Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Prepositions Show relationships between words Time Place Direction Cause Manner (method, behavior, mode) amount

List of common prepositions: about away from beside during on underneath above apart from besides except onto until according to around between for out (out of) up across aside from beyond from outside upon after at by in (into) over with against because of by means of including past within along before by way of like through without along with behind concerning near to amid or amidst below despite of towards among beneath down off under

Where are the prepositions? The party is at two o’clock The party will be in my house After the party, I sleep.

Group of words without a subject and a verb Phrases Group of words without a subject and a verb

Prepositional phrase Always consists of the preposition, its object, and modifiers of the object (no object? Word is not acting as a preposition) Never contain the subject or the verb The preposition will always be first in the phrase

Prepositional Phrases, continued Used as adjectives or adverbs As adjectives, the phrase comes immediately after the noun it modifies (answers which one, what kind, how many, or whose for a noun) Remember that GERUNDS act like nouns! As adverbs, can be anywhere in the sentence (answer how, when, where, or under what condition for a verb, adverb, or adjective)

Can you spot the adjective prepositional phrases? 1. The book on the table is Barbara's book. 2. The girl in the neighboring house plays the flute every night. 3. Large blocks of the hardest granite formed the walls. 4. The roads of ancient Rome connected the cities of the empire. 5. I know that man in the gray suit and the suede shoes. Answers: 1. on the table modifies "book"/ in the English classroom modifies "table" 2. in the neighboring house modifies "girl" 3. of the hardest granite modifies "blocks"/ of the new building modifies "walls" 4. of ancient Rome modifies "roads"/ of the empire modifies "cities" 5. in the gray suit and the suede shoes modifies "man"

Can you spot the adverb prepositional phrases? 1. The boys jumped quickly over the wall. 2. The old dog is troublesome in many ways. 3. The pirate map was hidden underneath a big rock. 4. In the morning I will come for the plans. Answers: 1. over the wall modifies the verb "jumped" 2. in many ways modifies the predicate adjective "troublesome" 3. underneath a big rock modifies the verb "was hidden" 4. in the morning/ for the plans modify the verb "will come"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz2B8Ug8SQE http://www.redwoods.edu/Eureka/ASC/Handouts/Identifying%20Prepositional/Identifying%20Prepositional%20Phrases.pdf initial practice