It's the Little Things that Count

Prepositions are fun. They are the little words that connect things up, often showing relative position or ownership. They are, however, a terror to anyone who learns a new language, & they’re sometimes not much more fun for those who have used a language all their life. Sometimes, there are ‘tastes’ involved, or regional variations, where someone has been taught to use a particular preposition in some circumstances & is adamant that they are correct (& that you are wrong).

You can go to a dictionary & find the definition of each of the little words & use them diligently, but that doesn’t guarantee that other little words don’t have the same meaning under some circumstances, or that other circumstances might make the meaning confusing.

You can go to wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_prepositions & discover that there are a lot more there than you’d suspected. This is why I don’t list them. Some phrases are prepositional, which just makes the list go on a bit.

English is not alone in its confusion of prepositions, but we’ll work on it for now. I find it harder to believe the English version of wiki on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_grammar#Prepositions
Let’s play with a few sentences.

• “He is on water.”
• “The property is on the water.”
• “The boat is on the water.”
• “The tarpaulin is on the water.”
• “The book is on water.”
• “The water is on.”

The first suggests that someone is not drinking alcohol (at this point in time). The second that there is a piece of land that abuts a water-course. The third that the boat in question is “upon” the water (Americans tend to use this word more often). The tarpaulin, by nature, would cover a small amount of water only (& not get wet). Next, we have the subject of a book - unless the book is also afloat. Finally, we’re about to make a cup of tea - the kettle, full of water, is either on the stove or has been turned on (as appropriate for the kettle in question).

• “He is in water.”
• “The property is in the water.”
• “The boat is in the water.”
• “The tarpaulin is in the water.”
• “The book is in water.”
• “The water is in.”

The first says nothing about depth - immersion could be in a puddle or an ocean. The second implies some sort of flooding (the property itself hasn’t moved). The third could either mean the same as above - “upon”, or else that the boat sank. The tarpaulin sank. The book, almost undoubtedly, is getting soggy. We have only just filled the kettle.

• “He is in hot water.”

This is not necessarily referring to a bath, but to someone being in trouble.

• “He is in money.”

This leaves no doubt that the person referred to deals with money. The same could be said about water, above, but it is less likely.

• “He is in the money.”

In this case, there has been a windfall.

These are simple subtle variations that show the relative position of something to water, where the something changes the intent & therefore the meaning, without changing the words.

Another of my favourites, which comes up in grammar guides & the like, is “different from” or “different to” (or even “different than”). The first is considered standard, but there is no right answer, it’s all a matter of common usage. There’s the preposition issue again. People get tangled up & argue constantly about what’s right, to no avail.

Usage is what counts. If someone doesn’t understand you because your usage of a preposition is unique, then learn from others. Otherwise, continue to use odd, archaic, or as-learnt patterns. Whatever makes you feel comfortable. Whatever you can get away with. Whatever gets you understood.

Don’t let the little things get in the way of your communication flow.