English complex prepositions of the type in spite of and analogous sequences : a study & dictionary

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The present study is intended as a contribution to the study of the less explored type of prepositions, complex prepositions consisting of three words. Prepositions are a fascinating subject for many reasons. On the one hand, their usually off-hand treatment in standard grammars where they are given only a few pages or the paucity of monographs dealing with prepositions create the impression that they are a straightforward topic, which presents no problems either theoretical or practical. On closer inspection, however, it transpires that the opposite is true. Monographs such as those by D.C. Bennett (1975) or K.G. Lindquist (1976) prove that prepositions are far from easy when it comes to a systematic theoretical description of their semantic or syntagmatic relations. The complexity of their description is equally reflected in the uneven attention given to the different formal and semantic categories of prepositions. Most studies of prepositions are restricted to those of time and place to the exclusion of other groups; most are concerned primarily with simple prepositions and only marginally with other types.