Prepositional Phrases

An important element of English sentences is the prepositional phrase. It consists of a preposition

(prep) and its object (o). The object of a preposition is a noun or pronoun.
(s)= subject of sentence; (v) = verb; (prep) = preposition; (o) = object
Example: The student (s) studies (v) in (prep) the library (o of prep)
→ in the library is a prepositional phrase.
Example: We (s) enjoyed (v) the party (o) at (prep) your house (o of prep)
→ at your house is a prepositional phrase.
Example: We went to the zoo (place) in the afternoon (time).
In most English sentences, “place” comes before “time.”
Example: In the afternoon, we went swimming.
Sometimes a prepositional phrase comes at the beginning of a sentence.
Understand what prepositional phrases do in a sentence.
A prepositional phrase will function as an adjective or adverb. As an adjective, the prepositional phrase
will answer the question Which one?
Read these examples:
a. The book on the bathroom floor is swollen from shower steam.
Which book? The one on the bathroom floor!
b. The sweet potatoes in the vegetable bin are green with mold.
Which sweet potatoes? The ones forgotten in the vegetable bin!
c. The note from Beverly confessed that she had eaten the leftover pizza.
Which note? The one from Beverly!
As an adverb, a prepositional phrase will answer questions such as How? When? or Where?
a. Freddy is stiff from yesterday's long football practice.
How did Freddy get stiff? From yesterday's long football practice!
b. Before class, Josh begged his friends for a pencil.
When did Josh do his begging? Before class!
c. Feeling brave, we tried the Dragon Breath Burritos at Tito's Taco Palace.
Where did we eat the spicy food? At Tito's Taco Palace!
Directions: Identify the prepositional phrase in the sentence.
1. We walked over the mountain.
2. Sally and Dan will go after lunch.
3. Ben will go home after the movie.
4. Yes, Mrs. Burke goes to the library.
5. I sent invitations to Mary, Helen, and Jack.
6. I went into the store.
7. They will go in spite of the rain.
8. Grain crops like wheat are grown widely in the Midwest.
9. English is used by a quarter of the people in the world.
10. A pale, cobwebby moon shone through the trees.
11. The book with the tattered cover has been read many times.
12. The present inside the big box is mine.
13. The clues within the first few chapters will lead to the murderer.
14. The car beside the red one is the one I want to buy.
15. The area outside the boundary is dangerous to cross.
Directions: Each of the following sentences contains a misplaced prepositional phrase. Reorganize it by
saying the sentence correctly.
16. At the bottom of the fish tank, Billy saw the catfish.
17. A committee of students and teachers planned Homecoming in the library.
18. We talked about the basketball game in the stands.
19. We read about the lost kitten that was found in the local newspaper.
20. Tom's father saw the driver of the car that had almost hit him in the supermarket.
21. This Christmas, the family tree was decorated by Fred and Ethel with red and yellow ornaments.
22. During the rain storm, Spot, with a blue umbrella, is being sheltered by his master.
23. We sat at the table and talked about our fishing trip in the kitchen.
24. In a ballerina costume Todd photographed the dancer.
25. The student with polka dots is painting her pottery.
A. Opportune (adjective (ɒpəʳtjuːn , US -tuːn )
- If something happens at an opportune time or is opportune, it happens at the time that is most convenient for
someone or most likely to lead to success.
Examples: I believe that I have arrived at a very opportune moment.
B. Ostracize (verb (ɒstrəsaɪz )
- If someone is ostracized, people deliberately behave in an unfriendly way towards them and do not allow them
to take part in any of their social activities.
Example: She claims she's being ostracized by some members of her local community.
C. Recalcitrant (Adjective /rɪˈkæl.sɪ.trənt/)
- unwilling to do what you are asked or ordered to do, even if it is reasonable:
Example: Tenants petitioned their recalcitrant landlord to finish repairs to their building.
D. Raucous (adjective UK /ˈrɔː.kəs/ US /ˈrɑː.kəs/)
- loud and unpleasant:
Example: I heard the raucous call of the crows.
E. Pilfer (verb UK /ˈpɪl.fər/ US /ˈpɪl.fɚ/)
- to steal things of small value:
Example: He was caught pilfering (sweets) from the shop.
F. Derision (noun UK /dɪˈrɪʒ.ən/ US /dɪˈrɪʒ.ən/)
- the situation in which someone or something is laughed at and considered stupid or of no value:
Example: They treated his suggestion with derision.
G. Ignominious (adjective UK /ˌɪɡ.nəˈmɪn.i.əs/ US /ˌɪɡ.nəˈmɪn.i.əs/)
- (especially of events or behaviour)embarrassing because of being acomplete failure:
Example: an ignominious defeat/failure/retreat
H. Caulk (noun UK /kɔːk/ US /kɑːk/)
- a substance used for filling in the gaps around the edge of something, for example a bath or shower
I. Persiflage (noun UK /ˈpɜː.sɪ.flɑːʒ/ US /ˈpɝː.sɪ.flɑːʒ/)
- conversation that is funny and not serious
Example: All that has been said about the old-age pensioners was just airy persiflage.
J. Spurious (noun UK /ˈspjʊə.ri.əs/ US /ˈspjʊr.i.əs/)
- false and not what it appears to be, or (of reasons and judgments)based on something that has not
been correctly understood and therefore false:
Example:
Some of the arguments in favour of shutting the factory are questionable and others downright spurious.
K. Dally (verb UK /ˈdæl.i/ US /ˈdæl.i/)
-to waste time or do something slowly:
Example: She dallied over her morning coffee.
L. Haggle (verb UK /ˈhæɡ.əl/ US /ˈhæɡ.əl/)
-to attempt to decide on a price orconditions that are acceptable to the person selling the goods and
the person buying them, usually by arguing:
Example: It's traditional that you haggle over/about the price of things in the market.
M. Quandary (noun UK /ˈkwɒn.dri/ US /ˈkwɑːn.dri/)
- a state of not being able to decide what to do about a situation in which you are involved:
Example: I've had two job offers, and I'm in a real quandary about/over which one to accept.
N. Cessation (noun UK /sesˈeɪ.ʃən/ US /sesˈeɪ.ʃən/)
- ending or stopping:
Example: Religious leaders have called for a total cessation of the bombing campaign.
O. Lacuna (noun UK /ləˈkjuː.nə/ US /ləˈkjuː.nə/)
- an absent part, especially in a book or other piece of writing
Example: The present study is an attempt to address this lacuna in research.
P. Incipient (adjective UK /ɪnˈsɪp.i.ənt/ US /ɪnˈsɪp.i.ənt/)
- just beginning or just coming into existence:
Example: He has a black mustache and an incipient potbelly.
Q. Melancholia (noun UK /ˌmel.əŋˈkəʊ.li.ə/ US /ˌmel.əŋˈkoʊ.li.ə/)
- the condition of feeling unhappy or sad for no obvious reason
Example: He sank into deep melancholia.
R. Protuberance (noun UK /prəˈtʃuː.bər.əns/ US /prəˈtuː.bər.əns/)
-something that sticks out from a surface:
Example: If the plant has been infected you will see dark protuberances along the stems.
S. Quintessence (noun UK /kwɪnˈtes.əns/ US /kwɪnˈtes.əns/)
- the most typical example:
Example: An American football game is the quintessence of machismo.
T. Qualms (noun UK /kwɑːm/US /kwɑːm/)
-an uncomfortable feeling when you doubt if you are doing the right thing:
Example: She had no qualms about lying to the police.