It sounds very awkward, and you would do better to avoid it if possible!įor more information on the myriad English usage rules, consult Dreyer’s English or the New Oxford Essential Dictionary. That is something with which I cannot agree. If we rewrite it without ending in “with,” we’re forced to say: However, that can make for very clunky sentences, and these days, especially in everyday speech, it is now considered acceptable. In formal English, we are always told not to end a sentence with a preposition. Some prepositions are more than a single word, but we classify them as a preposition because they are always used together in their particular meaning.īelow is a list of some of the most common prepositions used in English: on There are so many prepositions in English because there are so many ways of specifying time and place. If it is the verb’s object, then it is not part of the prepositional phrase ( source). The flock of birds flew over the rooftops.Īny noun in the prepositional phrase must be the object of the preposition.After several hours, they were rescued from the lake.These phrases make up everyday language and some examples follow below, with the prepositional phrases underlined. Prepositional phrases refer to phrases that contain a preposition and a noun or pronoun. Here the word “with” links Jack and me and is a preposition of place. Here the word “throughout” links the thunder and night and is a preposition of time. Here the word “under” links the cat and the bed and is a preposition of place. Prepositions typically precede a noun or pronoun and describe that word’s relation to another part of the sentence, as in the examples below. Here “at” is a preposition of time, providing information on when I will have a drink. Here, “on” is a preposition of place, providing information on the burglar’s position.

Preposition of place, where is the burglar? Here, ‘in” is a preposition of place, providing information on the spider’s whereabouts. You will see how much information they add to each sentence. On their own, they determine time and place, but when paired with a noun or pronoun, they link the parts of the sentence together.Ĭonsider the examples below, where the preposition is in bold type. They are generally little words, but they play a very important role, indicating either place or time ( source). “According” is the present participle of “accord,” describing the action of agreeing. “Accordance” is a noun, and it refers to following or obeying something.

It comes from the Latin word accordare, which translates as “to be of one heart.” There is evidence for the use of the word as far back as the twelfth century. Accordance and Accordingīoth words are rooted in the word “accord,” which, as a noun, means a pact or agreement, and, as a verb, means to come into agreement or to consent ( source). Using prepositions correctly allows us to use language fully and create more profound levels of meaning. We’ll also look at other prepositions and consider their role in language. In this article, we’ll unpack the phrases “in accordance with” and “according to” and the differences in their usage. It’s usually mistakenly used instead of “according to,” which refers to your information source. The phrase “in accordance to,” although sometimes seen in informal speech, is grammatically incorrect. It’s correct to say “in accordance with” if we’re referring to something that we are complying with, such as a law, a contract, or a request. As is always the case with English, there are nuances and exceptions we have to understand to ensure a flawless command of the language. Many people believe that we can use these phrases interchangeably, but that is not true.

In accordance with our conversation