Identifying
Prepositions and What They Modify
Because most prepositions express a connection to
place, we can start by saying a preposition in anything a rabbit can do to a
hollow log. A rabbit can run
through a hollow log, so through can be a preposition.
A rabbit can also run around a hollow log, under a hollow log or across a
hollow log. Test these words
the same way: by, beside, near, to, from, into, over, in, along, upon,
about, above, at, behind, beneath, beside, between, beyond, down, inside, on,
out, outside, past and toward. This
simple rule will help you identify about 90% of the prepositions.
There
are also prepositions that express
a connection to time and include such words as before, after, during,
between, until. Still other
prepositions express a relationship to possession (of), accompaniment (with),
comparison (like, about, for) and function (as).
Prepositions
are used with a few other words which make up the prepositional phrase.
The first word of the prepositional phrase is the preposition and the
last word of the prepositional phrase is the object of the preposition.
Many of the words we described as prepositions can also be used as other parts of speech. Whether or not a word is a preposition depends on how it is used in a sentence. Many of the common words that are used as prepositions can also be used as adverbs or adjectives. However, it is fairly easy to identify the preposition. These words are prepositions if they have an object (a noun or pronoun) to complete them. If it is a preposition, the word will be followed by a noun or pronoun that describes who or what. Let’s look at some examples of sentences with prepositional phrases. The prepositional phrases are underlined. Take careful note of two things: a sentence may have more than one prepositional phrase and if the relationship word is not followed by a noun or pronoun object, it is not a preposition. In the following examples, the prepositional phrases are underlined.
| John wrote a note on the paper. |
| The dog jumped over the fence, behind the house and into
the street. |
| I like to sit in the shade of the mango tree and talk with
my friends. |
| My sister worked as a maid in Hong Kong and Singapore
before she moved to Australia to work in a factory.
In the phrase to work, to is not followed by an object,
but by a verb – the verb work.
Therefore, to is not a preposition because to is a verb
marker - it refers to the verb work, and to work is not a
prepositional phrase. |
| The boy stood up and ran down the street.
To find out if up is a preposition, we ask the question up
whom or what? There is
no object noun or pronoun that answers this question; therefore up is
not a preposition. To find out
if down is a preposition, we ask the question
down whom or what?
Down the street answers the question, so down is
a preposition and street is the object of the preposition.
Down the street is the complete prepositional phrase. |
A prepositional phrase is a special kind of modifying phrase.
A prepositional phrase gives additional information in a sentence. A prepositional phrase may be used as an adjective in which
case it tells which or what kind, and modifies a noun or a
pronoun. A prepositional phrase may
also be used as an adverb in which case it tells how, when, where, why, or how
much, and modifies a verb. Adverb
prepositional phrases can come anywhere in a sentence, while adjective
prepositional phrases always come directly after the noun or pronoun that it
modifies.
Prepositional
phrases that function as adjectives.
| The
man in the other room is the mayor. In is a
preposition and room is the object of the preposition.
In the other room is the prepositional phrase.
This is an adjectival prepositional phrase because in the next
room modifies man – which man?
The man in the next room. |
| I
know that man in the formal barong and the black shoes .
In this
sentence, we have one prepositional phrase.
The preposition is in and the object of the preposition is barong
and shoes. Ask the
question “in what?” The
answer is in the barong and in the shoes.
Fancy modifies barong and black modifies shoes,
so fancy and black are adjectives.
The prepositional phrase is in the fancy barong and the black
shoes, and the prepositional phrase modifies man.
Ask the question “which man?”
The man in the fancy barong and black shoes.
The prepositional phrase is adjectival because it modifies a noun. |
| Do
you remember the name of the movie about the EDSA Revolution?
Let’s look at this example very closely.
When we look for words that might be prepositions, we can
identify two. Based on the
rules and lists we have studied, of and about might be
prepositions. To find out if of
is a preposition, we ask the question of what?
The answer is of the movie, so of is a preposition and movie is the
object of the preposition. The
prepositional phrase is of the movie. The prepositional phrase of the movie modifies the noun
name. Because this
prepositional phrase modifies a noun, it is an adjectival prepositional
phrase. Now let’s find out if
about is a preposition. To find
out if about is a preposition, we ask the question about what?
The answer is about the EDSA Revolution, so about is a preposition
and EDSA Revolution is the object of the preposition. The prepositional phrase is about the EDSA Revolution.
The prepositional phrase about the EDSA Revolution modifies the noun
movie. Because this prepositional phrase modifies a noun, it is also an
adjectival prepositional phrase. |
Prepositional
phrases that function as adverbs.
| Dodong
walked over the roar on the pedestrian overpass and went to the shopping
mall.
This sentence has three prepositional phrases, and they are all
adverbial. The Prepositional
phrases are over the road, on the pedestrian overpass and to
the shopping mall. Let’s
look at the first prepositional phrase.
Over is a preposition because it has an object.
Ask the question over what. The
answer is over the road. Over is the preposition, road is the
object of the preposition and over the road is the prepositional
phrase. The prepositional
phrase over the road modifies walked – walked where? Walked over the road. The prepositional phrase modifies the verb walked,
so over the road is an adverbial prepositional phrase.
Now for the second prepositional phrase.
On is a preposition because it has an object.
Ask the question on what? The
answer is on the overpass. On
is the preposition, overpass is the object of the preposition and on
the pedestrian overpass is the prepositional phrase.
The prepositional phrase on the pedestrian overpass modifies
the verb walked – walked where? Walked on the pedestrian overpass. The prepositional phrase modifies the verb walked,
so on the pedestrian overpass is an adverbial prepositional phrase.
Now for the third prepositional phrase.
To is a preposition because it has an object.
Ask the question to where? The
answer is to the mall. To
is the preposition, mall is the object of the preposition and to
the shopping mall is the prepositional phrase.
The prepositional phrase to the shopping mall modifies the
verb went – went where? Went
to the shopping mall. The
prepositional phrase modifies the verb went, so to the shopping mall
is an adverbial prepositional phrase. |
A combination of adjectival and adverbial
prepositions.
|
We are going to remove the bougainvillea bush with sharp thorns that grows beside the wall. When we look for words that might be prepositions, we can identify three. Based on the rules and lists we have studied, to, with and beside might be prepositions. To find out if to is a preposition, we must see is to has an noun or pronoun object. In the phrase to remove, to is not followed by an object, but by a verb – the verb remove. Therefore, to refers to the verb, and to is not a pronoun. How about with? In this case, with does have an object – with what? With thorns. Therefore, with is a preposition, thorns is the object of the preposition, and with sharp thorns in the prepositional phrase. Now lets discover its function. What does with sharp thorns refer to? With sharp thorns refers to the bush because it describes the bush. Bush is a noun, so the prepositional phrase with sharp thorns is an adjectival prepositional phrase. One more to go! Does beside have an object. Yes it does. Beside what? Beside the wall. Beside is a preposition, wall is the object of the preposition, and beside the wall is the prepositional phrase. Now let’s discover its function. What does beside the wall refer to? It refers to growing – growing where? Growing beside the wall. Growing is a verb, so the prepositional phrase beside the wall is an adverbial prepositional phrase. |