The prepositional phrase is a necessity in any story, yet its usage can spur debate regarding its quantity and frequency. Too much or too little?

Hemingway leveraged prepositions liberally, utilizing them to create a sense of urgency or immediacy or to emphasize a particular nuance. Take, for instance, the opening line of The Sun Also Rises, where he writes, “In the late summer of that year, we lived in a house in Paris.” The prepositional phrase “in the late summer of that year” helps to set the scene and establish the time frame of the story.

Of course, not everyone agrees with Hemingway’s use of prepositions. Some argue that it makes his writing sound choppy, creating an awkward rhythm in his prose. However, Hemingway’s fans argue that the style is unique and effective, making his writing powerful.

Ultimately, whether or not you think Hemingway’s use of prepositions is too much or too little is a matter of personal opinion. Personally speaking, he’s Hemingway—and that should be enough. However, it is clear that he did not shy away from starting sentences with prepositions, and that he did so for specific purposes.

And Faulkner used them even more, leveraging phrases to create a sense of rhythm and flow in his writing. In the opening sentence of As I Lay Dying, he writes: “When the doctor comes, I will ask him to kill me.” The prepositional phrase “when the doctor comes” crafts a foreboding sense of anticipation.

While both Hemingway and Faulkner favored starting sentences with prepositions more than most authors, they did this for divergent reasons.

Understanding Those Reasons Remains Important.

Highlighting one’s own use is vital. Leveraging an algorithm and model, The Forge identifies and flags sentences both containing and initiating with prepositions, serving as a boon for linguistic analysis and aiding writers in grasping the grammatical structures threading sentences throughout longer works.

Use Cases, to LMS or Not?

In the fast-paced world of language processing, choosing the right tool is crucial. Large-scale Language Model Systems (LMS) offer a rich feature set born from extensive training on diverse datasets, bringing depth and nuance to text analysis. However, they can be resource-intensive and somewhat slower, particularly for simpler tasks.

On the other hand, leaner tools such as Spacy prioritize speed and efficiency, rapidly analyzing texts at a pace potentially tenfold faster than general-purpose solutions. While faster, they might offer a narrower functionality, honing in on speed rather than depth. Yet, their modular nature allows for a tailored approach to text analysis, meeting specific needs efficiently.

The choice between large-scale LMS and leaner tools hinges on the specific demands of the task at hand. Where detailed analysis is key, LMS shines, but for quick, targeted insights, leaner tools take the lead. It’s a delicate balance, similar to preposition usage, where understanding the goal is essential in guiding the optimal choice of tool.