Using English Prepositions - Lesson 3: By, Of, In, With - A Grammar Lesson with JenniferESL

Learn English prepositions with Jennifer.

It's fun to talk about art,

but you may find it a little confusing

when it comes to choosing the right words.

For example, we can talk about

a drawing by someone

and a drawing by someone.

What's the difference?

Look at this drawing.

If you ask me, "Who's the artist?"

I could answer, "This was done by my daughter."

Then if you ask, "Is it a self-portrait?"

I'll tell you, "Yes, it's a portrait of my daughter."

Look closely at my use of prepositions.

Why did I use "by"?

Why did I use "of"?

The preposition "by" is used to give credit to an artist.

That could be a direct, a composer...

Here are some examples.

"Of" is used to state the subject of a painting,

a photo, a drawing, or some other work of art.

Consider these examples.

Now listen to an exchange between my son and me,

as we talk about art.

See if you understand our use of prepositions.

So I have some artwork.

Paintings, drawings done by my children.

So, Alex, which one is yours?

That one is mine.

I love this one. Does this one have like a title?

Um...

Yes, it's called, um, "My Crazy Hair Day."

"Crazy Hair Day" by Alex.

So you used watercolors and marker. Right?

How about your sister's artwork?

What did she work with?

Watercolors and crayons.

She did this with crayons and watercolors.

I like both of them.

How well did you understand?

Let's see. Can I ask you four questions?

I'm sure you understood my use of prepositions in Questions 1 and 2...

What about Questions 3 and 4?

Look carefully.

Do you understand my choice of preposition in each question?

You already understand the difference between "by" and "of."

You know that a drawing BY Alex

means that Alex is the artist.

And a drawing OF Alex

means that Alex is the subject.

Now I'd like to help you understand some differences

when it comes to using IN, WITH, and BY.

I do enjoy talking about art,

especially the artwork of my own children.

However, I need to help you use the prepositions

BY, IN, OF, and WITH in other contexts.

Let's try an exercise.

You'll have to choose the right preposition to complete a statement.

Remember what we've talked about to guide your choices.

One.

Read the statement to yourself

and then I'll tell you the answer.

How did you do?

Remember it's always a good idea to review.

And on my website you'll find additional practice with prepositions.

That's all for now.

Thanks for watching.

Happy studies!