Blog about English
Situations where prepositions are optional or omitted.
Some English expressions normally occur without a preposition even when another language may require one.
Preposition omission is especially common with certain time expressions, movement expressions, frequency expressions, and fixed verb patterns.
Home can function as an adverb after verbs of movement without a preceding to.
For example, We went home, She walked home, and They drove home.
Home can take a preposition when it is treated as a noun phrase or when a more specific relationship is expressed.
For example, We went to the house and She was at home. The choice depends on the intended construction.
Yesterday normally occurs without at, on, or in when used as a basic time expression.
For example, I saw her yesterday.
Today and tomorrow normally occur without a preposition in basic time expressions.
For example, I am working today and We will leave tomorrow.
Expressions such as last week and next year normally occur without a preposition.
For example, We met last week and I will see you next month.
Expressions such as this morning, this week, that evening, and that year normally occur without a preposition.
For example, I saw him this morning and We met again that evening.
Every and each are determiners that normally occur directly before a time or frequency noun without a preposition.
For example, every day, every Monday, each week, and each month.
Expressions such as once a week, twice a month, and three times a year normally omit an additional preposition before the frequency unit.
For example, She visits us twice a year.
The frequency expression once a day, twice a week, and similar structures uses a directly after the number or frequency expression.
For example, Take the medicine twice a day.
Every other is followed directly by the relevant noun without of.
For example, We have a meeting every other week.
Duration can sometimes be expressed without for when the duration phrase functions naturally as an adjunct.
For example, I waited two hours can be used instead of I waited for two hours.
With spend, a duration expression can normally occur directly without for.
For example, I spent two hours studying.
Expressions containing last or next normally omit a preposition before the time period.
For example, I worked last weekend and We are leaving next summer.
Ago follows a quantity of time directly and does not require another preposition.
For example, She left three days ago.
Place adverbs such as everywhere, somewhere, anywhere, and nowhere normally occur without an additional preposition when used as complete location expressions.
For example, We looked everywhere and I cannot find it anywhere.
Here and there can function as complete adverbial expressions without a preceding preposition.
For example, Come here and Put the box there.
Call can take a direct object without to when identifying the person being contacted.
For example, Call me tomorrow and I called John yesterday.
Answer can normally take a direct object without to when identifying the person or communication being responded to.
For example, She answered me immediately and He did not answer my question.
Enter can take a direct object naming the place entered and normally does not require into or to in the standard construction.
For example, She entered the room, not She entered into the room in the ordinary physical-entry meaning.
Approach can take a direct object and normally does not require to before the destination.
For example, We approached the station and The car approached the bridge.
Discuss can take a direct object and normally does not require about before the topic.
For example, We discussed the problem, not We discussed about the problem.
Request can take a direct object for the thing requested and does not require for in that construction.
For example, She requested more information.
Mention takes a direct object and normally does not require about before the subject mentioned.
For example, He mentioned the problem during the meeting.
Reach takes a direct object naming the destination and normally does not require to.
For example, We reached the station at six, not We reached to the station.
Resemble takes a direct object and normally does not require to.
For example, She resembles her mother, not She resembles to her mother.
A preposition can sometimes remain implicit when the relative structure itself makes the relationship clear.
For example, The person I spoke to can omit the relative pronoun but retain the preposition at the end.
In some informal constructions, prepositions may be omitted when the intended relationship is obvious from context, although the omission is not equally acceptable in all structures.
For example, Where are you going? does not need an additional to because where already provides the directional information.
Certain destinations such as home, school, work, and bed can occur in conventional structures without an additional preposition or article depending on their meaning.
For example, go home, go to school, be at work, and go to bed.
A preposition should not be omitted when it is part of a required verb, noun, adjective, or phrase pattern.
For example, depend on, interested in, and responsible for require their usual prepositions.
Some expressions allow different preposition patterns depending on the variety of English or level of formality.
For example, different regions may prefer different patterns with weekend expressions, while the underlying meaning remains the same.
Some verbs that learners expect to be followed by prepositions instead take direct objects because they are transitive in the intended construction.
For example, discuss the issue, enter the building, reach the station, and mention the problem.
English preposition omission often differs from patterns in other languages and therefore should be learned as part of the English construction.
For example, learners may incorrectly add about after discuss or to after reach because the equivalent expression in another language uses a preposition.
The presence or absence of a preposition can sometimes change the grammatical construction or meaning rather than simply making the expression more or less formal.
For example, remember something and remember about something are different constructions with different meanings.
Omit prepositions only where English grammar and lexical patterns allow them, and retain prepositions that form part of fixed constructions.
Common mistakes include go to home, discuss about, reach to, enter into when unnecessary, mention about, and adding prepositions before last, next, every, yesterday, and tomorrow.