Lesson 1: Preposition + Noun

The pattern Preposition + Noun gives English many phrases which answer questions like

"Where?" (He isn't in prison)

"When?" (I met him at lunch)

"Why?" (He did it for fun)

"How?" (He replied in surprise)

In + Noun	Noun
Be in a bad / good mood	She is in a bad mood.
Be in high / low spirits	They were all in high spirits
Be in fashion / vogue (fashionable / trendy)	Bell-bottomed jeans are not in fashion now.
Be in disguise	He was in disguise
Do sth in disguise	She went to the party in disguise
Do sth in pain	He cries out in pain
Do sth in public	He makes the speech in public
Do sth in embarrassment	He tell us the truth in embarrassment
Do sth in person	You have to submit the form in person
Pay in cash	Can you pay the bill in cash?
In the end (at last , eventually)	In the end , everyone was pleased

On + Noun
Be on sick leave	Mary is on sick leave today
Be on casual leave	She is on casual leave today
Be on study leave	Miss Wong is on study leave.
Be on maternity leave	She is now on maternity leave
Be on duty	He cannot join us as he is now on duty
Be on holiday / vacation	He'll be on holiday / vacation next month.
Be on a diet	I am on a diet
Do sth on purpose	I didn't do it on purpose
Do sth on impulse	If we act on impulse, we do something without planning or thorough consideration

By + Noun
Do sth by chance	I found my diamond ring by chance
Do sth by mistake	I took your exercise book by mistake
Do sth by accident	I knocked the bucket over by accident
Do sth by law	He got the property by law
Send/apply for sth by mail/e-mail	Send me the information by registered mail.
Send/apply for sth by fax	Can I have the invoice sent by fax?
Send/apply for sth by hand	Please send it by hand
Travel by plane/bus/car/ship/boat	My mum doesn't like to travel by plane.
Travel by air/land/sea	Nowadays, we seldom travel by sea
Pay by cheque	Please pay the school fee by cheque
Pay by credit card	You must pay the fee by credit card

For + Noun
Do sth for fun	I learn cooking just for fun
Do sth for a change	We're going to Mainland China for a change
Go for a walk	Let's go for a walk after dinner

Application and Clarification

1.Mrs Lee is expecting a baby. she is now on maternity leave.

2.Don't worry! We can contact each other by e-mail. We can both get a computer, right?

3.Let's go for a walk. It is a good way to relax.

4.Mary is now in a bad mood because she has failed again.

5.Mini-skirt is in vogue again these days. Just look at the woman in the streets and you will know.

6.I hate travelling by sea. Just imagine being seasick for days!

7.She is actually not that clever. She got the answer by chance only.

8.Upon careful consideration. she agreed to come in the end.

9.Yan has been putting on weight. She is now on a diet.

10.Credit card is not acceptable in this department store. You have to pay in cash.

1.He took my suitcase by mistake. Our suitcases are very similar in color.

2.No more Japanese food! Can we have Thai food for a change?

3.Even registered mail is not reliable enough. You'd better submit your paper in person.

4.It is surprising to see that no one is on duty even during office hours.