Prepositions: with and without

These words are called prepositions. Prepositions show the relationship between two things. They usually come before a noun or a pronoun. Imagine you are holding a burger. If it has cheese, you are with cheese. If you hate cheese, you are without cheese. It is all about connection. These words don't change their form. You don't need to add -s or -ed. They stay exactly the same every time. This makes them very friendly for beginners. You just drop them into the sentence. They do the heavy lifting for you. They tell the listener exactly what is included and what is missing. It is like a simple addition and subtraction game for your brain.

1. 1Using these words follows a very simple recipe.
2. 2Start with your main action or object.
3. 3Add the preposition with or without.
4. 4Finish with the noun or pronoun you are talking about.
5. 5Here is the basic formula: [Subject/Action] + with/without + [Noun/Pronoun].
6. 6For example: I (subject) + drink (verb) + tea (object) + with (preposition) + honey (noun).
7. 7Another example: She (subject) + walks (verb) + without (preposition) + shoes (noun).
8. 8If you use a pronoun after these words, use the "object" form. Use me, him, her, us, or them. Never say "with I" or "without he." That would sound very strange to a native speaker. It is like wearing your shoes on the wrong feet. It works, but it feels very uncomfortable for everyone involved!

You will use these words in four main real-world scenarios.

First, use them for companionship. This means being with people. "I am with my brother at the park." Or, "I can't live without you." This is great for social situations and making plans.

Second, use them for ingredients and parts. Think about food and drinks. "A pizza with mushrooms." "A car without a radio." This is essential for shopping and ordering at restaurants.

Third, use them for tools and instruments. How are you doing something? "I write with a pen." "I see without glasses." This helps you explain how things work.

Fourth, use them for features and characteristics. "The boy with blue eyes." "A house without a garden." This is perfect for describing people and places. It adds color to your descriptions. You can paint a picture with your words.

Don't use with to connect two full sentences. That is a job for words like and or but. For example, don't say "I like coffee with I like tea." That is a grammar car crash.

Also, be careful with verbs. At the A1 level, try to avoid putting a plain verb right after without. Don't say "He left without say goodbye." You would need to add -ing to make it "He left without saying goodbye." For now, stick to nouns and pronouns. It is much safer and easier.

Finally, don't use with when you mean "by means of" for transportation. We don't say "I go to work with bus." We say "by bus." Unless, of course, the bus is your friend and you are walking next to it. But that would be a very slow commute!

One big mistake is using the wrong pronoun. Many people say "Come with I." Remember, prepositions love object pronouns. Always say "Come with me."

Another mistake is forgetting the article. Don't say "I eat with fork." You need to say "I eat with a fork." It sounds much more natural.

Some people also use with when they should use in. For example, "The man with the suit." This is actually okay, but "The man in the suit" is more common for clothes.

Lastly, watch out for double negatives. You don't need to say "without no sugar." The word without is already negative. Just say "without sugar." Adding another negative is like wearing two pairs of sunglasses. It just makes everything harder to see.

Let's look at with versus and. And is like a bridge between equals. "Bread and butter" means both are important. With is more about one thing belonging to another. "Bread with butter" sounds like the bread is the main star.

What about with versus by? We use with for tools you hold in your hand. "I cut the cake with a knife." We use by for methods or transportation. "I sent the letter by mail."

Think of without versus no. You can say "I have no money" or "I am without money." Both mean the same thing. However, without usually follows a verb. No usually follows the word "have." It is a small difference, but it makes you sound much more fluent. Even native speakers mess this up sometimes, so don't worry too much.