Pitman's Commercial Spanish Grammar (2nd ed.)

One word should not be used in Spanish governed by two different prepositions, as --

He is an admirer of and a contributor to the "Times": Es admirador del "Times" y colabora en ese periódico.

The man I spoke with and wrote to: El hombre con quien hablé y al cual escribí.

However, we find the same construction as in English in cases of antithesis, as --

Con ó sin él: With or without him.

El billete cuesta 20 pesetas desde ó hasta Madrid: The ticket is 20 ptas. from or to Madrid.

The Spanish Academy condemns this use, however.

As will have been noticed before, a preposition governing a word cannot be used after the word it governs, as --

The work[204] which I referred to: La obra á la cual referí.

Footnote 204: Work, artistic, literary, scientific -- "obra." Work, manual, or mental -- "trabajo."

The preposition con followed by an infinitive translates the English "by," followed by the present participle --

Con enseñar se aprende: By teaching one learns.

The preposition desde refers to "distance of time or space," as --

He marchado desde mi casa: I walked from my house.

However, desde may be used instead of de before names of countries or cities --

Me escribieron desde Barcelona: They wrote me from Barcelona.

Para may be used together with con = "towards" --

Fué muy bueno conmigo, para mí, or para conmigo.

"En acabando[205] lo haré" has the meaning of "I shall do it as soon as I have finished."

Footnote 205: En is the only preposition which may govern a pres. participle, generally with the meaning given above.

We add the following idiomatic uses of Por and Para to what we said about these two prepositions in Lesson XXIX:

Por may translate "on behalf of," "for the sake of," "in favor of," "during," "through" --

Habló por el proyecto de ley: He spoke in favor of the bill.
Se presentó por la casa: He appeared on behalf of the firm.
Por la paz y buena armonía concedemos lo que V. pide: For the sake of peace we allow what you ask.
Les sirvió por cinco años: He served them during five years.
Trabaja por la mañana: He works during (in) the morning.
Vino por París: He came through Paris.
Cotizar por un artículo: To quote for an article.
Yo por mí (or por mi parte) prefiero comprar al contado: I, for one, prefer to buy for cash.
Por[206] rico que sea, no tendrá suficientes recursos: No matter how rich he is, he will not have sufficient means.
Es demasiado avaro por ser tan rico: for such a rich man, he is too miserly.
Caro por caro prefiero géneros ingleses: If I have to pay a dear price, I prefer English goods.
Por sí ó por no: In any case, should it be so or not.
Ir (venir) por: To go (come) for.
Enviar por el médico: To send for the doctor.
Por holgazán perdió el empleo: He lost his employment through laziness.
Por bién ó por mal: Willy-nilly.
Vendré por la Navidad: I shall come by Christmas.
Por si acaso: In case that.

Footnote 206: Por has always this meaning before an adjective or adverb.

No sirve para más: He is good for nothing else.
Venir para la Pentecostés: To come for Whitsuntide.
Esto no es para menos: The thing (or occasion) is worth it.
Para español (or por ser español) es muy alto: He is very tall for a Spaniard.
Tener grande consideración para este hombre: To have great respect for this man.
Dar pedidos para ferretería, ollería, y maquinaría: To give orders for ironware, hollow-ware and machinery.
Es demasiado avaro para ser tan rico: He is too miserly to be so rich.

Sin -- "without" --

Poseía £10,000 sin los bienes raíces que heredó de su padre:
He owned £10,000 besides the real property he inherited from his father.

Según -- "according to" --

Según y como: That depends.

So instead of bajo is used in the following expressions --

So capa de: Under the cloak of.

So pretexto de: Under the pretext of.

And in a few other such phrases.