From

'From' is a preposition that can be used in many contexts. In this lesson, we will discuss this preposition in detail.

From is a preposition that has many functions. Most English learners know that from is used to talk about people's origin but it is used in more cases. To learn them all, follow the lesson.

Functions of the Preposition 'From'

'From' shows a place or distance.
'From' shows time.
'From' shows material.
'From' shows reason.
'From' shows a fact.
'From' shows removal or separation.
'From' shows relation.
'From' shows protection.
'From' shows a range.

Use

1. 'From' Shows a Place or Distance

From shows where something starts, indicates the distance, origin, or position. Look:

From is used to show the place where something starts. Like:

I walked from Main Street to Pine Street.

He took a book from his pocket.

They called me from home.

From is used to show distance. For example:

We live three minutes from the restaurant.

I am five miles away from home.

From is used to show someone's origin or nationality, like:

I am from Madrid.

Where are you from?

From is used to show the position of the observer. Look:

There is a picturesque view from up here.

You can see this shop from the window.

2. 'From' Shows Time

From is used to show the time when something starts. Look:

The gallery is open from 9 a.m.

I will start learning French from this Saturday.

3. 'From' Shows Material

From like the preposition of is used to show the material of something. For example:

A table from paper

A desk from plastic

4. 'From' Shows Reason

From is used to show the reason or the cause of something.

She became rich from the investment she made in years.

There is an increasing mortality rate from road accidents.

She suffers from cancer.

5. 'From' Shows a Fact

From is used to show the facts or evidence upon which we decide or judge something. Like:

From his appearance, he obviously needs money.

From this evidence, we can convict him.

'Based on this evidence'

6. 'From' Shows Removal or Separation

From is used after some verbs like 'escape from, prevent from, etc.' to show separation, removal, or prevention. For example:

I have withdrawn from the university.

It was removed from the pocket.

7. 'From' Shows Relation

From is used to show the relation between two things when talking about difference. Such as:

This book is different from that one.

I can't distinguish this from that.

Can you tell this from that?

This collection is distinct from that one.

8. 'From' Shows Protection

From is used to show protection, it has a similar meaning to 'against.' Such as:

A shelter from storm

Alice protects her cat from the cold weather.

Be saved from danger

9. 'From' Shows a Range

From is followed by the preposition to to show a range of numbers or a scale of things.

From is used before numbers or prices to show their beginning point. Look:

This book costs from $9 to $15.

The population has increased from three million to 50 million.

I went from the size 38 to 42 in two months.

From is used to show the scale in which two or more things are placed, like:

Translate this text from French to English.

Anything from maths to literature

Range from the most difficult to the easiest

Position in a Sentence

From as a preposition is used before nouns or pronouns. For example:

Anything from maths to literature

'Maths' is a noun.

I'll take it from you.

'From' shows removal and is used before the pronoun 'you.'

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