Constructions such as "make an accusation against", or "give one's approval for" can be seen as "stretched" versions of simple verbs, such as "accuse" or "approve of". What is the precise linguistic nature of stretched verbs, and how many basic types are there? What kinds of grammatical connections are involved, and what lexical limits are there on these constructions? What is their precise semantic value? These are some of the questions that this book sets out to answer in its investigation of stretched verb constructions.

This text offers a discourse-functional account of the categories "preposition" and "particle" in English. It explains why certain words have membership in both categories and solves puzzles long associated with the syntax and semantics of these words. Based on linguistic data from a series of actual conversations, the book provides insights into how prepositions and particles are used and how their meanings can change across different discourse contexts or over time. This book is intended for linguists.