(Under Development)
Prepositional senses in this category are very often couched in disjuncts and subjuncts, i.e., prepositional phrases serving as sentence adverbs or quasi-independent observations, describing circumstances or features that are present as a way of characterizing or coloring how the subject and predicate are interpreted (in the face of stiff opposition . . .). Such prepositional phrases can also serve as entire predicates, when they describe a situation generally prevailing (they were at a serious disadvantage), and some of them can also be postpositive (dinner by candlelight, a man all at sea). In all cases the purpose is to associate the presence of a particular condition or fact with some other element of the sentence. This discussion of the backdrop class of prepositions is based on an examination of the backdrop senses identified in The Preposition Project (TPP) with the Pattern Dictionary of English Prepositions (PDEP). This set of senses is discussed in sections 9.56 and 9.58 of Quirk et al (addition, concession). There are 59 backdrop senses under 45 prepositions. The complements of most senses in this class identify something additional to be taken into account. The prepositions may provide some information about how the complement is to be viewed with respect to the rest of the sentence. (See Preposition Classes for how this class relates to other classes. For the supersenses (unlexicalized categores for prepositions), see PrepWiki; the PDEP database is being kept synchronized with this project, as they are assigned to TPP senses.)
Preposition | Sense | Subclass | Srtype | Supersense | Classed | Count | Pct | NF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
\'pon | 20(10) | Supplementing | Drug | State | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 |
absent | 1(1) | Contrasting:Negative | ThingMissing | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
after | 11(n) | Contrasting | ThingContrasting | Yes | 19 | 100.0 | 597.25 | |
amid | 2(1a) | Supplementing | Backdrop | Yes | 203 | 100.0 | 102.57 | |
amidst | 2(1a) | Supplementing | Backdrop | Yes | 208 | 100.0 | 38.58 | |
apart from | 2(2) | Supplementing | ThingSupplemented | Elements | Yes | 94 | 100.0 | 134.75 |
as well as | 1(1) | Supplementing | ThingSupplemented | Yes | 181 | 100.0 | 1423.82 | |
at | 7(4) | Supplementing | Condition | State | Yes | 27 | 100.0 | 2084.77 |
bare of | 1(1) | Contrasting:Negative | ThingMissing | Yes | 9 | 100.0 | 1.67 | |
behind | 2(1a) | Supplementing | ThingCamouflaged | Possessor | Yes | 58 | 100.0 | 267.11 |
below | 5(n) | Contrasting | ThingCamouflaging | Yes | 9 | 100.0 | 17.67 | |
beneath | 6(2c) | Contrasting | ThingCamouflaging | Yes | 51 | 100.0 | 48.32 | |
beside | 3(2) | Supplementing | ThingSupplemented | Yes | 16 | 100.0 | 11.06 | |
besides | 1(1) | Supplementing | ThingSupplemented | Elements | Yes | 247 | 100.0 | 85.77 |
considering | 1(1) | Contrasting | Circumstances | Yes | 39 | 100.0 | 12.59 | |
contrary to | 1(1) | Contrasting | ThingContrasting | Yes | 248 | 100.0 | 147.02 | |
despite | 1(1) | Contrasting | ThingContrasting | Circumstance | Yes | 250 | 100.0 | 1661.65 |
failing | 1(1) | Contrasting:Negative | OutcomeDesired | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
for all | 1(1) | Contrasting | ThingContrasting | Yes | 25 | 100.0 | 74.72 | |
forbye | 1(1) | Supplementing | ThingSupplmented | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
given | 1(1) | Supplementing | Circumstances | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
in | 5(4) | Supplementing | Condition | Age,State | Yes | 36 | 100.0 | 13355.49 |
in addition to | 1(1) | Supplementing | ThingSupplemented | Elements | Yes | 250 | 100.0 | 211.83 |
in case of | 1(1) | Contrasting | EventArising | Yes | 138 | 100.0 | 25.60 | |
in contravention of | 1(1) | Contrasting | Rule | Yes | 74 | 100.0 | 13.73 | |
in default of | 1(1) | Contrasting:Negative | ThingMissing | Yes | 9 | 100.0 | 1.67 | |
in default of | 2(n) | Contrasting:Negative | Default | Yes | 6 | 100.0 | 1.11 | |
in face of | 1(1) | Contrasting | EntityConfronting | Yes | 29 | 100.0 | 5.38 | |
in face of | 2(1a) | Contrasting | ThingContrasting | Yes | 8 | 100.0 | 1.48 | |
in spite of | 1(1) | Contrasting | ThingContrasting | Circumstance | Yes | 250 | 100.0 | 190.50 |
in the face of | 1(1) | Contrasting | ThingConfronting | Yes | 161 | 100.0 | 115.52 | |
in the face of | 2(1a) | Contrasting | ThingContrasting | Yes | 79 | 100.0 | 56.68 | |
in the grip of | 1(1) | Supplementing | ThingControlling | Yes | 50 | 100.0 | 9.27 | |
in the midst of | 3(n) | Supplementing | Condition | Yes | 33 | 100.0 | 6.12 | |
in the teeth of | 1(1) | Contrasting | WeatherOpposing | Yes | 2 | 100.0 | 0.37 | |
in the teeth of | 2(1a) | Contrasting | ForceOpposing | Yes | 34 | 100.0 | 6.31 | |
minus | 2(1a) | Contrasting:Negative | ThingMissing | Attribute,Elements | Yes | 65 | 100.0 | 12.06 |
neath | 6(2c) | Contrasting | ThingCamouflaging | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
notwithstanding | 1(1) | Contrasting | ThingContrasting | Yes | 243 | 100.0 | 63.28 | |
off | 6(3b) | Contrasting:Negative | SubstanceAbandoned | State | Yes | 1 | 100.0 | 4.82 |
off | 7(4) | Contrasting:Negative | SubstanceAbandoned | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 4.82 | |
on | 20(10) | Supplementing | Drug | State | Yes | 3 | 100.0 | 248.25 |
on top of | 4(3) | Supplementing | ThingSupplemented | Elements | Yes | 76 | 100.0 | 35.53 |
on top of | 6(n) | Supplementing | System | Yes | 3 | 100.0 | 1.40 | |
out of | 9(n) | Contrasting:Negative | Condition | Yes | 37 | 100.0 | 469.53 | |
outta | 9(n) | Contrasting:Negative | Condition | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
over and above | 1(1) | Supplementing | ThingSupplmented | Yes | 167 | 100.0 | 30.98 | |
sans | 1(1) | Contrasting:Negative | ThingNotPresent | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 0.19 | |
short of | 5(n) | Contrasting:Negative | ThingMissing | Yes | 58 | 100.0 | 49.06 | |
to the accompaniment of | 1(1) | Supplementing | SoundAcccompanying | Yes | 31 | 100.0 | 5.75 | |
to the accompaniment of | 2(n) | Supplementing | ThingAccompanying | Yes | 8 | 100.0 | 1.48 | |
under | 10(4b) | Supplementing | ThingInfluencing | State | Yes | 16 | 100.0 | 362.20 |
under | 13(4e) | Supplementing | OperatingSystem | State | Yes | 3 | 100.0 | 67.91 |
under | 15(5a) | Supplementing | Condition | State | Yes | 38 | 100.0 | 860.23 |
under | 16(5b) | Supplementing | Crop | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 22.64 | |
under | 5(2b) | Contrasting | ThingCamouflaging | State | Yes | 4 | 100.0 | 90.55 |
under cover of | 1(1) | Contrasting | ThingCamouflaging | Yes | 18 | 100.0 | 3.34 | |
underneath | 2(2) | Contrasting | ThingCamouflaging | Yes | 48 | 100.0 | 8.90 | |
up against | 2(1a) | Contrasting | ForceOpposing | Yes | 65 | 100.0 | 15.96 | |
upon | 20(10) | Supplementing | Drug | State | Yes | 0 | 100.0 | 11.33 |
with | 1(1)-1 | Supplementing | Circumstances | Circumstance | Yes | 95 | 100.0 | 7510.09 |
within | 3(1b) | Supplementing | ActivityLimiting | Location | Yes | 9 | 100.0 | 191.42 |
without | 1(1) | Contrasting:Negative | ThingNotPresent | Accompanier | Yes | 50 | 100.0 | 842.25 |
Total | 31625.68 |