In this post, we are looking at more advanced uses of the ‘preposition + article + noun phrase‘ structure. For example:
I just came on the spur of the moment.
I was just in the mood for a little conversation.
My life has been extraordinarily blessed
with marriage and children and certainly interesting work to do,
whether it be at the University of Sydney Law School,
where I served a term as dean,
or now as I sit on the United Nations Committee
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
in Geneva.
Your mother will be over the moon.
we should follow their example.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes
a more efficient ship is a quieter ship.
A search in iWeb corpus for:
_I _A _NN
1 AT THE END 1115284
2 IN THE WORLD 1112517
3 AT THE TIME 941972
4 OF THE YEAR 829363
5 AS A RESULT 815540
6 OF THE WORLD 772719
7 AROUND THE WORLD 569912
8 IN THE FUTURE 551723
9 IN THE PAST 498297
10 IN THE MIDDLE 494664
11 AT A TIME 450570
12 AT THE TOP 445463
13 OF THE TIME 425383
14 OF THE DAY 424642
15 OVER THE YEARS 386513
16 OF THE GAME 384392
17 IN THE CASE 373682
18 AT THE UNIVERSITY 371561
19 IN THE AREA 359735
20 FOR A WHILE 341816
21 IN THE END 327057
22 IN THE FORM 325778
23 IN THE COUNTRY 320806
24 IN THE MORNING 319855
25 OF THE CITY 317278
26 IN THE PROCESS 316780 C2
We‘re in the process of getting a business off the ground.
We‘ve taken the first step in the process.
27 AT THE MOMENT 313936 A2 = NOW or SHORT PERIOD OF TIME
you don’t have a workshop at the moment,
but I have a friend here in Los Angeles.
it felt really great.
28 AT THE BOTTOM 299214
29 IN A WAY 295619
30 IN THE CITY 294266
31 IN THE GAME 278902
32 IN THE FIELD 277458
33 ON THE MARKET 273557
34 BY THE TIME 264237
35 AT THE BEGINNING 258739
36 ON THE ROAD 256885
We‘ve been on the road for two days.
37 IN THE WAY 254838
38 OF THE SEASON 254829
39 IN THE EVENT 253825
40 BY THE END 251191
41 OF THE COUNTRY 250165
42 ON THE GROUND 247291
43 BY THE WAY 245880
44 TO THE POINT 243449
45 OF THE PEOPLE 242907
46 ON THE BACK 234640
47 OF THE COMPANY 234488
48 IN MY OPINION 227975
49 OF THE WEEK 227299
50 ALONG THE WAY 226020
51 OF THE STATE 218672 C1
There have been no stays or reprieves,
therefore the execution will go forward
as stipulated under the laws of the State of California.
Listen to this C2 example sentence
52 ACROSS THE COUNTRY 214503
53 IN THE STATE 213963
54 OF THE WAY 212971
55 ON THE INTERNET 209870
Where were you?
On the Net, talking to you.
56 AS A WHOLE 201721
57 TO THE RIGHT 198096
58 OF THE HOUSE 197856
59 ON THE WAY 194440
60 IN THE BACK 193787
61 OF THE BODY 190402
62 IN A VARIETY 189014
63 TO THE TOP 188201
64 TO THE PUBLIC 187286
65 IN THE SUMMER 187153
66 FROM THE UNIVERSITY 184390
67 IN THE AIR 182841
68 FOR THE REST 180075
69 ON THE FLOOR 174113
70 IN THE HOUSE 174055
71 OVER THE WORLD 173872
72 OF THE THINGS 173195
73 ON THE SIDE 168673
74 WITH THE HELP 167926
75 AT THE START 163730
76 TO THE WORLD 163578
77 TO THE END 162965
78 IN THE FACE 160133
79 OVER THE COURSE 159688
80 IN THE INDUSTRY 159680
81 ON THE DAY 157673
82 IN THE MARKET 156715
83 IN THE REGION 156405
84 IN A STATEMENT 155902
85 IN MY LIFE 154843
86 FOR THE PURPOSE 152675
87 IN THE HEART 151503
88 ON THE RIGHT 149489
89 ON THE BASIS 149174 C1
On the basis of what evidence?
90 IN THE COMMENTS 148720
91 IN YOUR LIFE 148657
92 FOR A COUPLE 144866
93 IN THE BODY 144169
94 DURING THE DAY 144063
95 ON THE SITE 144029
96 OF MY LIFE 143768
97 AT THE AGE 143302
98 IN THE COMMUNITY 142466
He collected stuffed animals from people in the community and he put them on display.
99 OF THE CHURCH 141957
100 IN A ROW 141339
Stand out vocabulary at B2:
basis, community, process, state, statement