英语中介词的种类有很多。从结构上，可分为简单介词和复杂介词；从意义上，可分为空间(地点)介词、时间介词、原因/目的介词、方式/手段介词以及其它如表示让步、附加意义的介词等。表示地点或空间的介词是很常用的，但不同的情景所用的介词不同，表达的意义也可能不同。现在从字面意义和引申意义来说明地点介词的用法。

　　常用的地点介词有1. 简单介词：about, above, across, along, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, from, in, inside, into, near, off, on, outside, over, past, round, through, throughout, to, towards, under, underneath, up, within等；2.复杂介词: ahead of, all over, away from, close to, in front of, near to, next to, on top of, out of 等。

　　1. 地点介词的字面意义

　　有些情景下，介词表达的就是其字面意义。如：

　　They live below us. (e.g. We live on the fourth floor and they live on the third floor.)

　　但是，要注意以下几点：

　　(1) 同义介词，不同意义。同一名词中心词前的介词不同，即使是同义介词，表达的意义一般也不同。

　　比较：He put the money in his pocket. (着眼于动作的结果，钱在特定的地点)

　　He put the money into his pocket. (着眼于动作进行的全过程)

　　He held his hands above his head. (手与肩垂直并高过头)

　　He held his hands over his head. (手置于头上或部分覆盖了头)

　　(2)介词和名词都相同，冠词不同，意义也不同。如：

　　She is out of question (= undoubtedly) the greatest authority on this subject.

　　I have so much work to do that a holiday for me this year is out of the question. (= quite impossible)

　　2. 地点介词的抽象意义

　　地点介词表示引申意义时不再表示地点，而是表示抽象、比喻意义。一般只能是简单介词表示引申意义。主要结构有以下几种：

　　(1)介词+抽象名词

　　如：in comfort / danger /debt / difficulty / jest / luxury / mercy / revenge / sorrow / trouble; at play / work / war等，表示所处状态。

　　The two tribes were constantly at war.

　　That fellow's insolence is beyond endurance.

　　(2) 介词+具体名词

　　如：at school / sea / university；in office / hospital 等。

　　The boy is still at school. (= still a pupil)

　　The patient was in hospital (= was hospitalized) for a week.

　　(3)介词+名词或代词

　　Mary is under John. (= John is Mary's immediate superior.)

　　Mary is over John. (=Mary is John's immediate superior.)

　　(4)介词+复数名词，表示人或物的外部特征或状态

　　His shoes were in holes.

　　The house was in ruins.

　　(5)介词+a(an)+抽象名词

　　We were at a loss to explain the occurrence.

　　It seems to her that honesty is rather at a discount today.

　　(6)介词+the+动词形的名词

　　如: on the boil / fly / go / hop / increase

　　Keep the kettle on the boil. (= boiling )

　　You can't keep small children still, they are always on the go (= going)

　　The Customs officials were on the watch (= watching) for smuggled whisky.

　　(7) 介词+the/物主限定词+可数(a)或不可数(b)名词

　　(a) He took ages over the job. (= to finish the job)

　　We put him through his paces. (= tested his abilities)

　　(b) I'm feeling under the weather (= not feeling very well) today.

　　They say that he has several new plays on the fire.

　　(8) 介词+the/a(an)+集体名词

　　John is on a committee (= a member of a committee).

　　Mary is on the board of directors (= a member of the board of directors).

　　(9) 介词+物主限定词/'s 属格名词+抽象名词

　　Is that tea quite to Peter's taste?

　　It is exactly to Jane's liking.

　　To the spectators' disappointment, the match had to be abandoned.

　　这种结构中的's属格名词也常被-of 属格名词取代，特别是该名词很长时：

　　To the disappointment of the spectators, the match had to be abandoned.

　　(文/李燕；英语辅导报 大学一年级版 04～05学年第4期； 版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)