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MUSCOVITE Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
use of prepositions: option paralysis :-)
Hi,
The following are a few example sentences I just picked from the COCA hit lists...
(1) In 2007, PepsiCo hired a former executive director at the World Health Organization to direct its global health policy, including a…
(2) He then spent 5 years in London as an executive director with Goldman Sachs International.
(3) William Becker, executive director for the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, said that " there is…
(4) ...are you going to take me to dinner tonight? " said Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina
(5) Belin also served as executive director to the Rockefeller Commission, which investigated CIA activities within the United States.
Looks like the prepositions "AT", "FOR", "OF", "WITH" (and perhaps even "TO") can (in most cases) be used interchangeably in context like this?
If you could tell me (please specify EXPLICITLY! :-) what alternative prepositions could be used
(a) for "AT" in (1)
(b) for "WITH" in (2)
(c) for "FOR" in (3)
(d) for "OF" in (4)
(e) for "TO" in (5)
Sorry for this (kind of) boring query :-)
mus-te
The following are a few example sentences I just picked from the COCA hit lists...
(1) In 2007, PepsiCo hired a former executive director at the World Health Organization to direct its global health policy, including a…
(2) He then spent 5 years in London as an executive director with Goldman Sachs International.
(3) William Becker, executive director for the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, said that " there is…
(4) ...are you going to take me to dinner tonight? " said Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina
(5) Belin also served as executive director to the Rockefeller Commission, which investigated CIA activities within the United States.
Looks like the prepositions "AT", "FOR", "OF", "WITH" (and perhaps even "TO") can (in most cases) be used interchangeably in context like this?
If you could tell me (please specify EXPLICITLY! :-) what alternative prepositions could be used
(a) for "AT" in (1)
(b) for "WITH" in (2)
(c) for "FOR" in (3)
(d) for "OF" in (4)
(e) for "TO" in (5)
Sorry for this (kind of) boring query :-)
mus-te
Top answer
MUSCOVITE Sorry for this (kind of) boring query :-) And kind of funny as well, as an illustration of the frustrations of learning English. at, with, for, of, and to can all be used in all five sentences. That is, they are interchangeable.
- MUSCOVITE Sorry for this (kind of) boring query :-) And kind of funny as well, as an illustration of the frustrations of learning English.
- at, with, for, of, and to can all be used in all five sentences.
- That is, they are interchangeable.
- COCA has probably already told you which are more common than others, so I won't attempt to guess the answer to that.
- CJ
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11 Answers
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MUSCOVITESorry for this (kind of) boring query :-)And kind of funny as well, as an illustration of the frustrations of learning English.
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There is a popular Russian saying,
"What is just fun and play for the cat is mere aches and pains for the mice
"F
"What is just fun and play for the cat is mere aches and pains for the mice
"F
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MUSCOVITEWhat is just fun and play for the cat is mere aches and pains for the miceYes, but you can say it in Russian. Wait till the shoe is on the other foot, and watch my blood pressure rise!
Kak skazat eto v russkii yazyk?
CJ
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(Note that in all five, the person talked about is an executive director, but the situation, and preposition, is different in each.)
1. With, for, of, to, and in can also be used here, but at is the best choice. The reason for this is that the word at has a hard, "masculine" vowel sound, and here the person talked about is apparently male. The words for, with, of, and in have a softer,
1. With, for, of, to, and in can also be used here, but at is the best choice. The reason for this is that the word at has a hard, "masculine" vowel sound, and here the person talked about is apparently male. The words for, with, of, and in have a softer,
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Anonymous1. With, for, of, ...I've never seen this kind of explanation on the use of prepositions.
CJ
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AnonymousThe reason for this is that the word at has a hard, "masculine" vowel sound,[...]. The words for, with, of, and in have a softer, "feminine" vowel sound and might have been used if the person talked about was female. To also has a hard, masculine vowel sound,Do you have any evidence at all for this idea?
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CalifJimYes, but you can say it in Russian. Wait till the shoe is on the other foot, and watch my blood pressure rise!Kak skazat eto v russkii yazyk?The Russian version is "Koshke - igrushki, myshke - slyozki" :-)
How do you say it in Russian? "Kak eto po-rooski?" or "Kak eto skazat' po-rooski?" or, the longest version, "Kak eto zvuch
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MUSCOVITEHow do you say it in Russian? "Kak eto po-rooski?" or "Kak eto skazat' po-rooski?" or, the longest version, "Kak eto zvuchit na rooskom yazeeke?"Thanks for the Russian lesson. It's been years since I tried my hand at that. I see it's "na", not "v". I thought "v" seemed wrong.
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CalifJimVery freely translated, but with a nice rhyme: Cat's at play — mouse's dismay.I think it is a very good translation (no flattery to your version)
CalifJimOr, for children:Before I forget...
If you could comment on the word "rugrat/rug rat"?
I was very surprised (if not shocked) when I saw a sign "Rugrats" i
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MUSCOVITEHow come "rugrat" is used to refer to kids?I suppose it's because they're diminutive in size and always running or crawling around under foot, e.g., on the rug. It's one of those typical examples of American psychology where we say something awful and then turn it into a term of endearment!
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