T h e P r e p o s i t i o n Recognize a preposition when you see one.

Prepositions are the words that indicate location. Usually, prepositions show this location in the physical world. Check out the three examples below:

The puppy

is on the floor.

The puppy is in the

trash can.

The puppy

is beside the phone.

On, in, and beside are all prepositions. They are showing where the puppy is. Prepositions can also show location in time. Read the next three examples:

At midnight, Jil l craved mashed potatoes with grape jelly.

In the spring, I always vow to plant tomatoes but end up buying

them at the supermarket.

During the marathon, Iggy's legs complained with sharp pains

shooting up his thighs.

At midnight, in the spring, and during the marathon all show location in time. Because there are so many possible locations, there are quite a few prepositions. Below is the complete list.

about above according to across after against along along with among apart from around as as for at because of before behind

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

onto on top of out out of outside over past regarding round since through throughout till to toward under underneath

below beneath beside between beyond but* by by means of

instead of into like near next of off on

unlike until up upon up to with within without

* But is very seldom a preposition. When it is used as a preposition, but means the same as except—Everyone ate frog legs but Jamie. But usually functions as a coordinating conjunction.

Understand how to form a prepositional phrase.

Prepositions generally introduce prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases look like this:

P R E P O S I T I O N + O P T I O N A L M O D I F I E R S + N O U N , P R O N O U N , O R

G E R U N D

Here are some examples:

At school

At = preposition; school = noun. According to us

According to = preposition; us = pronoun. By chewing

By = preposition; chewing = gerund. Under the stove

Under = preposition; the = modifier; stove = noun. In the crumb-filled, rumpled sheets

In = preposition; the, crumb-filled, rumpled = modifiers; sheets = noun.

Realize that some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions.

Some prepositions also function as subordinate conjunctions. These prepositions are after, as, before, since, and until. A subordinate conjunction will have both a subject and a verb following it, forming a subordinate clause.

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Pick a PrepositionRead each sentence below, and choose a prepositionfrom the box to fill in the blank. Then write the prepo-sitions in the snail puzzle. In the puzzle, the last letterof one answer is the first letter of the next answer.Some answers will go around corners.

SKILL: Prepositions

FAST FACTPrepositions usually tell where something is, wheresomething is going, or when something is happening. Some common prepositions are:

about after withnear throughout tobelow because despitewithout beside insteadin over onexcept toward onto

1. South America is located _________________________ the Equator.

2. You cannot bake a cake _________________________ flour.

3. The sprinter ran _________________________ the finish line.

4. We played outside for a while _________________________ the cold weather.

5. I like all vegetables _________________________ for lima beans.

6. Basketball is popular _________________________ the entire United States.

7. Hannah sent a thank-you note _________________________ her grandmother.

8. Will you help me load the heavy box _________________________ the truck?

9. Anthony lives _________________________ North Birchfield Avenue.

10. The twins live _________________________ the school, so they do not ride the schoolbus.

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Name: ______________________________________________________________

Underline the preposition in each sentence.

1. Woovis bought a new watch at Widby’s Time Shop.

2. The watch cost $29.95 and came with a lifetime guarantee.

3. Woovis gave Moovis the watch for her birthday.

4. The watch came inside a fancy box.

5. Moovis put the watch on her wrist.

6. “This is the best day of my life,” Moovis said.

Circle the preposition in each sentence. Underline the entireprepositional phrase.

7. Then one day Moovis took the watch into the swimming

pool.

8. The label on the watchband said that the watch was

waterproof.

9. Soon, the watchcase filled with water.

Prepositions

�!

TRASH TIME featuring Moovis and Woovis

Because I’m wasting time.

Why did you throw your wristwatch into the

garbage can?

Oh.

Fump!

YOU ANSWER IT!

Misusing time is always a mistake.

So is misusing a preposition.

Can you find the preposi-

tion in this cartoon?

What is a preposition? Apreposition shows the rela-tionship of a noun or pro-noun to some other word ina sentence. A prepositionalphrase includes the preposi-tion and its object.

Preposition: Woovis waitedfor 5 o’clockPreposition: The watch withthe gold band is broken. Preposition: The time on mywatch is wrong. Prepositional Phrase: Moo-vis threw the watch out thewindow.

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Circle each noun and draw a box around the verb in each sentence. Double-circleeach pronoun.

1. My name is Woovis the dog.

2. I am a smart dog.

3. We welcome you to our first review page.

4. We wanted to make this a special review page.

5. This review page contains more than just good problems.

6. It also contains the story of a dog named Woovis.

7. Woovis came to the city from a small farm in the country.

8. His mother often said Woovis was good at grammar.

9. In school Woovis was a top grammar student.

10. The teachers always gave Woovis excellent marks in grammar.

11. Dogs bark loudly when they speak.

12. Woovis speaks many different languages including English and dog-speak.

In sentences 1 to 12 above, identify each underlined word as an adjective or adverb.

Choose the correct verb for each sentence below.

13. My friend Squirmy and I (was/were) interested in grammar.

14. Most of my friends (is/are) not dogs.

15. One of my goals (was/were) to appear in a book.

16. Few grammar books (has/have) dogs or worms in them.

Write an adjective or adverb in each space. Then circle each preposition. Underlinethe entire prepositional phrase.

17. Woovis came from a ______ town in the country.

18. Squirmy ______ waited for years.

19. Woovis and Squirmy appeared in several ______ magazines.

Name: ______________________________________________________________

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