Prepositions – “Round” and Around”
Round/Around
The prepositions round and around can have various meanings and usages.
Here are some of their meanings, along with examples:
Preposition round:
Circular movement:
Meaning: indicating movement in a circular direction or around a central point.
Example: She walked round the park to enjoy the scenery.
Approximately or nearly:
Meaning: Referring to an approximate or nearly exact number or time.
Example: It’s going to cost round $50 to fix the car.
In every direction:
Meaning: denoting a general area without specifying a precise location.
Example: There are flowers round the house.
Expressing encirclement:
Meaning: showing that something surrounds or encircles another thing.
Example: The fence goes round the garden to keep out animals.
In Sequence:
Meaning: Referring to events or actions occurring in a sequence or order.
Example: We go through the same routine every morning, starting with breakfast and ending round bedtime.
Preposition around:
Surrounding or encircling:
Meaning: indicating the area that surrounds something or someone.
Example: There was a crowd of people gathered around the famous actor.
In Various places:
Meaning: Referring to different locations or places without specifying a particular one.
Example: I’ve travelled to many countries around the world.
Approximately:
Meaning: denoting an approximate quantity or time.
Example: It’ll take around 30 minutes to reach the airport.
In the vicinity:
Meaning: Referring to being near or close to a particular location.
Example: There’s a nice café around here where we can grab a coffee.
In a random or disorderly manner:
Meaning: describing actions or movements that are not organised or systematic.
Example: He was walking around the room, unable to sit still.
Concerning or regarding:
Meaning: Referring to a topic or subject.
Example: We had a discussion around the issue of climate change.
Remember that the meanings of prepositions can vary depending on context, so it’s important to consider the specific usage in a sentence to determine the exact meaning.
Round and Around as an adverb:
Round and around can also be used as adverbs to describe the manner or direction of an action.
Here are examples of their adverbial usage:
Round as an adverb:
In a Circular Manner:
Example: She danced round and round in circles until she got dizzy.
Approximately or nearly:
Example: The temperature was hovering at 70 degrees round about noon.
In every direction:
Example: The kids scattered their toys round in the room.
Around as an adverb:
In a circular or surrounding manner:
Example: The birds flew around in the sky before settling on the tree.
Randomly or without a specific plan:
Example: He searched around for his lost keys but couldn’t find them.
In different places or locations:
Example: She travelled around for work and visited many cities.
Here and there:
Example: I looked around for a place to sit, but all the seats were taken.
Adverbs round and around modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to provide more information about how, where, or to what extent an action is performed.
Round and around in word expressions:
Here are examples of word expressions or idiomatic phrases that use the prepositions around and round in various contexts:
With round:
Year-round: Indicates that something happens or is available throughout the entire year.
Example: The amusement park is open year-round, even in the winter months.
Round the clock: means continuously, or 24 hours a day.
Example: The hospital staff works round the clock to provide medical care.
Round trip: A journey to a destination and back to the starting point.
Example: We booked a round trip flight to visit our family for the holidays.
Round of applause: Demonstrates appreciation or approval by clapping hands.
Example: The audience gave the performers a standing round of applause for their outstanding performance.
Go round in circles: move aimlessly or without making progress.
Example: We’ve been driving for hours, and it feels like we’re just going round in circles.
Come round: Regain consciousness or recover from an illness.
Example: After a few hours, she came round from the anaesthesia after surgery.
Get your head round: Understand or grasp a concept or idea.
Example: It took me a while to get my head round the complicated math problem.
Wrap your head round: comprehend or understand something challenging.
Example: It’s difficult to wrap your head round the concept of time travel.
Run round in circles: Be busy but unproductive or ineffective.
Example: The team has been running round in circles trying to solve the problem.
With around:
Look around: examine or search a place or area.
Example: I need to look around the house to find my keys.
Shop around: Compare prices or products at different stores before making a purchase.
Example: Before buying a new laptop, I like to shop around for the best deals.
Turn around: reverse the direction or course.
Example: The hiker realised he had gone the wrong way and had to turn around to get back on track.
Mess around: Engage in playful or aimless activities.
Example: Instead of working on his project, he spent the afternoon messing around with his friends.
Fool around: Behave in a silly or frivolous manner.
Example: Stop fooling around and focus on your homework.
Travel around: Journey to different places or destinations.
Example: They decided to travel around Europe during their summer vacation.
Just around the corner: refers to something that is very close or about to happen soon.
Example: The weekend is just around the corner, so we can relax and enjoy some free time.
Stick around: Remain in a place or stay nearby.
Example: I’ll stick around for a while in case you need any help.
All around: Indicates something is present everywhere or in all directions.
Example: There was beauty all around us as we hiked through the forest.
Look around: suggests examining the surroundings or searching for something.
Example: Before leaving, make sure to look around the room to ensure you haven’t forgotten anything.
Be all around the houses: means to take a long or indirect route to reach a destination.
Example: He took a wrong turn and ended up being all around the houses before finding his way back.
Joke around: Engage in lighthearted or playful teasing or humour.
Example: Friends often joke around with each other to keep the mood light.
Dance around the issue: Avoid addressing or discussing a sensitive topic directly.
Example: Instead of answering the question, she chose to dance around the issue and change the subject.
These word expressions illustrate how round and around are used in various idiomatic phrases to convey specific meanings and nuances in English.
Prepositions – “Round” and Around”