Download Prepositional Phrases

Grammar Bite:
Phrases
What are phrases?
 Phrases
can act as adverbs and
adjectives.
 They also can act as nouns though
this is less common.
 Prepositional phrases only rarely act
as nouns.
Basically…
 Phrases
add additional information to
a sentence.
 A clause must contain a subject and
a verb (simple predicate): a phrase
need not.
 Note: a phrase can be part of a
clause but a clause cannot be part of
a phrase.
Prepositional Phrases
A
Preposition is a word that shows a
relationship; it relates a noun or
pronoun to some other word in a
sentence.
 A prepositional phrase is a group of
words that begins with a preposition
and ends with a noun or pronoun,
which is called the object of the
preposition.
Object of the Preposition
 The
object of the preposition is the
word or phrase that the preposition
introduces.
BOLD words are prepositions.
Her copy of A Christmas Carol is on the table.
Her copy of A Christmas Carol is beneath the table.
Her copy of A Christmas Carol is leaning against the
table.
Her copy of A Christmas Carol is beside the table.
She held her copy of A Christmas Carol over the table.
She read her copy of A Christmas Carol during class.
Common prepositions
time: after, at, before, during, past, since,
till, to, until, upon
 location: about, above, across, after,
against, along, among, around, at,
behind, below, beneath, beside, between,
beyond, by, down, from, in, inside, into,
on, onto, out, outside, over, through, to,
toward, under, underneath, up, upon.
 possession: by, of, to, with.
 other: despite, except, for, like, off,
throughout.

Prepositional Phrases as
Adjectives (Adjective phrases)
A
prepositional phrase that modifies
a noun or pronoun is an ADJECTIVE
PHRASE. (It is a prepositional phrase
acting as an adjective.)
– Her necklace of gold was worth a
thousand dollars. (of gold modifies
necklace)
– All of the customers ordered the tofu
burger. (of the customers modifies all)
Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs
(Adverb Phrases)
A
prepositional phrase that modifies
a verb, adverb, or adjective is called
an ADVERB PHRASE. (It acts as an
adverb.)
– The crowd was dancing in the street.
(in the street modifies dancing)
– Over the summer, Buckley developed
a taste for tofu-based foods. (over the
summer modifies developed)
More Adverb Phrases
– Melody was very melancholy about her
mushy watermelons. (about her
mushy watermelons modifies
melancholy)
– Vernon won the eel eating contest, and
later in the day he felt his stomach
squirming. (in the day modifies later)