The Word "From"

Introduction

The word "from" is a fundamental preposition in the English language. It serves various functions, primarily indicating the origin of something or someone, marking a starting point in time or place, and showing relationships between entities.

Meaning and Usage

"From" is used in numerous contexts. Here are some of its primary functions:

• Indicating Origin: "I come from Canada."
• Defining a Source: "This information is from a reliable source."
• Marking a Starting Point: "We will meet from 2 PM onwards."
• Indicating Distance: "The store is 5 miles from my house."

Grammatical Aspects

The word "from" is classified as a preposition. It can be combined with nouns, pronouns, and gerunds to form prepositional phrases.

Examples of prepositional phrases:
- "from home"
- "from her perspective"
- "from swimming."

In each case, “from” establishes the connection between the subject and the object, enriching the context of the sentence.

Common Phrasal Combinations

The preposition "from" often appears in various phrases that provide deeper or specific meanings:

• From now on: Indicates a change to be effective from the present moment.
• From scratch: Means creating something from the very beginning.
• Far from: Expresses a great distance or a significant difference from something.

Quizzes and Exercises

To get a better grasp of using "from", here are a few exercises:

Fill in the blanks using "from":

1. The book was borrowed _____ the library.
2. The presentation starts _____ 10 AM.
3. She learned it _____ her teacher.

Answers: 1. from 2. from 3. from