Module 11: Building Blocks of Sentences: Phrases and Clauses - Lesson 11.3: Types of Phrases - Prepositional Phrases

Module 11: Building Blocks of Sentences: Phrases and Clauses - Lesson 11.3: Types of Phrases - Prepositional Phrases

Lesson 11.3: Types of Phrases - Prepositional Phrases

Welcome to Lesson 11.3! In this lesson, we will focus specifically on Prepositional Phrases (PPs). Prepositional phrases are among the most common and versatile phrase types in English. We will explore their structure, understand their functions as both adjectives and adverbs, and examine numerous examples to illustrate their diverse uses in sentences. Mastering prepositional phrases is key to building fluency and complexity in your English writing and speaking.

Prepositional Phrases - Structure and Components:

A Prepositional Phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase, which is called the object of the preposition. The preposition acts as the 'head' of the phrase, indicating the relationship between the object and some other word in the sentence.

Basic Structure of a Prepositional Phrase:

Preposition + Object of the Preposition (Noun, Pronoun, or Noun Phrase)

Components of Prepositional Phrases:

  • Preposition (Essential): Words like in, on, at, of, to, for, with, by, from, about, above, below, under, over, before, after, during, since, until, between, among, through, across, around, along, against, toward, up, down, out, into, onto, off, etc. The preposition establishes the relationship.
  • Object of the Preposition (Essential): A noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that follows the preposition and is governed by it. It is the 'object' of the prepositional relationship. (e.g., the garden, him, her, lunch, the red car, his achievements, the meeting).
  • Modifiers of the Object (Optional): Adjectives, articles, other modifiers can describe the object of the preposition, making it a noun phrase. (e.g., the big garden, her achievements, the important meeting).

Examples of Prepositional Phrases (deconstructing components):

  • in the garden: Preposition: in, Object of Preposition: the garden (noun phrase 'the garden')
  • after lunch: Preposition: after, Object of Preposition: lunch (noun)
  • on the table: Preposition: on, Object of Preposition: the table (noun phrase 'the table')
  • with great care: Preposition: with, Object of Preposition: great care (noun phrase 'great care' - adjective 'great' modifying noun 'care')
  • by the river: Preposition: by, Object of Preposition: the river (noun phrase 'the river')
  • for him: Preposition: for, Object of Preposition: him (pronoun)
  • about her: Preposition: about, Object of Preposition: her (pronoun)
  • from school: Preposition: from, Object of Preposition: school (noun)

Functions of Prepositional Phrases - Acting as Adjectives and Adverbs:

Prepositional phrases are remarkably versatile because they primarily function as adjectives or adverbs within sentences, adding descriptive or adverbial detail.

  1. Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives (Adjectival Phrases):

    When a prepositional phrase acts as an adjective, it modifies a noun or pronoun. It answers questions like "Which one?" or "What kind?". Adjectival prepositional phrases usually come immediately after the noun or pronoun they modify.

    Function: To modify a noun or pronoun, acting as an adjective.

    Examples - Prepositional Phrases acting as Adjectives:

    • The house with a red door is mine. (PP 'with a red door' modifies noun 'house', answering "Which house?").
    • The book on the table is interesting. (PP 'on the table' modifies noun 'book', answering "Which book?").
    • He is a man of great courage. (PP 'of great courage' modifies noun 'man', answering "What kind of man?").
    • She wore a dress with flowers. (PP 'with flowers' modifies noun 'dress', answering "What kind of dress?").
    • The students from our class are very diligent. (PP 'from our class' modifies noun 'students', answering "Which students?").
    • That is the road to success. (PP 'to success' modifies noun 'road', answering "Which road?").
    • Anyone in trouble should ask for help. (PP 'in trouble' modifies pronoun 'Anyone', answering "Which anyone?").

    In these examples, the prepositional phrases follow the nouns they describe and function like adjectives by providing descriptive information about those nouns.

  2. Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs (Adverbial Phrases):

    When a prepositional phrase acts as an adverb, it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It provides adverbial information about manner, place, time, reason, circumstance, etc. Adverbial prepositional phrases can be more flexible in their sentence position, but often come after the verb or verb phrase they modify, or at the beginning of the sentence.

    Function: To modify a verb, adjective, or adverb, acting as an adverb.

    Examples - Prepositional Phrases acting as Adverbs:

    • She ran with great speed. (PP 'with great speed' modifies verb 'ran', indicating manner - "How did she run?").
    • They live in the city. (PP 'in the city' modifies verb 'live', indicating place - "Where do they live?").
    • He arrived after lunch. (PP 'after lunch' modifies verb 'arrived', indicating time - "When did he arrive?").
    • She is good at painting. (PP 'at painting' modifies adjective 'good', indicating specification of the quality - "Good at what?").
    • Because of the rain, the game was cancelled. (PP 'Because of the rain' modifies verb 'was cancelled', indicating reason - "Why was it cancelled?"). (Here, the whole PP acts as adverb of reason, placed at the sentence beginning for emphasis).
    • The cat jumped onto the table. (PP 'onto the table' modifies verb 'jumped', indicating direction/place - "Where did it jump?").
    • They are talking about the new project. (PP 'about the new project' modifies verb 'talking', specifying the topic - "Talking about what?").
    • In spite of the difficulties, they succeeded. (PP 'In spite of the difficulties' modifies verb 'succeeded', indicating circumstance/contrast - "Despite what circumstance did they succeed?"). (Again, placed at the beginning for emphasis).

    Adverbial prepositional phrases are highly versatile and can express a wide range of adverbial meanings in sentences.

Common Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases: