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Sometimes the answers to those questions take more than one word. Often those
phrases are prepositional phrases.
A phrase is a group of words working together that does not have both a
subject and a verb. Phrases usually act as a single part of speech. (We will get
to that part later.)
Prepositions can never be alone, so it makes sense to learn about prepositions in
their phrases. Any lone preposition is actually an adverb.
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a word in the sentence
and the word that is the object of the preposition.
Definition:
The object of the preposition is the noun following the preposition that the
preposition is relating to something in the sentence.
In the previous examples, the objects are vase, polka-dots, movies, science class,
and tiptoes.
Hint:
To find the object of the preposition ask "What?" after the preposition.
The flower in the vase is a peony.
You found in - ask "In what?" Answer - vase. Try it with the other
examples.
Definition:
A prepositional phrase is the preposition, the object of the preposition, and all
the modifiers between the two.
Some teachers have their students memorize a list of common prepositions. That can
be confusing because sometimes those same words act as adverbs. It is better to
understand how they show a relationship.
Prepositions of time: after, around, at, before, between, during, from, on,
until, at, in, from, since, for, during, within
Do you need to know what categories they fit into? Not really. It's just a way to sort
them. Remembering time, place, direction, and manner might help you remember
what prepositions do.
Hint:
The word to is often a preposition, but it is just as often part of an infinitive
verb. If the word after to is a verb, to is not a preposition.
Preposition: I want to go to Florida for vacation.
Infinitive Verb: I want to go to Florida for vacation.
Hint:
Think of prepositions as arrows.
Hint:
One of the best ways to understand prepositional phrases is to learn how to
diagram sentences.
Compound Objects
The swimming pool is \between the oak tree and the palm trees.
Practice What You've Learned
Part 1
Directions:
Click on all the words that make up the compound preposition in each
sentence.
On the other hand, adverb prepositional phrases modify a verb, adjective, or adverb.
They usually tell when, where, how, why, or to what extent (how many, how
much, how long, or how far), and under what condition.
Adjective prepositional phrases can also follow linking verbs; however, this is not
very common.
You seem \under the weather. (Under the weather describes you, not how you
seem.)
More than one adjective phrase can modify the same noun.
The sound \of the players \from the gym distracted us.
The sound \of the players
The sound \from the gym
Practice What You've Learned
Directions:
Identify the adjective phrases by clicking the preposition and the object of the
preposition. Then click on the noun or pronoun the phrase modifies.
Modifying an adjective:
Modifying an adverb:
Notice that adverbs don't tell why, but adverb phrases do. You generally can't
explain why with a single word.
More than one adverb phrase may modify the same verb.
\At the same time, the two opposing players crashed \into me.
crashed \at the same time
crashed \into me
In these cases, there is usually a noun in front of the prepositional phrase that is
implied or understood, but not written.
The flowers \in the pot \on the windowsill \in the kitchen \of my grandmother's
house \in Maineare violets.
Hint:
Be careful not to use too many prepositional phrases at once because it can be
confusing. Two prepositional phrases at a time are usually enough unless you
are intentionally trying to layer lots of prepositional phrases.
The show \on television tonight is about snow leopards \in Asia.
On television tells us which show. In Asia tells us which leopards.
Adverb prepositional phrases that modify adjectives and adverbs must go after the
words they modify. Like intensifiers, they tell to what extent. They can also
tell why or in what way or in what circumstances.
I am hungry \because of this diet. (Because of this diet tells why I'm hungry.)
You can run pretty quickly \in those high heels. (In those high heels tells when you
run quickly.)
Adverb prepositional phrases that modify verbs can move about the sentence, just as
adverbs do. Like adverbs they can tell where, when, how, and to what extent. Since
they use more than one word, they can also tell why.
We will go snowboarding \in the winter. (In the winter tells when we will go
snowboarding.)
\In the winter, we will go snowboarding.
We will, \in the winter, go snowboarding.
Hint:
Sometimes a prepositional phrase could make sense either as an adjective
phrase modifying the noun before it or as an adverb phrase modifying the
verb. In this case, it is usually considered an adjective phrase.
The plant \in the window gets lots of sunlight. (Tells which plant.)
\In the window, the plant gets lots of sunlight. (Tells where the plant gets lots of
sunlight.)
The plant gets lots of sunlight \in the window. (Tells where the plant gets lots of
sunlight.)
Tourists often wander along our beach \with cameras. (Do the beaches have
cameras?)
Tourists \with cameras often wander along our beach. (No, the tourists have
cameras.)
It is always best to put prepositional phrases with the words they modify unless you
are consciously moving an adverb phrase. Make sure you don't put a prepositional
phrase after a noun that it doesn't modify.
Dangling Prepositions
"Never end a sentence with a preposition!" We have almost all heard that rule, but it
is not as carved in stone as it sounds.
It is fine - just leave it (unless your English teacher has a big problem with
prepositions at end of sentences, in which case try completely rearranging the
sentence).
What are these cookies made of? - Okay. You could leave it like this.
What are the ingredients in these cookies? - Better
A teacher is a person most children look up to. - Okay. You could leave it like this.
A teacher is a person to whom most children look up. - A bit awkward. This might
impress your teacher, but people do not talk like this.
Most children look up to a teacher. - Completely rewritten.
What time should I pick you up? - Okay because pick up is an idiomatic/two-word
verb.
Just leave it off. Sometimes people add unnecessary prepositions to the end
of a sentence.
Troublesome Prepositions
Some prepositions commonly cause trouble for writers.
Beside / Besides
Beside means next to or at the side of.
The book is on the table beside my chair.
Besides means in addition to.
No one besides the teachers is allowed in the teachers' lounge.
Between / Among
Between is used with two things.
I sit between Annie and Mark.
Among is used with a group of three or more.
I sit among my friends.
Have / Of
Because the verb have is often contracted with a helping verb
like could or should resulting in could'veor should've, students often think
the contractions mean could of or should of.
You should have brought it since you could have.
Angry with / Angry at
You are angry with a person.
I am angry with my little brother for breaking my television.
You get angry at an object.
I was angry at my locker when I couldn't get it open.
Different from / Different than
Always use different from.
My answer was different from the answer on the key.
Never use different than.
My answer was different than the answer on the key.
Practice What You've Learned
Directions:
Choose the best word to correctly complete each sentence.
Definition:
This is one of the few places where how a sentence sounds determines the
punctuation.
Commas are especially important if the object of the preposition is a verb acting like
a noun. Otherwise, the results can be funny.
Sometimes for effect, writers turn the whole sentence around, using the
prepositional phrase first, then the verb, and finally the subject.
This is not an example of an introductory phrase and does not need a comma.
Practice What You've Learned
Part 1
Directions:
Decide whether the bold-faced adjective prepositional phrases are restrictive
(no commas necessary), or nonrestrictive (commas needed). Commas have
been intentionally left out.
Module 6, Prepositions, Lesson 12:
Idiomatic Verbs
You learned about idiomatic verbs in Verbs Module Lesson 9.
Definition:
Idiomatic verbs, also called phrasal verbs or two-word verbs, are made up of
a verb and one or more prepositions. The preposition in an idiomatic verb is
called a particle. This is because the preposition is not being used to show a
relationship such as time, place, or direction; it is just there because that is the
way we speak.
If you wake up in the morning, is there anything up about how you wake? If you tell
someone to shut up (which we know is rude), what up are they supposed to shut?
Examples:
Please fill out these forms so I can find out more about you.
If you fall behind in your homework, your parents will hear from your teacher.
If you blow up at your friends, it makes it harder to get along with them.
It is important to be able to tell the difference in the ways prepositions are used.
Idiomatic verb:
Hint:
If you ask what after the word and get an answer, it's a preposition.