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e) spacial relation, including directional relation - past the gate, by the window, across the river, at the
gate;
f) concessive relation - in spite of the bad weather, despite our protests, for all his attempts, with all her
diligence.
The relations enumerated above to a great degree depend on the meaning of the words connected by
prepositions. Sometimes the relation indicated by a preposition is too abstract to be defined in words, as its use
is often figurative or metaphorical, as in:
He broke away from them on some vague pretext.
The role of the preposition is difficult to define when it introduces predicatives, when its meaning is
‘in the capasity of’, ‘in the role of’, ‘having the quality of’.
As a friend he was admirable, but one cannot praise him as a husband.
His career as a lawyer was short.
We regard him as a fool.
She went to the ball with her aunt as chaperone.
When a preposition is used figuratively, the concept expressed by the preposition may be so blurred or weak
that one preposition may be replaced by another without any essential alteration to the relation between the
words. Thus the following words may be used with different prepositions without change of meaning:
aversion from, to
disgust against, at, towards
repugnance against, for, to
along, down, over the centuries
Words of the same root can be used with different prepositions:
to pride oneself on, to be proud of, pride in;
to confide in, confidence in, to be confident of.
Combinability of prepositions
§ 248. As a rule a preposition governs a noun. However it may also be followed by a pronoun, a gerundial
phrase or a clause with nominal function, as in:
for advantage, at five o’clock, at taking measures, he was surprised at what he saw.
As prepositions indicate only the relationship between two words their position is clearly defined.
Many prepositions tend to form a phrase called a prepositional phrase, often combining either with the
preceding verb or adjective, or with the following noun. Such prepositions cannot be replaced by others.
Phrases comprising verbs with prepositions to laugh at, to call for, to refer to, to look for (at, after) very
often function as idioms, making one whole, so that the verb retains the preposition even if its complement is
transferred, as in the passive construction:
quick action was called for, the book is often referred to.
With some polysemantic verbs the preposition often indicates its meaning, as in: