Prepositions Examples and explanations from: Larson, Randy, and Judith Ann Larson. Hot Fudge Monday: Tasty Ways to Teach Parts of Speech to Students Who Have a Hard Time Swallowing Anything to Do with Grammar. 3rd ed. Fort Collins, Colo.: Cottonwood, 2007. Print.

prepositions Words that show how one thing relates to something else Examples: to, by, of, in, up, off, from, under, etc. Hint: to remember, think pre-position (they show position!)

Why use them? We need prepositions to help “smooth out” our speech and create understanding. What prepositions do these sentences need? Nobody my family has a nose my dad’s. Anyone any sense takes an extra pair shoes along when camping the mountains. I ran the stairs the bathroom, and slammed the door my foot. Money, there is no reason to go shopping.

Why use them? We need prepositions to help “smooth out” our speech and create understanding. What prepositions do these sentences need? Nobody in my family has a nose like my dad’s. Anyone with any sense takes an extra pair of shoes along when camping in the mountains. I ran up the stairs to the bathroom, and slammed the door on my foot. Without money, there is no reason to go shopping.

Unnecessary prepositions Some people use prepositions when they shouldn’t! What a bad habit! Example: “Where are my shoes at?” “Where are my shoes?” Take out the unnecessary prepositions in these sentences. When do I have to return it by? Where are we at in the story? I can’t figure out where Jolene goes to every afternoon. Where will you be sitting at when I come into the theatre? Except for John, everyone but him is finished.

Unnecessary prepositions Some people use prepositions when they shouldn’t! What a bad habit! Example: “Where are my shoes at?” “Where are my shoes?” Take out the unnecessary prepositions in these sentences. When do I have to return it by? Where are we at in the story? I can’t figure out where Jolene goes to every afternoon. Where will you be sitting at when I come into the theatre? Except for John, everyone but him is finished.

List of prepositions about above according to across after against along along with among apart from around as as for at because of before behind below beneath beside between beyond but* by by means of concerning despite down during except except for excepting for from in in addition to in back of in case of in front of in place of inside in spite of instead of into like near next of off on onto on top of out out of outside over past regarding round since through throughout till to toward under underneath unlike until up upon up to with within without

Prepositional phrases They tell us… How? When? Where? What kind? Under what conditions? How long? How much? Which one? How many? Prepositions hate working alone! They are almost always found with nouns (or pronouns), forming what we call a prepositional phrase.

Prepositional phrases - Examples How: with a sneer, without a trace, like a shotgun When: on Sunday, after this message, during the trial Where: above his eyebrow, beyond the rainbow, inside the tornado Under what conditions: amid the confusion, under stress, for no good reason Which one: with the yellow coat, without a nose, beside me

Prepositional phrases Remember, a prepositional phrase is NOT a sentence – even if it’s long! How can we make these strings of prepositional phrases into sentences? Beside the bowl of soup with a large grasshopper in it. After the strange commercial on Channel 4 about wart detectors. During the long, boring speech about the future of paper clips in modern society.

Prepositional phrases Remember, a prepositional phrase is NOT a sentence – even if it’s long! How can we make these strings of prepositional phrases into sentences? Beside the bowl of soup with a large grasshopper in it was a glass of water swarming with maggots. After the strange commercial on Channel 4 about wart detectors, I decided it was time to turn off the TV. During the long, boring speech about the future of paper clips in modern society, I fiddled with my paper clip.