Preposition of Agency: Understanding Passive Voice and Agency

The Preposition of Agency also known as Instrumentality is defined as a description of words usually placed before a Noun or a Pronoun to show the cause of the relation between the terms and elements in a sentence. The other features in the sentence can either be a Noun, or Adjective, or a Verb. However, different prepositions are often used by various instruments, machines, or devices. 

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Agency or Instrumentality prepositions are commonly used to describe a thing which is the reason or the cause of another thing that occurs in the sentence. The most common use of Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality is through the words - "by, with", etc.

Example - This book is written by William Wordsworth.

Preposition of Agent Examples

A few common examples of Preposition of Agent or Instrumentality are as follows:

• The poem Odyssey was written by Homer.

• Ramesh was hit by the ball while playing cricket.

• I can write better with my lucky ballpoint pen.

• The Autumn project was completed by Suresh.

• Dr. Jart opened the door with a hairpin.

• Timmy is going to England next week with his girlfriend.

• The outstanding literary poem daffodils was written by William Wordsworth.

• The Rosewood resort is being decorated by Hannah.

• You cannot play soccer without a ball.

• Derek was elected as the secretary by the Literature Committee.

• Eileen’s heart was filled with gratitude.

Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality

Prepositions of Agency or Instrumentality are usually used to connect the doing and the doer, basically building the connection between the noun and the verb. Agent or Instrumentality plays the role of a connector or something that makes something happen. This connection means that Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality is words that are usually placed in a sentence to fulfil the purpose of placing an agency in a sentence.

Let's understand how preposition of agency or Instrumentality works and which words do they state and how:

1. By

The preposition 'By' is usually used to represent the action that a person is doing. Let's see a few examples of how to use the preposition of agency 'by' and understand them in simple words:

• My father constructed the Reeves food store – this sentence states that a person did a doings – that is, the construction is the action that took place, and the father is the noun; thus, the preposition 'by' connects the noun and the verb to show the relationship between them. 

• Harry Potter was written by J.K. Rowling.

• The most acclaimed song 'Something' was written by none other than Sir George Harrison.

• The red and white striped sweater was knitted and presented for me by my grandmother.

2. With

The preposition of agency or instrumentality 'with' is usually to represent the doing or action of a thing. Let's see a few examples of how to use the preposition of agency 'with' and understand them in simple words:

• Melissa and Spencer drove away from the flies with the repellent spray – this sentence states that the doing was done with something – that is, the words drove away is the action that took place. The repellant spray is the noun. Thus, the preposition 'with' connects the noun and the verb to show the relationship between them. The purpose of the preposition 'with' here is a representation of the agent. The action for Preposition of Agency.

• Ronald flushed out the dirt from the terrace using a water pipe – this sentence states that action or the verb here is flushed out, while the noun is the water pipe. Preposition of Agency is an act done using a noun, water pipe, and the word that represents the agency through the use of the preposition 'with'.

• Anita chopped the onions with a knife. Alternatively, a juggle can occur between places where the "with the help of" phrase can be replaced by the preposition 'with'. 

Conclusion on Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality

Students can infer that the same words can be used in most kinds of prepositions like agency or Instrumentality or time alike. The critical difference between the prepositions lies in the sole purpose of the use and understanding of the preposition.

Why Should you Learn the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality?  

The Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality is one of the most crucial concepts of the English language. You have to learn this topic to understand the basic structure of a sentence. By learning the preposition of agency, you will be able to form and create meaningful sentences. The most common prepositions of the agency are With and By. Here are some reasons as to why you should lean the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality: 

• The Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality will help you write meaningful sentences and create paragraphs with them. 

• By understanding the rules of the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality, you can understand where to use a particular preposition in a sentence. 

• Learning the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality will help you solve grammar worksheets. 

• Since the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality is an important topic for the exams, you should have a clear understanding of this concept. 

• If you do not use the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality correctly, it will change the entire meaning of the sentence and misdirect the reader.

• Once you go through the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality, you will have a clear understanding of prepositions.    

How to Use the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality?

Using the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality can be quite easy if you have a good understanding of the rules. You can refer to various examples of Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality available on Vedantu’s website. These examples will help you understand the correct usage of prepositions. Here are some tips to learn the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality: 

• Go through the rules of the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality thoroughly to understand how to use them correctly in a sentence. 

• Refer to the sentence examples of Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality available on our website to understand how to write sentences by using these prepositions.

• Try to write your own sentence using the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality. It will help you practice the concept and improve your understanding of the topic. 

• You should have a clear understanding of other grammar rules to understand the concept of Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality. 

• Use the Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality while writing essays, speeches, articles, etc. for practice and improving your writing skills. 

• Use worksheets and textbook questions and pick out the questions related to Preposition of Agency or Instrumentality. You can solve these questions to test your knowledge and see whether you have understood the prepositions or not.