PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

PREPOSITIONS aboard about above across after against along amid among anti around as at before behind

below beneath beside besides between beyond but by concernin

g consideri

ng despite down during

except excepting excluding following for from in inside into like minus near of off on

onto opposite outside over past per plus regarding round save since than through to toward

towards under undernea

th unlike until up upon versus via with within without

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.

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 gardenIn = 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.

QUIZList the prepositions in each example

1. Carol threw her netbook out the window of her room.

2. Susan stood in the middle of the room.3. Jimmy was sure that a monster lived

under his bed. 4. Despite the rain, Kevin still wanted to

go swimming. 5. Barbara went into the garden with

Steve.