English complex prepositions

The present study is intended as a contribution to the study of the less explored type of prepositions, complex prepositions consisting of three words. Prepositions are a fascinating subject for many reasons. On the one hand, their usually off-hand treatment in standard grammars where they are given only a few pages or the paucity of monographs dealing with prepositions create the impression that they are a straightforward topic, which presents no problems either theoretical or practical. On closer inspection, however, it transpires that the opposite is true.