Most Common English Words (no. 4)

The next word on the list of the most common English words is a preposition just like yesterday’s “to“. It’s also just a two-letter word: “of“.

Of” is used to express the relationship between a whole and one of its parts.

  • The window of his car is broken.
  • Some of the pages of this book are gone.

It is also used to express an age or date.

  • Today is the 17th of April.
  • He is a boy of 6. (The boy is six years old.)

Of” is also used to show ownership or relationships.

  • The plays of Shakespeare are popular.
  • She is a friend of my sister.

It can also mean “containing”.

  • I have a bag of apples. (The bag contains apples.)
  • Can I have a glass of milk?

Finally, “of” can be used to talk about the material that was used to build something.

  • I live in a house made of bricks.
  • This table is made of wood.

Prepositions like “of” and “to” can be confusing but they’re used to connect the words or phrases of a sentence together, so knowing how to use them can be very helpful.