英语介词的使用
英语的介词使用广泛而搭配多样，它们表达与句子中其它单词的关系。介词本身如，in或after若不和其它单词搭配，很难定义其含义。因此必须是一个介词短语才有意义。
我们用教授的desk为例来描述介词的功能。
The professor can sit before the desk (or in front of the desk).
The professor can sit on the desk (when he's being informal) or behind the desk, and then his feet are under the desk or beneath the desk.
He can stand beside the desk (meaning next to the desk).
He can stand before the desk.
He can stand between the desk and you.
The professor can even stand on the desk (if he's really strange).
If he's clumsy, he can bump into the desk or try to walk through the desk (and stuff would fall off the desk).
Passing his hands over the desk or resting his elbows upon the desk, he often looks across the desk and speaks of the desk or concerning the desk as if there were nothing else like the desk.
Because he thinks of nothing except the desk, sometimes you wonder about the desk, what's in the desk, what he paid for the desk, and if he could live without the desk.
You can walk toward the desk, to the desk, around the desk, by the desk, and even past the desk while he sits at the desk or leans against the desk.上面蓝色的单词都是介词，都是表达了与桌子的关系。看到这么多介词在英语中表示与桌子的关系是不是很吃惊？这些介词的搭配对于欧美国家说英语的人习以为常，但对我们这些把英语当外语学习的人的确是个挑战。
所有这些的发生都和时间有关: during the class, before the class, until the class, throughout the class, after the class, 等等。
看下面的例子，即便同样的主谓结构，可能介词短语不同：
We are at the hospital to visit a friend who is in the hospital.
We lie in bed but we lie on the couch.
We watch a film at the theater but we watch a film on television.
表达时间的介词: at, on, and in
用at指代特定的时间
The train is due at 12:15 p.m.
用on指定特定的一天或日期
We use on to designate days and dates.My brother is coming on Monday.We're having a party on the Fourth of July.
用in表达年、季节、一天的某段时间。She likes to jog in the morning.It's too cold in winter to run outside.He started the job in 1971.He's going to quit in August.
表达地点的介词at, on, and in
我们用at代表具体的地点：Bob lives at 55 Boretz Road in Durham.
我们用on来指代街道、马路的名称。Her house is on Boretz Road.
我们用in来表达某个地区。She lives in Durham.Durham is in Windham County.Windham County is in Connecticut.
表达位置的介词：in, at, and on或没有介词
IN(the) bed*the bedroomthe car(the) class*the library*school*
ATclass*homethe library*the officeschool*work
ONthe bed*the ceilingthe floorthe horsethe planethe train
NO PREPOSITIONdownstairsdowntowninsideoutsideupstairsuptown
表达运动的介词: toThey were driving to work together.She's going to the dentist's office this morning.
Toward 和 towards 也是有用的介词表达运动，意思相同，知识拼写不同，用哪一个取决于哪个在句子中发音顺口。We're moving toward the light.This is a big step towards the project's completion.
若有home, downtown, uptown, inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs, 等这类词，不需要介词。Grandma went upstairsGrandpa went home.They both went outside.
时间相连的介词: for and since
我们用for来衡量时间的的长短：He held his breath for seven minutes.She's lived there for seven years.The British and Irish have been quarreling for seven centuries.
我们用since和一个特定的时间或日期相连.He's worked here since 1970.She's been sitting in the waiting room since two-thirty.
介词与名词、形容词、副词搭配
当介词与名词或形容词等搭配时候，往往约定熟成，称为固定搭配，构成了一个单词或词组。
名词与介词的组合
approval ofawareness ofbelief inconcern forconfusion aboutdesire for
fondness forgrasp ofhatred ofhope forinterest inlove of
need forparticipation inreason forrespect forsuccess inunderstanding of
形容词与介词的组合
afraid ofangry ataware ofcapable ofcareless aboutfamiliar with
fond ofhappy aboutinterested injealous ofmade ofmarried to
proud ofsimilar tosorry forsure oftired ofworried about
动词与介词的组合
apologize forask aboutask forbelong tobring upcare forfind out
give upgrow uplook forlook forward tolook upmake uppay for
prepare forstudy fortalk aboutthink abouttrust inwork forworry about
介词与动词结合形成的惯用法
agree to a proposal, agree with a person, agree on a price, agree in principleargue about a matter, argue with a person, for or against a propositioncompare to compare withcorrespond to a thing, correspond with a persondiffer from differ with a personlive at an address,live in a house or city, live on a street, with other people下面请你练习，在空白内填入合适的介词, 答案在后。
We may play football. It depends ______ the weather.2. We want to see a big increase ________ productivity.3. Excuse me, sir. You haven’t paid ______ your drink.4. His wife is suffering _______ hepatitis.5. I hate the thought ______ going back to work.6. I am sorry _____________ breaking your window.7. Who is responsible _______ the shopping this week?8. You remind me _______ a boy I was at school with.9. I am pleased _________ my exam results.10. The noise from upstairs prevented me _______ sleeping.11. She insisted _______ paying for the drinks.12. I am having difficulty_______ my visa processing.答案
1. We may play football. It depends on the weather.2. We want to see a big increase in productivity.3. Excuse me, sir. You haven’t paid for your drink.4. His wife is suffering from hepatitis.5. I hate the thought of going back to work.6. I am sorry for / about breaking your window.7. Who is responsible for the shopping this week?8. You remind me of a boy I was at school with.9. I am pleased with / about / at my exam results.10. The noise from upstairs prevented me from sleeping.11. She insisted on paying for the drinks.12. I am having difficulty with my visa processing.