9th Grammar
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CBSE Class 9 English Grammar – Prepositions

 


CBSE Class 9 English Grammar – Prepositions

1. A preposition may be defined as a word or group of words (e.g. at, in, out of, etc.) used before a noun, pronoun, gerund, etc. to show its relation with another word in a sentence.

For example:

  • They came here at 5 p.m.
  • He was born in 1980.
  • She went out of the room.

These prepositions relate to time, place, position, direction, means, etc.

2. Prepositions of Time:
1. At:
At is used to indicate when something happens. We use at with clock times, e.g. periods of the year, and periods of the day, festivals, etc. But we don’t use at with ‘morning’, ‘evening’, ‘afternoon’, etc.

  • The train left at 8 o’ clock.
  • She used to go to temple at Dussehra and Diwali.
  • He came here at the weekend.
  • She married at the age of twenty.
  • I called on my friend at night.
  • We rested at noon/dawn/dusk.


2. In:
In is used to indicate the period of time in which something happens. We use ‘in’ with centuries, years, seasons, months, periods of the day ‘morning’, ‘evening’, ‘afternoon’: English literature flourished in the 16th century.

  • She was born in 1990.
  • They visited this place in summer.
  • He called on me in the evening.  
  • The theft took place in the day-time.
  • My father went to the U.S.A. in October.
  • It all happend in three minutes/hours/days/years.

3. On:
On is used with days, dates, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

  • We went to see a movie on Tuesday. 
  • He was born on October 3,1980.
  • We congratulated him on his birthday.
  • We gave them a gift on their 20th marriage anniversary.

Note: We use ‘on’ with ‘morning’, ‘afternoon’, ‘evening’, etc. when they are modified:

  • They reached here on a hot afternoon. 
  • People did not come out of their houses on a night like this.
  • We went for fishing on a pleasant morning.

4. During:

During may be used instead of ‘in’ with periods of the day, months, seasons, years, decades and centuries to express the idea that something continues throughout the whole of a specified period.

  • During the war many people were killed.
  • We work during the day and sleep during the night.
  • We try to contact people during October.
  • During the nineties many taxes were imposed.
  • She used to ring up many times during the week.
  • During the journey I came to respect her.

5. By:
By is used to indicate the latest time at which an action will be finished:

  • He will finish this work by 5 o’clock.
  • By that time, the moon was up.
  • You must come to me by 8 a.m.
  • Applications must be received by 10th May.

By can be used instead of during with almost the same.

  • We took rest by day and travelled by night.
  • By mid afternoon about 5,000 people had visited the exhibition.

6. For:
For is used with periods of time to indicate how long an action lasts. It is generally used with the Perfect Tense but is also used with other tenses.

  • They have lived here for five years.
  • It rained continuously for twelve hours.
  • We stayed there for fifteen days.
  • They have been working for two hours.
  • She will not be here for another three hours.

7. Since:
Since is used with a point of time in the past from which some action began and it continues till the time of speaking. It is generally used with the Perfect Tense:

  • He has lived here since 1980.
  • Everything has changed since the last summer.
  • It has not rained since the end of June.
  • He had been writing novels since he was thirty years old.

8. From:
From indicates the starting point of an action in the past or future. It is always used with ‘ to’ or ‘ till ’:

  • They lived here from 1980 till/until 1990.
  • We worked from morning to/till evening.
  • She lived with them from the age of twenty.    
  • He lives in his office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • She is interested in die period from 1950 to 1960

9. Till/Until:
Till and Until are used to show something happening or done up to a particular point in time and then stopping:

  • He is expected to be here until/till the end of the week.
  • I was employed by the company until 1980.
  • You will have to wait until my return.

10. Before and After:
The preposition before and after are used to relate events to a particular time. Before means earlier than and after means later than something.

  • I get up before six.
  • She returned before Monday.
  • They came here after 8 o’clock.
  • We went to Paris four years after our marriage.

3. Prepositions of Place:
1. At:
At is used to show the. exact point, e.g. houses, stations, small villages and towns:

  • They lived at Gohana, a small town in Haryana.
  • He was born at his village, Shilmar.
  • The Prime Minister lives at 10 Downing Street.
  • She works at the Town Hall.
  • The plane landed at London airport.
  • The train stopped at New Delhi Railway Station.

2. In:
In is generally used when the reference is not to any specific place or to the names of large cities, countries, continents, etc.

  • Many people in India live in villages.       
  • They used to live in Bengaluru.
  • The Indians live in India.     
  • They lived in Europe for ten years.

3. On:
On is used to indicate a particular area of land or place where something is:

  • He spent a few days on an island.
  • He worked on a farm for sometime.
  • They built their house on a beautiful piece of land.
  • There is a school on the outskirts of the city.
  • The hotel stands on the banks of a river.

4. Prepositions of Direction:
1. From:
From is used with the starting point or point of departure from a place or the point of origin:

  • They came from China.  
  • We started from Chennai.
  • The train from Kolkata has arrived.
  • She comes from office at 6 p.m.
  • He fell from the fifth floor of the hotel.

2. Off:
Off means from the surface of and also down from:

  • He took the hat off the table.
  • The boy fell off the tree/roof.
  • Keep off the grass.
  • The ball rolled off the floor.
  • Take this packet off the shelf.

3. Out of:
Out of means from the interior of something:

  • He went out of the room. 
  • The bird flew out of the cage.
  • I saw him coming out of the library.
  • She jumped out of the shelf.

Direction Towards:
1. For:
For is used to show direction only when the verb indicates the beginning of a movement:

  • She left for japan early in the morning.
  • We set off for New York.
  • They left for home late at light.

2. Against:
Against means to have contact or pressure:

  • The child threw the ball against the wall.
  • The crowd pressed against the door.
  • He put the ladder against the wall.   
  • She stood, with her back against the wall.
  • He hit his head against the branch.

3. To:
To is used for destination or the end-point:

  • He went from Delhi to Ambala.   
  • She came to India as a tourist.
  • The train started from Kolkata and came to Delhi.
  • He was on his way to the station.
  • We went from London to New York.

4. Towards:
Towards is used to indicate the direction of something:

  • They went towards the airport.
  • He was speeding towards the town.
  • The train was coming towards the station.
  • I saw him hurrying towards me.
  • He stood with his back towards me.
  • She marked towards the river.
  • He ran towards the door.

5. Prepositions of Position:
1. Under:
Under is used to indicate a position that is below or beneath something. It means vertically below:

  • The dog was under the table.  
  • He looked under the bed.
  • They took shelter under the trees.
  • The water flows under the bridge.

2. Underneath:
Underneath has the same meaning as under. It means a position below something.

  • She found a lot of dust underneath the carpet.
  • The coin rolled underneath the table.
  • He hid the gun underneath the bed.
  • He left the key underneath the mat.

‘ Underneath‘’ generally implies covered by something so that the object covered is not seen.

3. Below and Beneath:
Below means in a position lower than something:

  • They could see the village below them.
  • The lake is 500 feet below the sea level.
  • He had a wound below the left shoulder.
  • You should write below this line.

Beneath also means a lower position than something:

  • They found the body beneath a pile of grass.
  • The boat sank beneath the waves.

Beneath has the sense of directly under something.

4. Over:
Over is used to indicate a position vertically above something or somebody or partly or completely covering the surface of something.

  • She hung the calendar over the fireplace.
  • There were books all over the table.
  • They held a large umbrella over her.
  • There was a lamp (hanging) over the table.

5. Above:
Above is used to indicate a position higher than something:

  • There were clouds above us.
  • The water came above our knees.
  • The pilot was flying above the clouds.
  • The birds were flying high above the trees.
  • We lived in the room above the shop.

Above has the sense of something being directly over something else.

6. Prepositions of Travel and Movement:
1. Across: .
Across is used to indicate movement from one side of a space, area, line to the other side:

  • I walked across the road.
  • The cat ran across the lawn.
  • They flew across the Pacific.
  • He walked across the street.

2. Along:
Along is used to indicate movement from one end to or towards the other end of something. The place is seen as a line:

  • We walked along the street.
  • She went along the corridor.
  • He hurried along the path towards me.

3. Into:
Into is used to indicate movement inside a place seen as a volume. The opposite of into is out of. It is used for entering a place, building, vehicle, etc:

  • The boys came into die hall.       
  • She ran into the house.
  • He got into a bus/a train/a plane/a car.
  • The athletes marched into the stadium

4. Onto:
Onto is used to indicate movement into a position on an object or surface:

  • He climbed onto the roof.
  • The cat jumped onto the table.
  • A tree fell onto a car.
  • He stepped out of the train onto the platform.

5. Through:
Through is used to indicate movement from one end of an opening, or a passage to the other. The place is seen as a volume.

  • The train passed through a tunnel.
  • The water flows through this pipe.
  • They were riding through a forest.
  • The ball went flying through the window.

6. Up and Down:
Up is used to indicate movement to a higher position and down to a lower position.

  • We climbed up the hill.       
  • The girl ran up the stairs.
  • ‘ I set off up the road. 
  • She was walking down the street.
  • She fell down the stairs.
  • The stone rolled down the hill.

7. On/In/By (Travel):
We may use on, in or by while using a public or private vehicle. On is used when the vehicle is seen as a surface, in is used when it is seen as a volume. By is used to indicate the means of travel.

  • We travelled on the horseback/foot/a cycle/a bus/a plane.
  • They travelled by bus/car/train/cycle/sea/plane/air.
  • We travelled in a bus/a car/a train/a ship/a plane.

7. Between and Among:
Between is used with two persons or things. Among is used with more than two people or things:

  • Between you and me, she is very stupid.
  • She divided the apples between the two children.
  • C comes between B and D.
  • Samesh sat between Mahesh and Ramesh.
  • He lives in a house among the trees.
  • She divided the money among her four sons.
  • Satish works among the poor.

But if each individual person is mentioned, between is used even if there are more than two:

  • The money was divided up between Mohan, Sohan and Rohan.

If the people are mentioned as a single group, among is used:

  • I shared out the food among the family.
  • The girl quickly disappeared among the crowd.

8. By and Beside:
By means close to someone or something. Beside means by the side of someone or something. Both imply nearness:

  • She was sitting by the door.
  • There is a glass just by your elbow.
  • The telephone is by the window.
  • She was sitting beside her mother.
  • He always kept a dictionary beside him.
  • Who is standing beside Kumar?

Exercise (Solved)

Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions using the given alternatives.

  1. The lion was killed………………….. …. the hunter…………………… a sword, (in, on, by, with)
  2. Father divided his property………………………. four sons, (between, among, of, in)
  3. He has been living in this house……………………… 1985. (for, since, in, on)
  4. I shall return…………………… a month, (in, of, on, for)
  5. The Ramayana is lying…………………. the table, (in, of, on, for)
  6. We shall finish this work……………… 5 p.m. today, (in, by, on, at)
  7. Send me letters…………………… this address, (by, in, to, on)
  8. You should listen………………………. what your parents say. (among, in, to, between)
  9. Sita writes………………….. (with, on, in, at)
  10. He did not listen………………… my advice, (at, to, in, on) ‘

Answer:

  1. by, with.
  2. among.
  3. since.
  4. in.
  5. on.
  6. by.
  7. on.
  8. to.
  9. in.
  10. to.

CBSE Class 9 English Grammar – Determiners

 


CBSE Class 9 English Grammar – Determiners

1. Determiner:

‘Determiner’ is a word used before a noun to indicate which things or people we are talking about. The words ‘a’, ‘the‘, ‘my’, ‘this’, ‘some’, ‘many’, etc. are called determiners:

  • He is a good boy.
  • The boy you met is my friend.
  • This novel is very interesting.
  • I have some information about the accident.
  • There were many people at the station.

All the italicised words are determiners and they limit the meaning of the nouns that follow them.

2. Kinds of Determiners:
CBSE Class 9 English Grammar - Determiners


3. Pre-determiners:
Pre-determiners are the words which occur before a determiner to limit the meaning of a noun:

  • All the boys joined the race.
  • You will get all the information.
  • He drank half of the milk.
  • She stayed there all of the time.
  • Both the boys were present.
  • I paid double the sum for this bed.
  • He gets twice the pay that I get.
  • It was quite a shock.
  • He has rather a pleasant personality.
  • He has such a beautiful wife.
  • What a mess you have made!

4. Articles:

The article system in English consists of the definite article ‘the’ and the indefinite article ‘a’ or ‘an’. We can think of nouns in a specific or general way. When we refer to particular people or things or something that has already been mentioned or can be understood, we use the definite article ‘the’. When we refer to singular nouns for the first time, or refer to things in a general way, we use the indefinite article ‘a’ or ‘an’.
➢ The Definite Article ‘The’:
1. We can use the definite article before any common noun:

  • He threw the ball into the river.
  • The boys were not in the class.

2. We use the definite article to refer to specific persons or things:

  • I want to meet the principal in the school.
  • The tourists crossed the river in a boat.

3. The definite article is used to refer to the things that are only one in the world:

  • The moon and stars were shining in the sky.
  • The sun sets in the west.
  • The earth revolves round the sun.

4. We use the definite article with the words such as school, university, prison, when we are referring to a particular building:

  • They will visit the school on Monday.
  • I met him in the university.

5. The definite article may be used with the countable nouns that are used in the singular to refer to things more general:

  • If you break the law, you will be punished.
  • He played the violin for half an hour.

6. The definite article is used to refer to the parts of the body:

  • Smoking is harmful for the lungs.
  • He caught him by the neck.
  • There was an injury in the right eye.

7. The definite article is used with time expressions:

  • I met her in the evening.
  • She came here in the morning.

8. We use the definite article before something that has already been mentioned.

  • I met a man at the station.
  • The man belonged to Tamil Nadu.

9. The definite article is used before a noun that is followed by a relative clause or a prepositional phrase:

  • The man I met at the station belonged to Haryana.
  • He put the sweater on the table.

10. The definite article is used to refer to familiar things we use regularly:

  • She looked at the ceiling.
  • Suddenly the lights went out.

11. The definite article is used before dates or periods of time:

  • We met on the 15th of October.
  • It is a popular music of the 1940s.

12. The definite article is generally used before a noun which is followed by ‘of ‘:

  • This led to the destruction of the whole village.
  • The burning of houses rendered people homeless.

13. The definite article is used before the names of seas, rivers, deserts, mountains,

  • The ship crossed the Pacific Ocean.
  • Delhi stands on the banks of the Yamuna.
  • The Sahara is a famous desert.
  • They came across the Himalayas.

14. The definite article is used before the names of large public buildings:

  • They visited the Taj Mahal.
  • They went to the Town Hall.

15. The definite article is used before the superlative adjectives:

  • He is the best boy in the class.
  • She is the most beautiful girl in the school.

16. The definite article is used before adjectives such as rich, poor, deaf, dumb, blind, to use them as nouns:

  • The rich and the poor went to the fair.
  • We should help the blind.

17. We use the definite article before the nationals of a country or continent:

  • The Indians are very religious.
  • Some of the Europeans live here.

18. We use the definite article before the names of trains and ships:

  • The Rajdhani Express is a very fast train.
  • The Queen Elizabeth is a famous ship.

➢ The Indefinite Articles-‘ a’ , ‘ an ’:
The indefinite articles (‘a’, ‘an’) are used when we talk about people in a general or indefinite way.
1. The article ‘a’ is used before the words which begin with consonant sounds and ‘an’ is used before the words beginning with vowel sounds. However, some words start with a vowel letter but begin with a consonant sound. So we use the article ‘a’ before these words:

  • He is a European.
  • This is a unique idea.
  • Theirs is a one-parent family.
  • He is teaching at a university.

2. We use an before words which begin with a vowel sound:

  • The girl bought an orange.
  • He is an Indian.
  • He had an umbrella in his hand.

3. Some words begin with a silent So we use an before them:

  • He is an honest man.
  • He is an heir to the throne.
  • I met him an hour ago.

4. We use ‘a’ or ‘an’ before singular countable nouns:

  • Kolkata is a big city.
  • The dog is an animal.

5. We use ‘a’ or ‘on’ before the names of occupations and professions:

  • His father is an engineer.
  • He is a pilot.

6. When we use ‘a’ before ‘little‘ and few‘, there is a change in the meaning of these words. ‘A few’ is used with plural countable nouns, and ‘a little‘ with uncountable nouns. ‘Few‘ means not many, while ‘a few‘ means a small number. ‘Little’ means not much, while ‘a little‘ means some:

  • Few people visit this temple now.
  • I know a few students of this school.
  • There is little water in the bucket.
  • There is a little milk in the bottle.

7. We use ‘a’, ‘an’ before an adjective in a noun phrase:

  • She is a good girl.
  • She told me an interesting story.

8. We use ‘an’ with abbreviations beginning with the following letters: A, E, F, H, I, L, M, N, O, R, S, X (They should have vowel sounds).
For example:

  • His father is an M.P.
  • He is an N.R.I.
  • She got an X-Ray done.

9. We use the indefinite article before certain nouns considered as a single unit:

  • She bought a knife and fork.
  • The old lady had a cup and saucer in her hand.

5. Demonstratives: This, These, That, Those
The demonstrative determiners are used to talk about persons or things that have already been mentioned.
This and These refer to the things that are near and can be seen. ‘That‘ and ‘Those‘ are used to refer to the things that are at a distance but can be seen.

  • We lived in this house for four years.
  • She bought these books.
  • Those boys are very mischievous.
  • I like this school.
  • I met her this week.

This’ and ‘that’ are used for singular nouns and ‘these’ and ‘those’ for plural nouns.

  • Can you lift that box?
  • Would you like to buy those books?
  • These boys have done their work.
  • I have already met that man.

6. Possessives: My, our, your, his, her, its, their. The possessives are used to show possession.

  • He is my uncle.
  • Our neighbour is a rich man.
  • Your daughter is beautiful.
  • What is her age?
  • What is his name?
  • Do you know its value?
  • Their house is very big.

7. Ordinals: first, second, next, last, etc.

  • The ordinals show what position something has in a series:
  • He is the first boy who has joined this school.
  • I shall meet him the next week.
  • He is the last man to help you.

8. Cardinals: one, two, three, hundred, etc.
Cardinals are ordinary numbers like one, two, three, etc. They show how many of something there are:

  • There were only ten boys in the class.
  • She lived for eighty years.
  • He has two daughters.
  • I met three young men at the station.
  • He balanced himself on one foot.

9. Quantifiers: much, some, several, a lot of, both, all, etc.
The quantifiers refer to the quantity of things or amount of something.

  • There were some people at the airport.
  • They had enough guests already.
  • Plenty of people would like to have your job.
  • All children enjoyed the show.
  • They didn’t make much progress.
  • There was little water in the jug.
  • There is no milk in the bottle.
  • It has not made any difference to me.
  • There is enough powder in the can.
  • He drank a lot of water.
  • I have forgotten some of the details.

10. Distributives: each, every, either, neither.
Distributive determiners refer to each single member of a group.
1. Each is used when we talk about the members of a group individually and every when we make a general statement. Both are followed by a singular countable noun:

  • He met each guest.
  • The minister visited every flood-affected area.
  • I agree with every word he says.
  • Each request will be considered.

Either is used to talk about two things, but usually indicates that only one of the two is involved.

  • Either of the two girls should come here.

2. Neither is the negative of either:

  • Neither member came to attend the meeting.

3. Either can also mean

  • People stood in either side (both sides) of the road.
  • Neither is followed by a singular noun.

4. Neither boy said anything.

  • Neither answer is correct.

11. Interrogatives: what, which, whose, etc.
The interrogative determiners are used for asking questions:

  • What subjects are you studying?
  • Which colour do you like the most?
  • Whose house is this?

Exercise (Solved)

Fill in the blanks with suitable determiners.

  1. books are missing from the library. (Any, Some)
  2. She has not solved…………….. sums, (many, any)
  3. This book is mine but…………….. is yours, (that, any)
  4. ……… boys have done their work. (That, These)
  5. He didn’t make……….. progress, (much, many)
  6. He has forgotten…………………… of the details, (some, many)
  7. The District Magistrate visited…………………. flood affected area, (every, either)
  8. ………….. villa is this? (Whose, What)
  9. He is the…………… boy who has joined this gym. (first, whose)
  10. I met her…………… week, (this, those)

Answer:

  1. Some.
  2. many.
  3. that.
  4. These.
  5. much.
  6. some.
  7. every.
  8. Whose.
  9. first.
  10. this.
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