subjective on preposition

[Preposition Fanatic]

no offence meant.
Sometimes, I feel that prepositions are unreliable since our perception of the context and prepositions is subjective.
Same context and sentence, but different prepositions can be used interchangably.
Do you have any opinion about prepositions to share with us ?

 

[TheParser]

no offence meant.
Sometimes, I feel that prepositions are unreliable since our perception of the context and prepositions is subjective.
Same context and sentence, but different prepositions can be used interchangably.
Do you have any opinion about prepositions to share with us ?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning, Preposition Fanatic.

(1) You are 100% right!!!

(2) In The King's English (published in 1906), our beloved masters of English usage, the Fowler brothers, said that the use of prepositions was not really a matter of grammar but of idiom.
(a) Those gentlemen explained: "Idioms are special forms of speech that for some reason, often inscrutable, have proved congenial to a particular language."

(b) They say that we cannot depend on grammars and dictionaries to understand prepositions. We must read with "the idiomatic eye open."

(3) Where I live in the United States, we say "Stand IN line." If I visit New York, I shall have to say, "Stand ON line." That is just one example of why prepositions drive learners (and many native speakers) bananas!!!

Have a nice day!!!