Prepositional Phrases

Prepositions aboard below excluding outside underneath about beneath following over unlike above beside for past until across besides from per up after between in plus upon against beyond inside regarding versus along but into round via amid by like save with among concerning minus since within anti considering near than without around despite of through as down off to at during on toward before except onto towards behind excepting opposite under

The Basics At the very least, a prepositional phrase will begin with a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause- the "object" of the preposition. The object of the preposition will often have one or more modifiers to describe it.

preposition + modifier(s) + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause Format preposition + modifier(s) + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause

Examples At home At = preposition; home = noun About what we need About = preposition; what we need = noun clause. In the weedy, overgrown garden In = preposition; the, weedy, overgrown = modifiers; garden = noun.

What They Do A prepositional phrase will function as an adjective or adverb. As an adjective, the prepositional phrase will answer the question Which one? As an adverb, a prepositional phrase will answer questions such as How? When? or Where?

Unnecessary Prepositional Phrases never contain the subject of the sentence. You should be able to take the phrase out of the sentence and it will still make logical sense.

List the prepositions in each example QUIZ List the prepositions in each example Carol threw her netbook out the window of her room. Susan stood in the middle of the room. Jimmy was sure that a monster lived under his bed. Despite the rain, Kevin still wanted to go swimming. Barbara went into the garden with Steve.