[B+] Expressions beginning with prepositions

LET'S READ! 📖

Direction: Read the short passages then answer the questions being asked.

Expressions beginning with prepositions

A lady next door said she wanted to ask me for a small favor. Little did I know what was in store for me when I agreed to feed her cat. After my neighbor left on her trip, I walked into her house. She left her main door open to give me easy access inside. Once I got inside the house, I was overwhelmed by the stench of cat urine all over the place. It was extremely stinky. I looked around the house and couldn't believe what I saw. My eyes fell on two empty glasses sitting on a table beside the couch, which was completely covered with dirty laundry, except for this one worn area by the table. The volume on the radio was turned up all the way as if someone was there enjoying the music being played. In disbelief and despite my better judgment, I walked toward the restroom. Around the base of the tub, I saw these red velvety mushrooms coming up between the tub and the tile floor. It was like a moist forest. It was not what I have expected. This filth was beyond anything I'd ever seen in my life. How could a person live in such a place? I mean she looks gorgeous from head to toe. She greets everyone around the neighborhood with a pleasant smile. Well, within a couple of minutes the cat was fed and I was out of there. Since she returned from her trip, I have never been available to watch her cat again.

QUESTIONS:

1. How did she get inside her neighbor's house?

2. What did she see inside the restroom?

LET'S UNDERSTAND! 📚

Expressions beginning with prepositions

🔺 Some fixed expressions begin with a particular preposition.

Example:

I met my fiance at a party. (not...in/at a party)
Is this car for sale?
We went to his town by car.
Please give me your report in writing.

Note the differences between these expressions:

in time - 'not late', 'with time to spare'	on time - 'at exactly the right time'
We got there in time to have a drink before the event.	Trains never arrive on time in this country.

in the way - 'in an inconvenient place	on the way - 'during the journey'
Can you please move your luggage out of the passage? It's in the way.	We stopped for a coffee on the way here.

at the end - 'after everything else'	in the end - 'after a long time or a lot of trouble'
At the end of his performance, the audience stood up and applauded.	It took him a while, but in the end, he got his dream job.

Here are some more fixed expressions beginning with prepositions;

Expressions	Meaning	Example sentence
in general	usually; most of the time	“In general, owners should feed their pets at least twice a day.”
up to date	incorporating the latest developments and trends.	"It's a modern, up-to-date hospital."
out of date	old-fashioned, no longer valid or relevant	"Everything in her closet must be hopelessly out of date."
point of view	a particular attitude or way of considering a matter.	"I'm trying to get Sam to change his point of view."
on the market	available for sale	"He bought every new gadget as it came on the market"
on purpose	intentionally; deliberately	“Lilly left without us on purpose.”
by accident/mistake	unintentionally; not deliberately; as a mistake	“The students broke the vase by accident.”
in common	sharing a trait with someone or something else	“Dogs and wolves have several traits in common.”
in brief	concisely; in a few words	“This textbook explains the history in brief.”
in debt	owing money	“Many students are in debt due to the expense of higher education.”
on average	usually; typically; normally	“Brian works out on average four times a week.”
on demand	immediately available when asked for or requested	“Most people prefer to watch movies on demand.”
out of order	not functioning or working properly; temporarily broken or unusable (usually referring to machinery)	“This restroom is out of order.”
out of time	having no more (remaining) time	“We are almost out of time. We need to hurry up!.”
out of town	temporarily away at a location in a different vicinity	“Sam will be out of town this weekend.”
at fault	responsible for something bad; culpable	“He is the only one at fault.”
at all times	always	“When driving, wear your seatbelt at all times.”
for certain	surely; definitely; positively	“Is Rich coming to the party tomorrow for certain?”
for a living	as an occupation	"Harry takes care of the elderly for a living."
by all means	definitely; certainly	“Students are by all means encouraged to visit the campus after graduation day.”
from head to toe	all over the body	“They were covered in mud from head to toe.”
from time to time	occasionally; infrequently	“They return to their hometown from time to time.”

LET'S PRACTICE! 📝

A. Direction: Read the prompt carefully and understand the scenario presented. Use the active and passive voice to elaborate your answer.

Share your daily routine and use the expression "on average" to talk about how often you do certain activities. Mention something you do "for certain" every day

Talk about your career aspirations. Mention what you want to do "for a living" and how you plan to achieve your goals. Also, mention the things that you have to do or remember at all times to perform that job effectively.