Introducing the PREPOSITION

What is a preposition? A preposition is a word that relates its object to some other word in the sentence. The noun or pronoun following the preposition is called the object of the preposition. The word preposition has two parts: pre, meaning “before,” and position. A preposition is a word that is positioned before its object and shows the relationship between that object and another word in the sentence. HUH?

between by over against below in through on off around next to above The Cat and the Box between Where can the cat be in relation to the box? by over against below in through on off around next to above inside beneath near under

Other Common Prepositions that don’t work with the cat and the box TO UNTIL FOR DURING FROM WITH

Prepositional Phrases A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with its object. In a sentence, a preposition has to be followed by an object or it is not a preposition. Example: Two firefighters climbed down the ladder. Down is followed by the object ladder, so it is a preposition. Example: Two firefighters climbed down. Down is not followed by an object, so it is not a preposition. Here, it is an adverb. More on that later.

More Examples I went to the store with my brother. The cat ran across the street and under a bush. The gift is for my mom. Please sit quietly at your desk. The dog slept on the bed until the morning. In the summer, I like traveling to different countries.