The mastery of prepositions of place at, in and on among the seventh semester students at English Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University - USD Repository

THE MASTERY OF PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE AT, IN AND ON AMONG THE SEVENTH SEMESTER STUDENTS AT ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT OF SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

  By

MARSILUS MARSELL WIBOWO

  Student Number: 084214032

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS

THE MASTERY OF PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE AT, IN AND ON AMONG THE SEVENTH SEMESTER STUDENTS AT ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT OF SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

  By

MARSILUS MARSELL WIBOWO

  Student Number: 084214032

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS

  

“Hope is

a waking dream ”

  (Aristotle)

  

“A journey of a thousand miles begins

with a single step”

  (Lao tzu)

  

“And we know that God causes

everything to work together for the good

of those who love God and are called

according to His purpose for them”

  (romans 8: 28) This Thesis is Dedicated To Jesus Christ, My Savior My Beloved Parents and Families and

  My Dearest Friends

  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  First of all, I would like to thank God, the Lord of Heaven and Earth for His Blessing and His wonderful miracles along my life. I am so grateful for He who has given me a chance to learn in Sanata Dharma University up to now.

  I would like to say my gratitude and love to my family. I thank my parents for their support, advice, care and love. I thank my big family for the given support for me. They are more than a family.

  I am really indebted to my advisor, Anna Fitriati, S.Pd., M.Hum., who gives me suggestions and advices and because she guides me along the process of finishing my thesis with her valuable time and patience. Her advices will be unforgettable. Her suggestions were really helpful for me in the process of making this thesis. My gratitude is also dedicated to my co-advisor, Dra. Bernardine Ria Lestari, M.S., who guides me along the process before the examination.

  My special thanks also go to the lecturers of INTET, who were Risang Baskara, S.S., Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M.Hum., and Linda Valentina Budiman, S.S., M.Hum., who gave me permission to administer the test in their classes. I would also like to dedicate my special gratitude to the seventh semester students of English Letters Department in academic year of 2012/2013. You were really helpful for my research. I would like to say thanks to Miss Ag. Kustulasari 81, S.Pd., M.A. for the given support, care and advice.

  I thank all my dearest friends; Putri, Uchat, Winda, Gisel, Yeyen, Rani, and their support. I also thank Mary and Mas Putra for the great friendship we have. Thank you for your time and company.

  The special gratitude of mine goes to Gandroeng Choir Community where I can spend my time to share my happiness, loneliness, sadness and friendship with them. I would like to give my thanks to all of my friends whom I cannot mention one by one. Thank you for the sweetness friendships we have. May the Lord have mercy on us and bless our life.

  Marsilus Marsell Wibowo

  TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………… i APPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………. ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ………………………………………………

  iii

  PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN …………………………………

  iv

  MOTTO PAGE ……………………………………………………… v DEDICATION PAGE ……………………………………………….

  vi

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS …………………………………………...

  vii

  TABL E OF CONTENTS …………………………………………… ix LIST OF TABLES ………………………………………………….. x LIST OF CHARTS AND APPENDICES …………………………. xi ABSTRACT

  ………………………………………………………….

  xii

  A

BSTRAK …………………………………………………………… xiii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION …………………………………..

  1 B. Problem Formulation ………………………………………….

  32 C. Research Partic ipants …………………………………………..

  ……… 70 A. Conclusion ……………………………………………………… 70

  CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

  B. The Possible Factors that May Cause the Students in Mastering the Prepositions of place at, in, and on ………………………… 67

  42 A. Students’ Mastery in Using English Prepositions of Place ……. 42

  40 F. Research Procedure …………………………………………… 41 CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS …………………………………………..

  37 E. Data Analysis Procedure ………………………………………

  37 D. Data Gathering Procedure ……………………………………..

  31 B. Research Instruments …………………………………………..

  4 C. Problem Limitation ……………………………………………

  31 A. Research Method ………………………………………………

  29 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ………………………………...

  11 C. Theoretical Framework ……………………………………….

  8 B. Review of Re lated Theories …………………………………..

   8 A. Review of Related Studies …………………………………….

  5 CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW ………………………..

  1 A. Background of the S tudy ……………………………………...

  5 D. Objectives of the Study ………………………………………..

  5 E. Research Benefits ……………………………………………..

  

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 The relation of meaning among the English preposition of place at,

  in and on

  ……………………………………………………….. 12

Table 2.2 A cause-and-effect relationship between the notions of simple position and destin

  ation ………………………………………… 15

Table 3.1 The Blueprint of the Distribution of the Prepositions of Place in the

  Questionnaire …………………………………………………… 39 Table 4.1

  The Students’ Achievements in Part A ………………………... 43 Table 4.2

  The Students’ Achievements in Part B ………………………… 45 Table 4.3

  Overall Students’ Achievements in the Test ………………….... 47 Table 4.4

  The Errors Classification ………………………………………. 49 Table 4.5

  The Descriptive Analysis ………………………………………. 51 Table 4.6

  The Students’ Achievements in the Test ……………………….. 53 Table 4.7

  The Students’ Achievement in Preposition of Place on ………... 54 Table 4.8

  The Students’ Achievement in Preposition of Place in ………… 54 Table 4.9

  The Students’ Achievement in Preposition of Place at ……...…. 55

  

LIST OF CHARTS AND APPENDICES

Chart 1.

  The students’ Achievement in Part A ……….…………………. 44 Chart 2. The students’ Achievement in Part B ……….…………………. 46 Chart 3. The students’ Achievement in the Test ….….…………………. 48 Appendix 1.

  Students’ Score …………………………………………………. 77 Appendix 2. The Reliability of the Half Test ……. …………………………. 78 Appendix 3. The Reliability of the Half Test ……. …………………………. 78 Appendix 4. The Variables of the Questionnaire ……………………………. 78 Appendix 5. The Questionnaire Outlook ……………………………………. 78 Appendix 6. The Answer Key of the Questionnaire …………………………. 83

  

ABSTRACT

  MARSILUS MARSELL WIBOWO (2012). The Mastery of Prepositions of

  

Place at, in, and on among the Seventh Semester Students at English Letters

Department of Sanata Dharma University. Yogyakarta: Department of English

  Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.

  In a sentence, each part of speech takes an important place. One example of parts of speech in English is preposition. A Preposition links the relationship of meaning of a sentence between the things for which they stand. The prepositions of place are considered as the most complicated since each preposition of place has its own function underlying its form.

  This study was aimed to answer two problems; 1) How accurate are the seventh semester students at English Letters Department in using English prepositions of place at, in, and on? and 2) What are the problems that cause the students’ error in using English prepositions at, in, and on?

  The instrument which was used in order to answer the problems in the problem formulation was a questionnaire or a test. This was a survey research of which the object of the study was the seventh semester students at English Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University of academic year 2012/2013. A cluster random sampling was used to gather the data. There were two classes of INTET (Introduction to English Test) classes that were chosen as the data.

  Based on the Academic Regulation 2010 of Sanata Dharma University, the writer found that the mastery of the seventh semester students in using the prepositions of place at, in, and on was sufficient. The students’ average score was 16.69 (66.76%) in which 64.10% students were considered to enter the category of sufficient. This achievement fell above the minimum passing grade according to the academic regulation of Sanata Dharma University. Based on this research, the writer found out that the students’ problem in mastering the prepositions of place at, in, and on was on the application of preposition at in which there was only 53% of correct numbers that the students made. It meant that there was 47% of incorrect numbers in the test.

  The writer also found out the possible factors that cause the students’ difficulties in learning the prepositions of place at, in, and on were interference (the problem that is caused by the influence of the first language, which was Indonesian), overlapping, and overgeneralization.

  Based on the discussion and the conclusion above, there were three recommendations proposed. The first was to the students of English Letters Department. They were recommended to be more active to ask questions and gather as many as possible the information about the prepositions. The second was to the lecturers. They were recommended to add the meeting hours either in class or outside the class, in discussion with the students. They were also

  

ABSTRAK

  MARSILUS MARSELL WIBOWO (2012). The Mastery of Prepositions of

  

Place at, in, and on among the Seventh Semester Students at English Letters

Department of Sanata Dharma University. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra

  Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

  Di dalam sebuah kalimat, setiap jenis kata mempunyai posisi yang penting. Salah satu contoh dari jenis kata di dalam Bahasa Inggris ialah preposisi atau kata depan. Sebuah kata depan menghubungkan pertalian arti dari sebuah kalimat di antara hal-hal yang mereka tunjuk. Preposisi atau kata depan yang menunjuk tempat mempunyai fungsinya sendiri berdasarkan bentuknya.

  Studi ini dimaksudkan untuk menjawab dua permasalahan; 1) seberapa akuratkah Mahasiswa semester ke-tujuh di Program studi Sastra Inggris dalam menggunakan kata depan yang menunjuk tempat at, in, dan on? dan 2) Apa yang menjadi masalah yang menyebabkan kesalahan pada mahasiswa dalam menggunakan kata depan Bahasa Inggris at, in, dan on?

  Instrumen yang digunakan untuk menjawab permasalahan-permasalah dalam rumusan masalah adalah kuesioner atau tes. Ini merupakan penelitian survei dimana objek dari studi ini adalah mahasiswa semester ke-tujuh di program studi Sastra Inggris Universitas Sanata Dharma tahun akademik 2012/2013. Sebuah pemercontohan kelompok acak (cluster random sampling) digunakan untuk mengumpulkan data.

  Menurut Peraturan Akademik 2010 Universitas Sanata Dharma, penulis menemukan bahwa penguasaan mahasiswa semester ke-tujuh dalam menggunakan kata depan yang menunjuk tempat at, in¸dan on adalah cukup. Rata-rata skor mahasiswa adalah 16,69 (66, 76%) di mana ada 64, 10% mahasiswa dianggap masuk ke dalam kategori cukup. Pencapaian ini jatuh di atas nilai kelulusan minimal sesuai dengan peraturan akademik Universitas Sanata Dharma. Berdasarkan penelitian ini, penulis menemukan bahwa permasalahan mahasiswa dalam menguasai kata depan yang menunjuk tempat at, in¸ dan on adalah dalam mengaplikasikan kata depan at di mana hanya ada 53% jawaban yang benar. Hal ini berarti bahwa ada 47% jawaban yang salah dalam tes.

  Penulis juga menemukan kemungkinan faktor yang menyebabkan kesulitan-kesulitan pada mahasiswa dalam mempelajari kata depan yang menunjuk tempat at, in, dan on yaitu interference (masalah yang diakibatkan oleh pengaruh bahasa pertama, yaitu bahasa Indonesia), tumpang-tindih, dan generalisasi yang berlebihan.

  Berdasarkan pada diskusi dan kesimpulan di atas, ada tiga saran yang diusulkan. Yang pertama adalah untuk mahasiswa Program Studi Sastra Inggris. Mereka disarankan untuk lebih aktif untuk bertanya dan mengumpulkan sebanyak mungkin informasi tentang kata depan. Yang kedua adalah untuk para dosen. selanjutnya. Mereka disarankan untuk melihat perkembangan para mahasiswa di program studi Sastra Inggris.

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter presents the introduction of the research. This chapter has

  five subtopics; the first subtopic is the background of the study, the second subtopic is problem formulations, the third subtopic is problem limitation, the forth subtopic is the objectives of the study, the last or the fifth subtopic is research benefits.

A. Background of the Study

  English, as a language which is broadly used all over the world by people from different levels or status, has rules in making correct sentences. The rule in order to make correct sentence is called Grammar. There are two basic elements of English Grammar; they are tenses and parts of speech (Wren and Martin 2000: 17). The parts of speech are noun, adjective, pronoun, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection. These groups are traditionally called parts of speech and are today referred to as lexical categories or word classes. Each part of speech has its own function in a sentence. In a sentence, each part of speech takes an important place. One example of parts of speech in English is preposition. According to Curme (1947: 19), preposition is a word that connects a noun or pronoun to verb, adjective, or another noun or pronoun by indicating a

  In other words, the use of preposition in English sentences is obviously very important. David Crystal (2008: 59) stated that a preposition expresses a relationship of meaning between two parts of a sentence, most often shows how the two parts are related in space or time. He further explains that the main function of a preposition is to express meaning relationship, especially of space and time, between a noun phrase and other parts of the clause (2008: 59). Allen (1970: 307) in his book entitled Living English Structure states:

  Prepositions are usually placed in front of the words they control. They

  indicate various relationships between words or phrases, the most usual being those of time, space (position, direction, etc), and mental or emotional attitudes. They can also come after the words they govern, notably in questions and in relative and interrogative clauses.

  Based on several definitions and explanations of the function of the English preposition above, it can be concluded that a preposition has a special function, which is to link a sentence element to another. There are some examples that show how to use the preposition in correct English sentences: 1. We ate in a restaurant.

  2. I met her at gate 3 in the airport.

  3. Dina wrote something on your table yesterday. In learning English as a second language, there will be a language transfer to happen. When the second language learners translate the first language into the target language word by word, this is called a language transfer. Indonesian learners are the examples of English as the Second Language learners. For place or time. Sometimes it is found that they will translate the preposition of place at, in, and on into pada, di atas, di dalam, and di. This becomes a problem for Indonesian learners. Meanwhile, they also have difficulties in translating the preposition di, pada, di dalam, and di atas into English. The Indonesian preposition di, pada, di dalam and di atas almost have the same meaning. This problem causes the students or English learners in Indonesia find difficulties to use the right prepositions in English. As the learners of English as a Second Language, Indonesian language may affect the learners in mastering the use of English prepositions. Other problem comes when the learners consciously understand about their weakness in using English prepositions correctly, but they do not have any attempts to solve it.

  For example, this may have different meanings when there is a sentence, “the ball is on the box” compared to “the ball is in the box.” The first sentence, which is “there is a ball on the box” means that the preposition of location here points out the location of the ball, which is on the surface of the box. While on the second sentence, which is “There is a ball in the box,” shows that the ball is inside the box. Some students may not be aware of this problem. When they have these sentences to be translated into Indonesian, the translation will be the same, “Ada bola di (dalam) kotak.” In conclusion, the English prepositions have their own function when they are used in sentences, therefore the English as a Second Language learners cannot randomly use them in sentences. Transfer, according to Brown (1987: 81), is a general term describing the carryover of previous performance or knowledge to subsequent learning. He divides the language transfer into two parts, positive transfer and negative transfer. Positive transfer occurs when the prior knowledge benefits the learning task, which is correctly applied to present subject matter (Brown, 1987: 81). Meanwhile, the negative transfer occurs when the previous performance disrupts the performance on a second task (Brown, 1987: 81). Therefore, when students’ first language does not influence their second language learning, it means that the positive transfer occurs. On the oth er hand, when students’ first language influences their second language learning, it means that the negative transfer occurs within their language learning process. In conclusion, it is very important to see whether the students are influenced by their mother tongue or not in second language learning process.

B. Problem Formulation

  The research problems of this study are formulated as follows:

  1. How accurate are the seventh semester students at English Letters Department in using English preposition at, in, and on? 2. What seems to be the problem that causes the students’ errors in using English preposition at, in, and on?

  C. Problem Limitation

  Warriner (1982: 17) says that a preposition is a word used to show the relation of a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence. Moreover, Yule (2004: 160-165) divides the preposition into two parts; they are preposition for location in space and location in time. To limit the study, the writer only focuses on the English prepositions at, in, and on for location in space since the use of English prepositions of place (at, in, and on) are usually confusing for the English learners in Indonesia .

  D. Objectives of the Study

  This research is conducted to reach the following objectives:

  1. To find out the mastery in using English Prepositions of place (at, in, and on ) among the seventh semester students at English Letter Department.

  2. To find out the problems which cause errors or mistakes in using English prepositions of place among the seventh semester students at English Letters Department.

  E. Research Benefits

  This study is conducted to reach some beneficial contributions as follows:

  1. For the students of English Letters Department This study is hopefully used to help the students of English Letters about how to use them in sentences correctly. Besides, the students can see their levels in mastering the use of English prepositions of place. The writer hopes that this study can be used to help the students in improving their ability in using the most appropriate preposition in sentences.

  2. For the lecturers of English Letters Department The writer hopes that this study can help the lecturers to see the mastery levels in using the correct English prepositions to indicate place among the students of English Letters Department. The lecturers are expected to encourage the students and to solve the problem their students face in class, especially in choosing the right preposition. Therefore, it is hoped that the lecturers can help the students in improving their mastery in using English preposition of place in sentences correctly.

  3. For the readers The writer hopes that this study can enrich the readers about the information of the correct use of English prepositions of place at, in, and

  on . Besides, this study gives information about the mastery level of the

  students at English Letters Department in using English preposition of place at, in, and on. This study also gives information about the possible factors that may cause the students to find difficulties in choosing the right

  4. For future researchers For future researchers, the writer hopes that this study could enrich their knowledge about English preposition of place and also inspire them to conduct a new research related to the mastery of the English preposition of place (at, in, and on) among the English Letters Students of Sanata Dharma University. The writer also hopes that this study becomes a reference to guide them in writing a new research.

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW There are three subtopics which this chapter covers; they are Review of Related Studies, Review of Related Theories and Theoretical Frameworks. As the

  first part, which is in the Review of Related Studies, the writer puts previous studies about the English preposition of place done by previous researchers. The second part is Review of Related Theories, in which the writer elaborates the theories related to the main topic of the study. Then, the writer describes the contribution of related studies and theories in the last part, which is in the Theoretical Frameworks.

A. Review of Related Studies 1. An undergraduate thesis written by Puguh Alfath Tegar (2009) entitled

  A Study on the Mastery of Preposition of Place at, in, and on Among the First Semester Students of English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

  Tegar, in his thesis, analyzed the mastery of preposition of place at, in, and

  

on among the first semester students of English Education Study Program of

  Sanata Dharma University. His objectives were to find out the lea rners’ achievement in using preposition of place at, in, and on

  , to find out the learners’ to find out the possible causes of their difficulties in their attempt to master those prepositions. Tegar used a test (survey study) as the instrument of the study to collect the data. The technique that was used as the representative sample was Random Sampling. In this technique, the writer chose the students as the data randomly.

  He argued that their average achievement score was 28.68, which fell slightly above the minimum passing score for the category of sufficient (28-35).

  He found out that the difficulty in mastering preposition of place at, in, and on was on the application of preposition of place at. The achievement of the students was 46.83 of correct answers. Meanwhile, the possible sources of error that he found out were interference from the first language (Bahasa Indonesia), overgeneralization, false concept hypothesis and context of learning.

2. An Undergraduate Thesis written by Nancy Paula Herin (2010) entitled

  The Mastery of Prepositions at, in, and on among the Fifth Semester Students of the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

  In her thesis, she analyzed the mastery of English Prepositions at, in, and

  

on among the fifth semester students of English Language Education Study

  Program of Sanata Dharma University. She formulated two problems in problem mastered preposition at, in, and on? And 2) what are the possible factors which ca use the students’ errors in using prepositions at, in, and on? She administered a test to two classes of the fifth students in the academic year of 2009/2010 in order to answer the first question. In order to answer the second question, she used two research instruments, they were questionnaire and interview. Meanwhile, she did cluster sampling method in her research.

  The researcher found that the mastery of prepositions at, in, and on among the fifth semester students of the English Language Education Study Program was sufficient according to the academic regulation of Sanata Dharma University. The research showed that the students’ mean score was 59.4 which meant that the achievement was over the minimum standard of mastery, which is 56% of the maximum sc ore as the lower margin to pass with grade C or ‘sufficient.’

  Further, the research formulated several possible factors which cause the students’ errors in using prepositions at, in, and on that were divided into two; they were the internal factors and the external factors. The internal factors consisted of the students’ perception of prepositions at, in, and on indicating time and place, the students’ motivation to learn prepositions at, in, and on, the students’ actions when they find difficulty in using prepositions at, in, and on, and the students’ considerations underlying their choice of using those prepositions. The other factor, which was the external factors, consisted of the influence of Indonesian language as the mother tongue, the feedback on the students’

  From the above studies related to the mastery in using English Prepositions at, in, and on indicating place that have been done by the previous researchers before, the writer finds that there are several differences between those studies and the research that the writer is going to conduct in this study. The questionnaire, test and interview were used in the previous studies but this research only focuses on the questionnaire or the test. There are some differences between the two previous researches with this research of which the researcher is going to conduct. The data that are used in this research are different from both two previous researches in which the data are the seventh semester students of 2011/2012 academic year of English Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University. Further, the goals of the previous studies were used for education, but this research only focus on the mastery of the students in the seventh semester in using the prepositions of place at, in and on.

B. Review of Related Theories

  David Crystal (2008: 59) states that a preposition expresses a relationship of meaning between two parts of a sentence, most often shows how the two parts are related in space or time. A preposition has a special function in language. It is stated by Close (1975: 24) that a primary function of an English preposition is to express a relationship in SPACE between one thing (e.g. the desk) and another (e.g. the platform). A preposition can refer to position or to movement in one

  1. A preposition can express position or movement in relation to something that the speaker imagines as a point or place (with one dimension, or with dimensions that do not matter);

  2. A preposition can express position or movement in relation to something that the speaker imagines as a line (with one dimension);

  3. A preposition can express position or movement in relation to something that the speaker imagines as a surface on which something can rest (with two dimensions);

  4. A preposition can express position or movements in relation to something that the speaker imagines as a space in which something can be enclosed (with three dimensions). Quirk R., Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik (1972:

  307) explain the relations of meaning between the English preposition of place at,

  in, and on as follows:

Table 2.1 The relations of meaning among The English Preposition of Place at, in, and on Quirk, R., et al (1972: 307)

  From the table 2.1 above, the prepositions of place are divided into several

  

Picture Preposition Dimension

  X At

  Dimension type 0 (point or place) _______

  On Dimension type 1 or 2 (line or surface)

  In Dimension type 2 or 3 (area or volume) dimensionless location,

  a vague ‘point on the map’, and no details concerning its

  shape or size come into focus (Quirk, 1972: 307). For example, in the phrase at the wall , the wall is considered as a dimensionless location.

  The second dimension type of preposition is the dimension type 1 or 2. In this dimension, the preposition on is used. The preposition on in on the wall makes us see the wall as two-dimensional thing, which is a surface. Quirk (1972: 308) states that in this dimension, the preposition on, in fact, can indicate a location of either one or two dimensions (a line or surface).

  The third dimension type of preposition is the dimension type 2 or 3. In this dimension, the preposition in is used to indicate three-dimensional object. For example, in the wall, the preposition in of that sentence makes us see the wall as the three-dimensional object, an object having volume. The preposition in, as further explained by Quirk (1972: 308-309), can also be applied to two- dimensional locations which are seen as ‘areas’ (typically enclosed or bordered pieces of territory) rather than a ‘surface’. Therefore, the definitions of the preposition according to the dimension they applied to are as follows:

  1. The man looks at the clock on the wall.

  2. The clock is on the wall.

  3. There are many bricks in (inside) the wall. These are some examples in using prepositions of place at, in and on based on their dimensions:

  2. at the end of the road.

  b. Dimension type 1 or 2

  Line 1. on the River Thames.

  2. on the Boundary. 3. on the coast.

  Surface On the ceiling

On the wall

   On the floor

Picture 2.1. Prepositions on as surface (dimension type 1 or 2) 1. on the ceiling.

  2. on the wall. 3. on the floor.

  c. Dimension type 2 or 3

  Area 1. in the world.

  Volume in the box in the water

Picture 2.2. The prepositions in as volume (dimension type 2 or 3) 1. in a box.

  2. in the water. 3. in the library.

  Moreover, Quirk (1972: 307) states that between the notions of simple position (or static location) and destination (movement with respect to an intended location) a cause-and-effect relationship obtains:

Table 2.2 a cause-and-effect relationship between the notions of simple

  

position and destination

DESTINATION POSITION

  Tom went to Cambridge as a result: Tom was at Cambridge Tom fell on (to) the floor as a result: Tom was on the floor Tom dived in (to) the water as a result: Tom was in the water 1.

   English Preposition of Place at, in, and on a. Preposition of Place at

  dimension unspecified,

  as in “Lucia stays at home while her parents are leaving.” Celce-Murcia (1983: 257) writes there are three functions or meanings of the preposition at indicating place, they are:

  1. Preposition of place at is used to indicate a specific point or intersect: at the corner.

  a. at the top (of the page).

  at the bottom (of the page).

  b. at the front (of the line).

  at the back (of the line).

  On the picture above, pretend that they are some people who are heading to the north. The red star shows that the person is at the front (of the line) while the yellow star shows that the person is at the back (of the line).

  2. Preposition of place at is used to indicate a target: Throw the stone at the wall.

  3. Preposition of place at is used to indicate general area: Meet me at the Theater.

  In completing Celce- Murcia’s work, Frederick T. Wood (1962: 131) states that the preposition at is used to indicate a small town or village, as in John lives

  

at Sharpthorn. The other function of preposition at indicating place is used to a

  

at the Portland Hotel. The preposition at indicating place is also used for a

specific building or commercial concern, as in John is at the Public Library.

  Funk and Wagnalls (1953: 12-13) add that the preposition of place at was derived from the Old English at which is originally connoting simple occupying of a point in space. There are some functions of preposition at indicating place. The preposition at indicating place is used as follows:

  1. The preposition at indicating place is used to show a location in exact position, definite and precise point of contact, for example: the point at the center of the circle.

  2. The preposition at indicating place is used to indicate a location in proximity to, in the vicinity or region of, as an example: the car is at the door.

  3. The preposition at indicating place is used to indicate a location within the limits of or present in, for example: he is at the ball grounds.

  4. The preposition at indicating place is used to indicate a location in or into contact with, upon, for example: he knocked at the door.

  5. The preposition at indicating place is used to indicate by way of, through, for example: smoke came out at the windows.

b. Preposition of place on

  The use of preposition on to indicate a place as explained by Close (1962: also function to indicate location on a surface or two dimensions area, as in put

  

that painting on the wall, please! . Thomson, A. J. and A. V Martinet (1980: 77)

state that the preposition of place on can be used for both position and movement.

  The examples of the preposition of place on is as found in He went on board ship and He is on the way home.

  Close (1975: 166) says that the preposition on is used in relation to a

  

surface, two dimensions. He also divides the preposition on according to the

  movement and position, as follows:

  1. Preposition on refers to a movement For example: Go on (to) the platform.

  2. Preposition on refers to a position For example: Stay on.

  According to Funk and Wagnalls (1953: 25), the preposition of place on was derived from the old English on. The preposition on indicating place is used to indicate a place for some reasons. They are stated as follows:

  1. The preposition on indicating place is used to indicate that something or someone is in contact with the upper surface of, above and supported by, for example: the broken statue lay on the ground.

  2. The preposition on indicating place is used to indicate that something is to be supported by, as in suspension or the like, for example: the fish

  3. The preposition on indicating place is used that something is to overspread, strike, touch, without reference to elevation, for example: great storms beat on the coast.

4. The preposition on indicating place is used to indicate something in direction or movement along, for example: I’ll be on my way.

  5. The preposition on indicating place is used to indicate something near or adjacent to, for example: the town is on the banks of the river.

c. Preposition of place in

  Celce-Murcia (1983: 258) states that the preposition in is used to indicate an enclosure, as in the man is in the room. Frederick T. Wood (1962: 131) further explains some meanings or functions of preposition in to indicate a place. The preposition in is used to indicate a country or a large town, as in Daniel lives in

  

Indonesia . The preposition in is also used for houses and places of residence, as in

a cottage or a mansion. The preposition in is used whenever to talk about places

  for work, as in a shop, a bank, and an office; for example Garret works in BCA

  

Bank and Lucia works in Shopie-Martin. Moreover, she explains that the

  preposition in is used for particular departments of a business. One of the examples is Lary works in the Accounts Department of the Electricity Board.