Identify prepositional phrases

Key notes:

Understanding Prepositions

Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. They often indicate location, time, direction, or manner. Common prepositions include:

• Location: in, on, at, under, above, between, among, beside
• Time: before, after, during, until, since
• Direction: to, from, toward, through, across
• Manner/Other Relationships: with, without, by, about, for

Structure of Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun (the object of the preposition). It may also include modifiers that describe the object. The structure can be summarized as:

• Preposition + Modifier(s) + Noun/Pronoun

Examples:

• “In the morning”: “In” is the preposition, “the” is a modifier, and “morning” is the object.
• “Under the old bridge”: “Under” is the preposition, “the old” are modifiers, and “bridge” is the object.

Functions of Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases can act as either adjectives or adverbs in a sentence:

• Adjective Phrases: They modify nouns or pronouns by providing more information about them.
  Example: “The book on the shelf is mine.”
  Here, “on the shelf” describes which book, functioning as an adjective.
• Adverb Phrases: They modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs by providing information about how, when, where, or why something happens.
  Example: “She sat under the tree.”
  Here, “under the tree” describes where she sat, functioning as an adverb.

Identifying Prepositional Phrases

To identify prepositional phrases:

1. Locate the preposition: Look for words that indicate relationships of time, place, direction, etc.
2. Find the object: Identify the noun or pronoun that the preposition is referring to.
3. Look for modifiers: Check if there are any descriptive words between the preposition and its object.

Example Sentences:

• “After the movie, we went out for dinner.”
  • Prepositional Phrase: “After the movie” (preposition “after”, object “movie”)
  • Prepositional Phrase: “for dinner” (preposition “for”, object “dinner”)
• “The cat jumped onto the windowsill.”
  • Prepositional Phrase: “onto the windowsill” (preposition “onto”, object “windowsill”)

Practice Identifying Prepositional Phrases

To practice, students can underline the prepositional phrases in sentences:

• “During the meeting, she took notes in her notebook.”
  • Prepositional Phrases: “During the meeting”, “in her notebook”
• “He was standing beside the car, looking for his keys.”
  • Prepositional Phrase: “beside the car”