Adverb or Preposition

Home is an odd word. Here, the newer grammarians classify it as a preposition. Modern grammar expands the concept of prepositions to include such words as home, ago, because, downstairs, here and there.

Mister MicawberHome is an odd word. Here, the newer grammarians classify it as a preposition. Modern grammar expands the concept of prepositions to include such words as home, ago, because, downstairs, here and there.

I am really falling behind the times! That sound weird to me. My aged brain cannot see any justification for that. Could you give a reference, p

It's the book BillJ swears by, 5jj. I had to buy a copy and read it to believe it, but a lot of it makes sense: Huddleston, Rodney and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Student's Introduction to English Grammar, Cambridge UP, 2005.

In traditional grammar "home" is an adverb in your example. In modern grammar, there is a growing tendency to classify it as a preposition, one of those that doesn't require an NP complement. There are good grounds for putting it in the preposition category, but it's a long tricky argument, so unless you are a budding grammarian or linguist, I'd stick with trad grammar and call it an adverb.

Mister MicawberHuddleston, Rodney and Geoffrey K. Pullum, A Student's Introduction to English Grammar, Cambridge UP, 2005.

Thanks, Mr M. I remember, belatedly, that this one of several occasions when I could not agree with H & P, when I was trying to wade my way through their full Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, 2002. I can just about go al

fivejedjonThis has to be a matter of personal taste.

My sentiments precisely. As you say, what we should worry about is the opinions of the teachers that are teaching and grading our students, and sometimes I am not sure which way to go.