	to your health– for your health to some purpose– not without results, with some success

on behalf of– on behalf of, on behalf of (someone)

on condition that- provided that

on no account- under no circumstances

on my own- on one's own

on purpose- purposefully, intentionally

on second thoughts- after mature reflection, having weighed everything again

on the whole- generally

on business- to the point

on a diet- on a diet

on arrival– upon arrival

on average– on average

on foot- on foot

on the one hand- On the one side

on the other hand- on the other side

on line- in action, at work

on duty– in the performance of (official) duties

on fire- burning, engulfed in fire

on horseback- on a horse

on the left/right– left (right)

on my part- from my side

on the phone– by phone

on the screen– on the screen

on holiday- on vacation

on my side- on my side

in conclusion– in conclusion

in the west- in the west

to be in control of- control, manage

in danger- in danger

in favor of– in defense, in support of someone (something); in favor of someone (something)

in general- All in all

in other words- in other words

in time- during

in cash– cash

in a uniform- in uniform

in a dress- in a dress

in haste- in a hurry

in Germany– in German

in pencil– pencil

in a group– group

in addition to– in addition to

in answer to- in response to

in the future– in the future

in the news- in the news

in pairs– in pairs

in this respect- in this regard

by accident– unintentionally

by heart– by heart

by chance- accidentally

by mistake- by mistake

by the way- By the way

by bus– by bus

by sea/land/air– by sea / by land / by air

by example- according to example (sample)

by sight- by eye

by means of– through

by no means– in no way; under no circumstances

by check– by check

day by day- every day, day by day

by Mozart– (written by) Mozart

by air mail– by airmail

by e-mail– by email

by fax/phone– fax (telephone)

by far- obviously, generally accepted, unconditionally

by the rules- according to the rules

by the arm- by the hand (take)

by telepathy– using telepathy

by hand– manually

for

for a change– for variety

for ages- for an eternity

for breakfast– for breakfast

for fear of- out of fear

for fun- for fun

for pleasure- for fun

for good- forever; for the sake of, for the benefit

for granted- for granted

for ever- forever, forever

for luck- for luck

for life- for life

for nothing- in vain, in vain

for sale– for sale

for short– for short, abbreviated

for a walk- for a walk

for a while- for some time

for now- for now

for birthday- for birthday

for better or worse– for the better or not; one way or another

for my sake- for my sake

for the moment- for now

at all times- at all times

at first sight- at first sight

at the moment- at the moment

at the age of– aged

at the beginning- at the beginning

at breakfast- at breakfast

at the bottom of– below

at the bus stop- at the bus stop

at dawn- at dawn

at sea- in complete bewilderment, at a loss

at the corner- in the corner

at last- finally

at the door- at the door

at the end- at the end

at first- at first

at once- straightaway

at home- Houses

at arm's length- at arm's length

at least- at least

at the same time- at the same time

at times- Sometimes

at daybreak- at dawn

at work- At work

out of

out of order- spoiled, not in order

out of favor- undesirable, not in esteem, not in honor

out of the way- out of the way, to the side

out of touch– lost connection

out of the wood- be out of danger

out of work– unemployed

out of breath- out of breath

out of control– uncontrolled

out of danger– out of danger

out of date– outdated

out of doors- outside, on the street

out of luck- no luck

out of money- no money

out of print– sold out; sold out (product)

out of sight- great, wonderful

out of tune- out of tune, out of tune

out of earshot- out of earshot

out of time– untimely

from

from now on- from now on

from A to B– from point A to point B

from bad to worse– from bad to worse (talking about a situation that is getting worse)

from place to place- from place to place

from time to time- from time to time

from morning to night- from morning to night

from my point of view- from my point of view

up to date- modern

up to you- at your discretion

up and down– up and down

up till/until- until (at some point)

up the hill- up the hill

up the spout- in a hopeless situation

up to no good- have nothing good on your mind

up and about– be on your feet, recover from illness

to some extent/degree- to some extent

to the point- relevant

to my surprise- to my surprise

to your benefit- to your benefit

to our amazement- to our amazement

to your health– for your health

to some purpose– not without results, with some success

Complex cases of using prepositions in set expressions

In the beginning or at the beginning?
Pretext at used with the word beginning when we talk about the beginning of something (a story, a book, a program, etc.):

He fell asleep at the beginning of the performance. - He fell asleep at the beginning presentations.

Regarding the preposition in, it is used as part of the phrase in the beginning, which has the same meaning as introductory phrase at first/firstly, – “first”, “at first”. After in the beginning we don't use prepositions of:

In the beginning, he was shocked but then he got used to the idea. – First he was shocked, but then got used to the idea.
At the end or in the end?
With these two phrases the same principle applies as with the previous pair. Pretext at used with the word end when we talk about the end of something:

Jane understood who the criminal was at the very end of the detective story. – Jane realized who the culprit was, at the very end detective.

Pretext in used as part of a phrase in the end, which has the same meaning as finally, – “in the end”, “ultimately”. After in the end we don't use of:

In the end, you will see that I was right. – In the end you will understand that I was right.
By bus or on the bus?
Pretext by used with the name of a specific type of transport when we say how we like to travel: by car, train, plane, etc.

I like to travel by car because it's fast and comfortable. – I love to travel by car, because it's fast and convenient.

We use an excuse on, when talking about a particular journey or direction, and also when we indicate that we are in a vehicle.

I met my husband-to-be on a train. – I met my future husband on the train.
Made of, made out of or made from?
We use made of, when it is obvious what exactly the thing is made of:

The bag is made of leather. - Bag made from skin.

We use made out of, paying special attention to what the thing is made of:

– Is the chain fake? – Is the chain fake?
– Are you kidding?! It's made out of pure gold. - Are you kidding?! She made from pure gold.

We use made from, naming the ingredients from which something was made, and also when the composition is not obvious:

The dish is made from minced meat, vegetables and cheese. - Dish made from minced meat, vegetables and cheese.
For example or by example?
Everyone knows the stable expression for example- For example:

I like fruit. For example, oranges and apples – I love fruits. For example, oranges and apples.

By example means “by example” (of someone or something), “by example”:

I did the task by the example which was given. - I did the task By this sample.

Finally, we suggest you take a test for prepositional phrases and download a table of fixed expressions with prepositions in English.

(*.pdf, 212 Kb)

Many experienced English language researchers complain that no matter how much they read, watch, or listen to English-language sources, no matter how many words they learn, they cannot put these individual words together into an organized and logical statement. Do you know what the problem is? Experienced teachers have long been saying that it is necessary to teach not words, but unity. Then, in the speech stream, words will automatically fly out not individually, but as part of a phrase - correct and prepared in advance. We begin to study such combinations with verbs. It is known that most verbs are connected with other words through prepositions - listen to, look at etc. There is a whole set of such unities, and studying them will allow you not only to remember the correct preposition for each verb, but also to learn many new and extremely necessary verbs! At the first stage, we will learn only the most frequent, so to speak, first aid verbs.

Table. English verbs with prepositions

Verb+preposition	Translation	Example
AGREE WITH	agree with	Don't you AGREE WITH Jamie?
BEGIN WITH	start with	Let's BEGIN WITH an exercise.
BELIEVE IN	believe in	Many people don't BELIEVE IN God.
DREAM ABOUT	dream about	What are you DREAMING ABOUT?
EXCUSE FOR	sorry for	Please, EXCUSE me FOR yesterday's argument.
FORGET ABOUT	forget about	Let's FORGET ABOUT our argument.
FORGIVE FOR	sorry for	Please, FORGIVE me FOR yesterday's argument.
HEAR ABOUT	hear about	Have you HEARD ABOUT a new reform?
HOPE FOR	hope for	Let's HOPE FOR the best.
INTEREST IN	be interested in something	Children are INTERESTED IN cartoons.
KNOW ABOUT	know about	Do you KNOW anything ABOUT yesterday's argument?
LOUGH AT	laugh at	Don't LAUGH AT his mistakes!
LISTEN TO	listen to something	Let's LISTEN TO "The Beatles".
LOOK AT	take a look at	LOOK AT that man! He is stealing Rob's car!
PAY FOR	pay for	Would you like to PAY FOR the dress with a credit card?
RESPECT FOR	respect for	We RESPECT him FOR being a talented boss.
SMELL OF	smell something	Why does the soup SMELL OF candy?
SMILE AT	smile at someone	Look! This handsome guy is SMILING AT you!
TALK ABOUT	talk about	The employees were TALKING ABOUT a pay rise.
THANK FOR	thank you for	I would like to THANK you FOR this romantic dinner.
WAIT FOR	wait for someone/something	We are now WAITING FOR the bus.
WORRY ABOUT	worry about	Don"t WORRY ABOUT him! He"ll be fine.