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A while back, the question was asked (and answered): Correct use of consist in / consist of.

I have a similar question:

Which of the following is correct:

"The objective of these lessons is to provide a solid foundation in the correct usage of prepositions."

vs.

"The objective of these lessons is to provide a solid foundation of the correct usage of prepositions."

EDIT: Here is the full context where I'm looking to select the right preposition:

"It is important that students understand the fundamental principles of manufacturing. The objective of the lessons is to provide a solid foundation [in/of] the science and techniques necessary for that understanding."

Community
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Rick O'Shey
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2 Answers2

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If I had to choose one or the other, I'd select a solid foundation in, but like Régis Roux I'd prefer a solid foundation for. The lessons are providing a solid foundation upon which our further understanding of the correct usage of prepositions will rest. So the foundation is for them.

Bob
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  • Well, the actual sentence I was interested in was this: – Rick O'Shey Aug 19 '12 at 22:58
  • It was part of the paragraph "It is important that students understand the fundamental principles of manufacturing. The objective of the lessons is to provide a solid foundation in/of the science and techniques necessary for that understanding." So the "for" is already there in the context you indicated. – Rick O'Shey Aug 19 '12 at 23:09
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    I'd write it this way: .."The objective of the lessons is to provide a solid foundation for the science and techniques necessary for that understanding." but the sentence is a bit of a mess. It's not very clear if the foundation is for the science or the techniques, and which of them are necessary for "that understanding" But I'd definitely use "for". – Bob Aug 19 '12 at 23:15
  • Now that we have "in," "of", and "for," I'm wondering how to keep track of the proper usage for each. – Rick O'Shey Aug 19 '12 at 23:17
  • @user25076 ... The Prepositio Book by Tom Cole is excellent book for starting in understanding of this matter! – Elberich Schneider Aug 19 '12 at 23:29
  • @RickO'Shey: Look up those three prepositions in a dictionary, and you'll see well over a dozen meanings for two of them, and at least 10 for the third. There's no way to briefly sum up how those three words can be used – they are nearly interchangable in some contexts, and have several nuances in their own right. As a side note, please provide the sentence you want to use a word in in your question, not in a comment, to prevent "false starts". (You ought to do that when you ask, and, if you didn't, the question should be edited). – J.R. Aug 21 '12 at 08:50
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Solid foundation of hours of daily training, in general fitness, for military service.

foundation of [components of the foundation]
foundation in [domain of the foundation]
foundation for [purpose of the foundation].

SF.
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