| enemy | city |
| soldiers | cannon |
| man | machine |
| woman | factory |
| children | school |
| government | people |
A GOVERNING WORD
312. The preposition shows the relation between two words. In this way it enables us to use a noun or a pronoun as a modifying word. For example, in the sentence given above, I see the bird in the tree, the preposition in shows the relationship between bird and tree, and makes of tree a modifying word. It expresses a different meaning than if we used the word tree as an adjective. For we do not mean that we see a tree bird, but a bird in a tree. So with the help of the preposition in, we have used tree as a modifying word.
But the preposition in also governs the form of the word that follows it. Since nouns have the same form whether they are used as subject or object, this does not mean any change in the form of the nouns. But pronouns have different forms for the subject and object, so when we use a pronoun with a preposition, we must use the object form. There are seven object forms of the personal pronouns, and after a preposition, always use one of these object forms.
- He gave it to me.
- Give it to him.
- Give it to her.
- Add this to it.
- Bring it to us.
- I will give it to you.
- He gave it to them.
313. Be careful to always use the object form of the pronoun following a preposition. Observe this also in the use of the relative and interrogative pronoun "who." The object form is "whom." For example:
- To whom will you go?
- This is the man to whom I wrote.
- For whom are you looking?
- Where is the woman for whom you would make such a sacrifice?
Where to Put the Preposition
314. The preposition generally precedes its object. This is the reason it was given its name, preposition, meaning to place before. Sometimes, however, the preposition is separated from its object. This is often true when it is used with an interrogative or relative pronoun. With these pronouns, the preposition is often thrown to the end of the sentence. For example:
- This is the book about which I was speaking; or, This is the book which I was speaking about.
- To whom shall I give this letter; or, Who shall I give this letter to?