Preposition – “Of”
Preposition – “Of”
Preposition of meanings:
The preposition of is a versatile word with many different meanings and uses.
Here are some of the most common meanings of of with examples for each:
Possession:
The car of my brother is parked in the driveway.
The tail of the dog was wagging happily.
Origin:
The music of Mozart is timeless.
The painting is of French origin.
Composition:
The walls of the house are made of brick.
The necklace is made of pearls.
Relation or Connection:
She is a friend of mine.
The president of the company is retiring.
Partitive (indicating a part of a whole):
I ate a slice of pizza.
She drank a cup of coffee.
Description or Characteristic:
It’s a book of poetry.
The film was a work of fiction.
Cause or Reason:
He died of a heart attack.
She cried tears of joy.
Measurement or Quantity:
A liter of water is needed for the recipe.
We walked a distance of 10 kilometers.
Time:
We’ll meet again in a couple of days.
Comparison:
She is the tallest of all her siblings.
This is the most challenging of all the puzzles.
Belonging to a Group or Category:
He is a member of the chess club.
This car is one of the latest models.
Expressions of Emotion or Reaction:
They shouted with cries of joy.
I felt a sense of relief.
Agent or Source:
The letter was written by the hand of the author.
These are just some of the many meanings and uses of the preposition of in English. The meaning can vary depending on the context in which it is used.
Preposition of with all, some, both before object pronouns:
We can often use of optionally with determiners like all, both, and some before object pronouns.
Here are examples with and without of for each:
All (of) us are going to the party.
All of us and All us are both correct.
Both (of) them enjoyed the movie.
Both of them and Both them are both correct.
Some (of) them were late to the meeting.
Some of them and Some them are both correct.
Using of in these cases can sometimes make the sentence sound a bit more formal, but omitting it is also acceptable in informal speech.
Note- preposition from indicates to the source of new substance:
When discussing how one substance transforms into another, the preposition from is commonly used to indicate the source or origin of the new substance.
Here are some examples:
Steel is made from iron and carbon.
(Steel is produced by transforming iron and carbon into a new substance.)
Paper is manufactured from wood pulp.
(Paper is created by processing wood pulp.)
Glass is formed from melted sand.
(Glass is the result of heating and melting sand.)
Bread is baked from a mixture of flour, water, yeast, and salt.
(Bread is created through the baking process using these ingredients.)
Plastic is derived from petroleum products.
(Plastic is obtained by processing petroleum-based materials.)
In these examples, from is used to describe the starting material or substances that undergo a transformation to create a new substance.
Preposition of before numerals to indicate the measurement:
The preposition of is commonly used before numerals in connection with units of weight, height, and sums of money to indicate the quantity or measurement.
Here are examples of its usage in these contexts:
Weight:
She lost 5 kilograms of weight during her diet.
The box contains 10 pounds of apples.
The maximum luggage allowance is 20 kilograms of baggage.
Height:
The mountain reaches a height of 3,000 meters.
The tree grew to a height of 15 feet in just a few years.
The skyscraper has a height of 500 meters.
Sums of Money:
He borrowed a loan of $5,000 from the bank.
The cost of the car is $30,000.
The charity received a donation of $1,000.
In these examples, of is used to connect the numeral to the unit of measurement, weight, height, or sum of money, indicating the specific quantity or amount involved.
Preposition of with verbs and adjectives, and word expressions with of:
The preposition of is used with certain verbs, adjectives, and expressions in English to convey specific meanings.
Here are some examples of verbs and adjectives that often require of, along with word expressions containing of:
Verbs with of:
Accuse (someone) of:
She accused him of stealing her purse.
Dream of:
He often dreams of traveling the world.
Think of:
Can you think of a good solution to this problem?
Remind (someone) of:
Your smile reminds me of my grandmother.
Approve of:
The committee approved of the new budget proposal.
Take care of:
She takes care of her younger brother.
Convince (someone) of:
He tried to convince them of the importance of the project.
Beware of:
Beware of the dog; it’s not friendly.
Take advantage of:
She decided to take advantage of the discount.
Think highly of:
Her colleagues think highly of her work.
Speak of:
They often speak of their travels.
Adjectives with of:
Afraid of:
He’s afraid of spiders.
Tired of:
I’m tired of working late every night.
Fond of:
She’s quite fond of chocolate.
Proud of:
I’m proud of my achievements.
Capable of:
He’s capable of great things.
Jealous of:
She was jealous of her friend’s success.
Suspicious of:
He was suspicious of the stranger’s intentions.
Critical of:
The teacher was critical of the student’s performance.
Envious of:
He was envious of his neighbor’s new car.
Tolerant of:
She’s very tolerant of different opinions.
Word Expressions with of:
Out of:
We’re out of milk; I need to buy some.
In the middle of:
We met in the middle of the park.
On the verge of:
He was on the verge of tears.
In search of:
They went on a journey in search of treasure.
In favor of:
Most people are in favor of the new policy.
In need of:
The homeless shelter is in need of donations.
In charge of:
She’s in charge of the marketing department.
In case of:
Keep an umbrella with you in case of rain.
Out of control:
The situation was out of control.
In the event of:
In the event of an emergency, please dial 911.
Out of touch with:
He’s been out of touch with his old friends.
On the brink of:
The country is on the brink of a financial crisis.
In the face of:
She remained calm in the face of adversity.
In pursuit of:
They are in pursuit of happiness.
In support of:
She marched in support of equal rights.
Out of reach of:
The cookies are out of reach of the children.
These additional examples show the diverse ways in which of is used with various verbs, adjectives, and expressions to convey different meanings and relationships in English sentences.
Preposition – “Beside” and “Besides”
Preposition – “Among (Amongst)”