Download Prepositions & Prepositional Phrases

PREPOSITIONS &
PREPOSITIONAL
PHRASES
Adding vivid, specific
details to your writing
STUDENTS,
Please get out your homework (if you did not turn
it in yesterday) and wait quietly for further
instructions.
ALL ABOUT PREPOSITIONS
 Prepositions
are used to explain more
details about parts of a sentence.
 They are used in phrases that relate the
position of one word to some other word
in the sentence.
 For example: What words could fit in the
blank to relate the table to the placement
of the box?
Lee placed the box
the table.
ALL ABOUT PREPOSITIONS
Lee placed the box


the table.
All the words that fit the blank are
examples of prepositions.
Notice that prepositions are always
used in phrases: on the table, beside
my entire family, below them.
ALL ABOUT PREPOSITIONS
Lee placed the box



the table.
All the words that fit the blank are
examples of prepositions.
Notice that prepositions are always
used in phrases: on the table, beside
my entire family, below them.
The noun or pronoun at the end of
the phrase is called the object of the
preposition.
A LIST OF
COMMON PREPOSITIONS
 Here
are some of the most common prepositions. Learn to recognize these and use
them in your writing. Can you think of some
phrases that use these prepositions?
about
before
for
near
past
until
across
after
around
at
behind
below
down
during
from
in
inside
into
of
off
on
outside
over
since
through
to
under
up
upon
with
within
FOUR HINTS ABOUT
PREPOSITIONS
Here are some hints about prepositions.
1. Prepositions and prepositional phrases
never include verbs.
For example: Do these sentences use “to” as
a preposition?
Shari left the house and walked to the store.
Find the boys, give this letter to them, and return.
Check out my report to learn about giraffes.
The
first two sentences use “to” as a
preposition. The third does not. “To learn” is
a phrase that ends with a verb, so it cannot
be a prepositional phrase.
FOUR HINTS ABOUT
PREPOSITIONS
2. Prepositions only occur in phrases.
If a word looks like a preposition but is used
without a phrase, it’s probably something else
(like an adverb, perhaps).
For example: Do these sentences use
“down” as a preposition?
It’s easy to fall down if you aren’t used to skating.
Tony ran down the stairs to greet his Uncle Frank.
Only
the second sentence uses “down” as a
preposition; it has a phrase that ends with a
noun. The first “down” is an adverb.
FOUR HINTS ABOUT
PREPOSITIONS
3. If two words right next to each other seem
to be prepositions, one of them is an
__________________.
For example: What are the prepositional
phrases in these sentences?
My mother said I should never go down by the bay.
“Stay outside near the trees,” the captain said.
Could you hike up with me later?
FOUR HINTS ABOUT
PREPOSITIONS
3. You will never find two prepositions right
next to each other.
If two words right next to each other seem to
be prepositions, only one of them really is.
For example: What are the prepositional
phrases in these sentences?
My mother said I should never go down by the bay.
“Stay outside near the trees,” the captain said.
Could you hike up with me later?
Only
the highlighted words are the
prepositional phrases.
FOUR HINTS ABOUT
PREPOSITIONS
4. A prepositional phrase always ends with a
noun or a pronoun.
When you reach the noun or pronoun that’s
being connected to the rest of the sentence, you
have reached the end of that phrase.
Sometimes two phrases are next to each other.
For example: What are the phrases below?
You are among friends in this city, so rest well.
Maude greeted Sami and talked with her at the door.
Maryanne walked with her aunt for half an hour.
FOUR HINTS ABOUT
PREPOSITIONS
4. A prepositional phrase always ends with a
noun or a pronoun.
When you reach the noun or pronoun that’s
being connected to the rest of the sentence, you
have reached the end of that phrase.
Sometimes two phrases are next to each other.
For example: What are the phrases below?
You are among friends in this city, so rest well.
Maude greeted Sami and talked with her at the door.
Maryanne walked with her aunt for half an hour.
FOUR HINTS ABOUT
PREPOSITIONS
4. A prepositional phrase always ends with a
noun or a pronoun.
A
side note: There are some exceptions. It used to be
said that a sentence or phrase should never end with a
preposition. This rule has changed over time, and now
it is sometimes acceptable. However, make sure it’s
really the best option for that sentence.
For example:
Everyone left early, so Sue had no one to walk with.
If you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you.
(This works, but a better sentence might be…)
If you need to talk to someone, I’m here for you.
USE THESE WORDS IN
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
 Using
what you have learned so far, write
sentences that use these words in prepositional
phrases.







in
of
to
outside
after
with
over
USE THESE WORDS IN
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
 Now







check the answers...
Miranda walked in the door and dropped her keys on
the table.
The story of the kings kept Joey’s interest for hours.
I would like to watch the game with them. (NO)
Antonio finished his work and went outside. (NO)
After solving the crime, Watson sipped his tea
contentedly. (NO)
Tara went with her family to Great Adventure.
If you aren’t careful on the steps, you’ll fall over.
DIFFERENT JOBS FOR
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
Good work with prepositional phrases
so far!
The next part of this presentation will
explain how prepositional phrases have
different jobs. These jobs depend on what
the phrases are talking about in different
sentences.
ADJECTIVE PHRASES
 When
a prepositional phrase describes a
noun, it is called an adjective phrase.
 To decide if it is an adjective phrase, you
must look back or ahead to see what
the phrase modifies. What phrases do you
see below?
The cake in the oven will be finished
after an hour.
ADJECTIVE PHRASES
 When
a prepositional phrase describes a
noun, it is called an adjective phrase.
 To decide if it is an adjective phrase, you
must look back or ahead to see what
the phrase is related to. What phrases do
you see below?
The cake in the oven will be finished
after an hour.
 This
phrase is related to cake, which
is a noun. That’s how we know it’s an
adjective phrase.
ADJECTIVE PHRASES
 When
a prepositional phrase describes a
noun, it is called an adjective phrase.
 To decide if it is an adjective phrase, you
must look back or ahead to see what
the phrase is related to. What phrases do
you see below?
The cake in the oven will be finished
after an hour.
 This phrase is related to finished,
which is a verb; so this is not an
adjective phrase.
PRACTICE
ADJECTIVE PHRASES
 Practice
writing sentences with adjective
phrases. Use these phrases to describe
nouns in your sentences.
in a lake
 on the ground
 from his mother
 across the path

ADVERB PHRASES
 Prepositional
phrases can also act like
adverbs. These are called adverb phrases.
 Adverb phrases explain when, where, or how
something happened or will happen.
 As with adjective phrases, you must look
back or ahead to see what the phrase is
related to. What phrases do you see below?
After school, the three friends walked
past the bakery.
ADVERB PHRASES
 Prepositional
phrases can also act like
adverbs. These are called adverb phrases.
 Adverb phrases explain when, where, or how
something happened or will happen.
 As with adjective phrases, you must look
back or ahead to see what the phrase is
related to. What phrases do you see below?
After school, the three friends walked
past the bakery.
school” is an adverb phrase that
explains when “walked” took place.
 “After
ADVERB PHRASES
 Prepositional
phrases can also act like
adverbs. These are called adverb phrases.
 Adverb phrases explain when, where, or how
something happened or will happen.
 As with adjective phrases, you must look
back or ahead to see what the phrase is
related to. What phrases do you see below?
After school, the three friends walked
past the bakery.
the bakery” is also an adverb phrase
that explains where “walked” took place.
 “Past
PRACTICE
ADVERB PHRASES
 Now
practice writing sentences with
adverb phrases. Include prepositional
phrases that describe these verbs.
threw
 searched
 gathered
 was thinking

KEEP USING
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
Prepositional phrases can make your
sentences stronger by giving specific
details.
They can also help vary your sentence
structure, because prepositional phrases
can often be used in different parts of
sentences. Try using them in the
beginning, middle, or end of a sentence
to see what works. Keep writing!
POP (OPEN NOTE) QUIZ
 If
the word is not used as a preposition,
explain why. If it is used as a preposition,
write down the entire phrase.
1. Miranda walked in the door and dropped her keys on
the table.
2. The story of the kings kept Joey’s interest for hours.
3. I would like to watch the game with them.
4. Antonio finished his work and went outside.
5. After solving the crime, Watson sipped his tea
contentedly.
6. Tara went with her family to Great Adventure.
7. If you aren’t careful on the steps, you’ll fall over.
WRITING PROMPT
If you could change one thing
about your life right now,
what would you change and
why?