Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional PhrasesA Phrase is a group of related words that does not include a Subject and Verb.

on the coastin collegeto the game

Prepositional PhrasesA Phrase is a group of related words that does not include a Subject and Verb.

on the coastin collegeto the game

Prepositional PhrasesThe most common kind of Phrase is a Prepositional Phrase. Prepositional phrases usually tell you where the topic and main idea of the sentence (Subject and Verb) happened. Subject Verb Prepositional phrase Jason traveled on the coast.Jason enrolled in college.Jason went to the game.

Prepositional PhrasesPrepositional phrases usually have three words: the Preposition, an adjective, most often the or a, and a noun.

Preposition Adjective Nounin the shadeat a table

Subject-Verb-Prepositional Phrase.The man is (behind the sled).The words in a Prepositional Phrase are a unit.

Imagine a dog sled.Subject-Verb-Prepositional Phrase

The words in a Prepositional Phrase are a unit. Imagine a dog sled. The sled acts like the Noun.The dog acts like the Preposition

She enrolled (in college).Prepositional PhrasesThe point is that if you separate the Preposition from the Noun, you no longer have a Prepositional Phrase! Its the same: if you separate the dog from the sled, you no longer have a dog sled!

Prepositional PhrasesThe point is that if you separate the Preposition from the Noun, you no longer have a Prepositional Phrase! Its the same: if you separate the dog from the sled, you no longer have a dog sled!

Here is a list of the most common Prepositions. You should memorize the first list and be familiar with the second! in on at to for bywith of fromAbove, across, after, against, along, among, around, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, during, except, inside, into, like, near, off, out, over, since, than, through, till, toward, under, upon

Prepositional Phrases can come anywhere in the sentence!Prepositional phrases can come before the Subject or after the Verb. (At college), the girl studied. The girl studied (at college).

Prepositional phrases can even separate the Subject from the Verb, so watch out! The girl (with the sandals) studied.

Prepositional Phrases Lots of them!(At college), the girl (with the sandals) studied (on a bench) (in the sun).

Prepositional phrases can be a lot of things, but they cannot be the Subject! Subject Prep Phrase Verb The buildings (of New York) are skyscrapers.

Subject Prep Phrase Verb The buildings (of New York) are skyscrapers.In this sentence, New York is not a skyscraper. The buildings are skyscrapers, so buildings is the Subject, and not New York!

The Prepositional Phrase (of New York) only tells you where the buildings are.

Commas with Prepositional Phrases

Use a comma after an opening Prepositional Phrase. Example: (In the early morning light) I saw the Rocky Mountains

Commas with Prepositional Phrases

Use a comma after an opening Prepositional Phrase. Example: (In the early morning light), I saw the Rocky Mountains

Do not use a comma if the Prepositional Phrase is not at the beginning of sentence!

[no comma!] I saw the Rocky Mountains (in the early morning light). [Comma!] (In the early morning light), I saw the Rocky Mountains.

Heres an important point: If you dont have a Preposition, you cant have a Prepositional Phrase!I returned the book. The book cannot be a Prepositional Phrase because the is not on the list of Prepositions. I returned the book to the library. to the library is a Prepositional Phrase because to is a Preposition, and to the library tells where you returned the book.

Underline the Subject, put the Verb in bold, (put parentheses around each Prepositional Phrase), and add any commas that are needed.Oceans cover three-quarters of the earth's surface. Yet most people know very little about the oceans.From simple cloth a quiltermakeswonderful art objects. Sometimes Earle stays underwater for up to two weeks. An experienced quilterwith simple materials worksmagic.