What is a preposition? A preposition is the part of speech that shows the relation of a noun or a pronoun to some other word in a sentence, clause, or phrase.
Prepositions often are referred to as "those little words." But they are little words that mean a lot, for prepositions reveal place, time, direction, manner, and companionship, among other things.
For the most part, prepositions are used to show the relationship between nouns and pronouns.
All Students of Spanish discover quickly that the prepositions por and para are a force with which to be reckoned. At first, we discover that the both mean "for"; however, under colser inspection, we find out that each has several other meanings; some are shared by both, and others are unique to each one.
The issues encountered with por and para are sometimes compared with those of ser and estar, both of which translate as "to be". In the case of ser and estar, we have one (seemingly) clear-cut term in English and two terms in Spanish, each with a list of rules and baggage for us to absorb.
The relationship between verbs and prepositions is a special one. Insome cases, the prepositions exists in the definition of the verb itself; in other cases, the meaning of the verb depends upon the preposition that follows it. In this unit you will expand your vocabulary by exploring the intricate relationship between verbs and prepositions.
There are many Spanish verbs whose definitions in English include a preposition. It is important to know these verbs in order to resist the temptation to add a preposition when none is needed or when adding one is grammatically incorrect.