TYPICAL ERROR The thief stole the handbag off the old lady.
CORRECTION The thief stole the handbag from the old lady.
EXPLANATION Prepositions are the little words that introduce phrases (for example, in, of, to). Because we use phrases all the time, prepositions are being used continually. In fact, the words in, of, and to (together with about 100 other prepositions) are amongst the most frequently used words in English.
Because prepositions can be used in so many ways, choosing the correct preposition to use is something that we learn over time. However, there is an underpinning logic to it, much of which is to do with placement of things in space or time and with a sense of direction, as shown by the following examples.
Compare:
with:
In the first sentence, the preposition off implies that the weights were positioned on Luke but were removed with an upwards motion; in the second sentence, the preposition from indicates a handing over of the weights. Many prepositions have this sense of placement or direction.
Thus it is that we can be at the movies but in the cinema. (The word in gives the sense of being inside, as if in a box, whereas at just suggests that we are located at a place.) We can watch a movie at the cinema or at home on the television. (In the first example, the emphasis is on us; we are positioned at the movies. In the second example, it is the film that is on the television.) We can be in bed watching the movie (i.e. with covers over us) or we can be on the bed. If we go to the movies with a friend, there is a sense of being accompanied. If we go to the cinema, there is a sense of direction towards it; if we return from the cinema, there is a sense of direction away from it.
In the typical error above, the preposition off has been used after stole. The preposition from is required because the sense is that something has been taken away from someone, not off them. (We might take off some headphones and hand them to a friend, who takes them from us and puts them on!)
It is impossible to cover all the possible variations here, but we can look at some of the phrasing where problems commonly arise. This list indicates which preposition ought to be used after particular words.
- to be similar...to → to be different...from
- in opposition...to → in preference...to
- to be honest...with (someone) → to be honest....about (something)
- to buy...from → to borrow...from
- to be ignorant...about → to have disregard...for
- to comply...with → to make reference...to
- to learn...from → to read...from
- to take...from (someone) → to take...off (for example, off the table)