Timeline for Double preposition?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
11 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 2017 at 14:38 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | ...but I don't have a huge problem with It's in on the table (where in implies in there or indoors, for example). | |
| Mar 23, 2017 at 14:36 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | @Nigel: Because your comment "pinged" me to revisit this one, I couldn't resist googling "four consecutive prepositions". I'm a bit dubious about the mythical schoolboy asking the teacher What did you lock the book that you read to us out of up for?, but Why don't you come on over down to my house? sounds "almost" plausible. | |
| Mar 22, 2017 at 20:25 | comment | added | Nigel Touch | The "man is in on the joke" but I don't think the "apple is in on the table". | |
| Dec 18, 2013 at 1:40 | comment | added | user2720402 | The best available answer. | |
| Dec 18, 2013 at 1:40 | vote | accept | user2720402 | ||
| Dec 13, 2013 at 16:45 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | ...if you want a different example, here are plenty of written instances (with three consecutive prepositions) of "up above in the" | |
| Dec 13, 2013 at 16:43 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | @Jan: It just means the location of the apple can be described as both in [there] (i.e. - somewhere that the speaker is "outside" of), and on [the table] (i.e. - the table is underneath the apple, holding it up above the floor). In practice that particular sequence might not be said very often, but there's nothing in the "rules of grammar" saying you can't string together multiple prepositions of place... | |
| Dec 13, 2013 at 8:18 | comment | added | John Dvorak | @FumbleFingers wait, what does "The apple is in on the table" mean? | |
| Dec 12, 2013 at 12:36 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | @user2720402: To repeat - your entire concept of double prepositions being "wrong" seems unhelpful to me. There's nothing inherently wrong with "The apple is in on the table". I really think it would be better for you to forget you ever heard of this "rule", since it doesn't seem to reflect any aspect of English I know about. Besides which, it's causing you to reject valid constructions and invent your own "unlikely" alternatives, so it's actually more of a hindrance than a help. | |
| Dec 12, 2013 at 6:29 | comment | added | user2720402 | But I wonder if it is redundant to use double preposition at most of the case. As you can see, modified sentence 1 can express the same thing by using one preposition. Moreover, some double preposition is obviously wrong, for example, "The apple is in on the table.". Are there any rule to determine whether a double preposition is correct? | |
| Dec 12, 2013 at 3:32 | history | answered | FumbleFingers | CC BY-SA 3.0 |