UNIT 28: Prepositions III

Topic 20: Traffic and transport

 

I.   Prepositions of time

1. “Ago” (cách đây)

Always after a noun (luôn đứng sau một danh từ)

• Examples:
• He left to Paris 6 years ago.
• I finished it 2 days ago.

2.  "For” (khoảng) and “since” (từ)

• “For” to talk about periods of time (nói về một khoảng thời gian): for two days, for one week, for three months …
• “Since”: to talk about a point of time in the past (nói về một điểm thời gian trong quá khứ): since last week, since the war ended, since 1990, since yesterday …
• often used with the present perfect tense
• Examples:
• Michael went to Phnom Penh last year for three weeks.
• I am in Vientiane for ten days.
• My sister and her husband have worked in India since 1991.
• Alex has been very ill since yesterday evening.

3.  “From … to” (từ...đến), “from … until / till” (từ... cho đến) and "up to” (đến, tới)

a)  "From ... to” and "from ... until / till”

Mark the beginning and end of a period of time (đánh dấu sự bắt đầu và ựu kết thúc của một quãng thời gian) (in present, past or future): from April 1989 to July; from November until / till March …

• Examples:
• From 1987 until 1991, Mary was at the university in Leeds.
• Each day, Arthur works in the bank from nine till five thirty.
• My shop will be closed from 1st July to 31st August.

b)    Up to (đến)

Marks the end of sth (đánh dấu sự kết thúc)

• Examples:
• Steven works up to 9 hours a day.
• My little sister can count from 1 up to 100.

4.  Until/till (đến) and by (tới, đến)

a)  Until / till

To mark the end of a time (đánh dấu sự kết thúc của một quãng thời gian)

• Examples:
• I will stay here until / till 9pm.
• He waited until / till all the pupils were quiet before he began his lesson.

b)  By

• time limit (giới hạn về thời gian): by this afternoon, by tomorrow, by Thursday…

Examples:

• Please pay me by Friday morning. (giới hạn thời gian là hết sáng thứ sáu chứ không phải chỉ đến thứ sáu)
• Will you finish your work by 4 o’clock?
• to say who / what did sth. (in passive voice)

Examples: This novel was written by Maxim Gorki.

• to say “how” to do something

Examples: We can learn English by listening to the radio.

5.  “During” (trong khi) and “while” (trong khi)

a)  “During + a noun or phrase”

I am seeing Simon during the morning.

She will return to England during the Christmas holidays.

b)  While + clause

We will take you to the theater while we are in London.

While Joanna was in Spain, she didn’t go to any church.

 

• Note: If there are two clauses in one sentence with the same subject, we use “while + infinitive + -ing” (nếu trong câu có các chủ ngữ giống nhau, chúng ta dùng “while + động từ nguyên thể + ing)

Examples: While swimming in the sea, Anna was attacked by a shark.

II.        Exercises for time prepositions

1.  Put “since” or “for” in the gaps.

a. I have been waiting ... 4 o'clock.

b. Sue has only been waiting ... 20 minutes.

c. Tim and Tina have been learning English ... six years.

d. Fred and Frida have been learning French ... 1998.

e. Joe and Josephine have been going out together ... Valentine's Day.

f. I haven't been on holiday ... last July.

g. Mary has been saving her money ... many years.

h. I haven't eaten anything ... breakfast.

i. You have been watching TV ... hours.

j. We have been living here ... 2 months.

2.  Fill in "ago”, "from...to", "from...until/till”, "until”, "up to”, "by”

a. Lilly graduated from high-school 5 years …

b. We are available … Monday … Saturday … 7am … 5pm.

c. She will make a strict diet …the  summer.

d. I wish I can finish … 7 pm.

e. The students have to hand in their essays … tomorrow 8am.

f. The cost for a motorbike starts with a price of 200 Dollars and goes … 10 000 Dollars.

g. I need to finish that … 10 am or my boss will get really angry with me.

h. A student in Vietnam studies … 6 hours in one day.

i. Travelling from Hanoi to Hai Phong takes … 3 hours.

j. 10 years … Ronald was a famous popstar.

k. I need more time, maybe … now … noon.

l. Can you remember the stupid thing we did 2 weeks …?

 

3.  Fill in "during” and "while”.

a. Julia met her boyfriend … her summer holidays.

b. My younger brother can eat … he stand on his hands.

c. Everybody has to do this homework … the weekend.

d. Her sister gets totally crazy … she listens to her favourite music.

e. Can you hold my bag please … I buy something in the shop over there?

f. … my schooltime I made so many wonderful experiences.

III.  Traffic and Transport (giao thông và các phương tiện giao thông)

1.  Transport and travelling (phương tiện và du lịch)

Tom: How do you go to school?

John: I go by bus. How about you?

Tom: I go to school by bicycle.

John: Where are you going on holidays?

Tom: I’m going to visit my grandparents in my hometown in Scotland.

John: How do you travel there?

Tom: We get there by airplane.

Questions:

How do you go to school/to your hometown? (by car, bus, motorbike, bicycle, foot)

Where do you go for holidays?

How do you travel there? (by airplane, train, boat, car, bus, motorbike)

2.  Distances (khoảng cách)

John: How far is it from here to your hometown Tom?

Tom: It is about 60 km.

John: How long does it take you to go there?

Tom: Around 2 hours.

Questions:

How far is it from here to your hometown?

How long does it take you to go there?

3.  Finding the way (tìm đường)

Marc: Hey Sandra! Where’s the Big C supermarket?

Sandra: It is near to my house at  the highway, after the train station and opposite to the park. There is a bus stop in front of it. I can show you how to get there by bus..

Marc: You are very nice, thanks.

English man: Excuse me, do you know where the museum is?

Nga: It is close to the stadium. First you walk to the other side of the street, then you turn right into the Hoa Lu street over there, go straight ahead and you will see a stadium on your left side. Behind the stadium but before the park, there is the museum.

English man: Thanks a lot.

Nga: You’re welcome. Please be careful when you cross the road, the traffic is very dangerous in Vietnam and there are many accidents.

Student (on motorbike): Excuse me Madame, where can I find the next hospital? My friend needs a doctor.

Madame: Go straight ahead, slow down at the intersection and turn left. Drive straight for 500m and turn left into the second street. Pass 2 intersections and you can find the hospital on your right side next to the park.

Student: Thank you very much.

Madame: Take care, don’t drive too fast and stop at the traffic lights!

• To ask for the way you can say (để hỏi về con đường, bạn có thể nói): Excuse me, where can I find.../where is.../could you describe the way to... for me please?
• To describe the way you can say (để miêu tả con đường, bạn có thể nói): Turn left/right, go straight (ahead), go across/cross the street, pass the intersection, you can find the... on your left/right side.

4.  Exercise:Describe the way from your classroom to (miêu tả con đường từ phòng học của bạn đến):

a) the headmaster’s office

b) your room

c) the school gate

d) the kitchen

 

VI. Prepositions of movement (giới từ về sự di chuyển)

1.  Out/out of (ngoài)

Position or movement (vị trí hoặc sự di chuyển)

• Examples:
• He has just gone out.(movement)
• He is out in the rain.(position)
• The light is out.(position)
• Put your hands out of the pocket. (movement)
• We’re out of eggs. (there are no eggs anymore)
• He threw the stone out of the window. (movement)

2.  Into (vào trong) and onto (vào)

a)  Into: To enter an enclosed space (vào một không gian kín)

She went into the kitchen / the bathroom.

b)  Onto: movement to the top of sth. / sb. (sự di chuyển lên đỉnh của cái gì)

The cat jumps onto the roof.

Julia climbs onto the top of the mountain.

3.  Off (hết, xuống)

Often used with public transports (thường dùng với các phương tiện giao thông)

• Examples:
• The cat jumps off the table.
• We get off the airplane.
• Can you get off the boat, please?

4.  up (lên) and down (xuống)

a)  Up

They are walking up the hill.

Sarah runs upstairs.

b)  Down

They are walking down the hill.

Sarah runs downstairs.

5.  Over and across (qua)

The horse jumped over the fence.

Let’s walk across  the street.

6.  Straight (ahead) (thẳng)

Go straight and you will see my house.

Straight ahead there is a market.

7.  Towards (hướng tới) and against (chống lại)

a)  Towards

Peter walks slowly towards the dark tunnel.

The football is rolling towards you! Kick it!

b)  Against 

The bird flies against the window.

Tom is kicking the football against the wall.

8.  Through and throughout

a) Through (qua, xuyên qua, suốt )

We’re driving through the dark tunnel.

I go trough the airport.

b) Throughout (từ đầu đến cuối, khắp, suốt )

Throughout the world - khắp thế giới

Throughout the year - suốt năm

9.  Per and via

a)  Per (mỗi, bằng, qua, do) :

Per post - qua bưu điện

Per day - mỗi ngày

• Examples: 1 dollar per person - mỗi người một đô la

b)  Via (qua, theo đường):

• Examples: Bill travelled to Da Nang via Hue.

Via e-mail

V.   Exercises for movement prepositions

1.  Put the letters in the correct order to find the prepositions.

tou, pu, rep, ghourth, toughourt, stainag, iav, otni, otno, fof, wond, crasso, wodrast, veor, ghrastit

2.  Fill in the correct preposition.

a. Let’s walk … the forest.

b. Peter has sent me a love letter … post.

c. Believe me, you can find nice people … the world.

d. My flight to Hanoi was … Bangkok.

e. I want to go … tonight with all my friends.

f. You can learn languages … speaking as much as possible.

g. Go … and you will find the university on your right side.

h. Watch …! You are driving … a fence!

i. Oh, I like it when butterflies fly … my head.

j. The market is on the other side of the street, so you have to go … the street.

k. There is a monkey jumping … this tree over there. It’s so high.

l. Now the monkey climbs … again, it will reach the ground soon.

m. The captain stepped … a chair to shout: "Get ... the boat! We are sinking!”

3.  Fill in the correct preposition. Have a look at the vocabulary at the end of this unit first.

Kandra pushed all his stuff ... Richard’s hands and told him to go … her house. He refused to go, so she threw his mobile phone ...the window to get rid of him. Then she ran ...stairs, … the living room, … to the bedroom and locked the door behind her.

"My love, I won’t let you …, even if you don’t want to speak with me” she heard his voice … the door. "Please don’t cut me … your life because I’m … having children. Don’t break … with me.”

"I can’t. I love children and I always wanted to have a family. We are too different. It’s .... Richard.”

"Ok, I respect your decision. You will get your things back … post. I’ll send a package. Keep your head …, Kandra.”

Kandra waited until he went out of the front door, then she jumped … the bed, pulled the blanket over her head and cried … the pillow.