ADVANCED PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
to be absorbed in sth
to be very interested in sth (a book/ a film/
your work/ a video game) I was so absorbed in my work that I missed lunch
aside from sth/sb except for/ apart from
an asset to sth very valuable to sth (company or institution) Jim is an asset to this company.
a ban on sth/doing sth an official prohibition
to cater for
to provide things / a service that sb needs or
wants
to comply with sth
to do what you have to do or what you have
been asked to do
Contestants are expected to comply with the rules of
the competition
to confide in sb (about
sth) to tell sb sth which is private or personal You should be able to confide in your family doctor
to cope with sth to deal with a difficult situation or a problem I cannot cope with all this work.
to be credited with sth/
doing sth
to be considered responsible for sth good /
important He is credited with the invention of microwave.
a cutback in sth
a reduction in the numbers of sth or the
amount of money spent on sth The cutbacks in staff were unevitable.
to disapprove of sb/sth to dislike sb / sth I strongly disapprove of the way they spend money.
to excel at sth to be very good at sth She excels at math.
to be familiar with sth to know sth or understand it well Are you familiar with Microsoft Word?
to be hopeless at sth to be very bad at sth I'm hopeless at geography.
to have an impact on
sth/sb to have a big effect on sth/sb
The brewing time has a noticeable impact on the
taste of coffee.
judging by sth
based on what I can see / have seen / have
heard, this is my opinion
Judging by the look in his face, I'd say he just got
fired.
to long for sth to really want sth She longed for him to take her dancing
ADVANCED PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
to be noted for to be well known and admired for
This region of Czech Republic is noted for its
delicious wine.
to persist in
to continue to do sth even though you have
been previous warned or told no to If you persist on being late, you will be expelled.
to be pressed / pushed
for time
to be in a hurry and hence have very little time
to do sth I will have to take a cab, I'm a bit pressed for time.
prior to (formal) before
We did a lot of material research prior to launching
this product.
to have a reputation for to be well known for
Adrian has a reputation for bringing breakfast for
all the morning classes.
to talk sense into sb to persuade sb to stop doing sth foolish
Someone has to talk some sense into him. He can't
just cancel the whole play!
to update sb on sth to give sb the most recent news about sth
The director wanted to be updated every day on the
stage-building progress.
at all costs
whatever happens, used with the verbs avoid
and prevent
Drinking the tap water should be avoided at all
costs.
at the latest no later than (used with a time or a date)
Entry forms must reach the office by May 3 at the
latest.
to be at stake to be at risk We can't stop now. Too much is at stake.
in the long run at some time in the distant future
The budget is okay for the time being. But in the
long run we won't be able to avoid the cutbacks.
on behalf of as a representative of
On behalf of the council, I wan to thank you all for
your support.
on condition that (formal) if, and only if
I will land you the camera on condition that you
return it by tomorrow.
(to be) on good terms
with sb to have a good relationship with sb I'm not on very good terms with him.
to be on the brink of to be very close to I think the production is on the brink of collapse.
ADVANCED PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
on the dot exactly; at an exact time, punctually The performance begins at 8 o'clock on the dot.
to be on the verge of to be very close to She was on the verge of tears.
beyond repair too badly damaged to be repaired The stage lights are beyond repair.
under the impression
that to wrongly believe that sth is true
I was under the impression that the rehearsal
started at 7:30, not at 7:00.
on the grounds that for the reason that, because
They objected to the proposal on the grounds that it
would be too expensive.
in vain with no success Our labor was in vain.
in lieu of instead of
They will allow you to receive cash in lieu of
vacation time.
in the region of approximately
They estimate that the temperature yesterday was
in the region of 36 degrees.
in / out of keeping with
sth suitable (or not) for a particular situation
The modern decor was out of keeping with the
antique setting.
on the fringe of not mainstream He is on the fringe of society.
underway having started and in progress Casting is well underway.
in bulk
in large quantities and generally at a reduced
price Retail multiples buy in bulk.