What are Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and usually ends with a noun or pronoun, known as the object of the preposition. Prepositional phrases provide additional information about the relationship between elements in a sentence, often describing location, direction, time, or other spatial relationships.

The basic structure of a prepositional phrase is as follows:

Preposition+Object of the PrepositionPreposition+Object of the Preposition

What are prepositions

  • He is in the garden.
  • She is fond of music

prepositions of movement

  • She walked to the store.
  • The cat jumped over the fence.
  • They ran across the field.
  • He climbed up the tree.
  • The ball rolled down the hill.

prepositions of time

  • I have class at 3 pm
  • I go to the gym in the morning
  • My birthday is on May 20th

prepositions of place

  • on
  • in
  • at
  • under
  • below
  • above
  • beside
  • near
  • About
  • Above
  • Across
  • After
  • Against
  • Along
  • Amid
  • Among
  • Around
  • At
  • Before
  • Behind
  • Below
  • Beneath
  • Beside
  • Between
  • Beyond
  • By
  • Despite
  • Down
  • During
  • For
  • From
  • In
  • Inside
  • Into
  • Near
  • Of
  • Off
  • On
  • Onto
  • Out
  • Outside
  • Over
  • Past
  • Through
  • Throughout
  • To
  • Toward
  • Under
  • Underneath
  • Until
  • Up
  • Upon
  • With
  • Within
  • Without

Prepositions in sentences

  • Prepositions show us
    • where something is,
    • when it happens, or
    • how things are connected.
  • Like words that give directions or provide information about the position of things.

For example:

  • Location: The cat is on the table.
    • Where is the cat? On the table.
  • Time: We have class at 3 PM.
    • When is the class? At 3 PM.
  • Direction: She walked toward the park.
    • Which way did she walk? Toward the park.
  • Connection: I went to the store with my friends.
    • How did I go to the store? With my friends.
  • 1.About: She is writing a book about her travels.
  • 2.Above: The bird flew above the clouds.
  • 3.Across: We walked across the bridge to get to the other side.
  • 4.After: We went for ice cream after the movie.
  • 5.Against: He leaned against the wall.
  • 6.Along: They strolled along the beach at sunset.
  • 7.Amid: The flowers bloomed amid the green grass.
  • 8.Among: She found her keys among the papers on the desk.
  • 9.Around: We sat around the campfire and told stories.
  • 10.At: They met at the coffee shop.
  • 11.Before: Finish your homework before you go to bed.
  • 12.Behind: The car is parked behind the building.
  • 1.Below: The treasure chest was hidden below the sand.
  • 2.Beneath: The cat found shade beneath the tree.
  • 3.Beside: He stood beside his best friend.
  • 4.Between: The playground is between the school and the library.
  • 5.Beyond: The mountains stretch beyond the horizon.
  • 6.By: She sat by the window and enjoyed the view.
  • 7.Despite: Despite the rain, we went for a walk.
  • 8.Down: The ball rolled down the hill.
  • 9.During: We sang songs during the concert.
  • 10.For: They have been friends for many years.
  • 11.From: I received a letter from my pen pal.
  • 12.In: There is a cat in the box.
  • 1.Inside: The cookies are inside the jar.
  • 2.Into: He jumped into the pool.
  • 3.Near: The grocery store is near the park.
  • 4.Of: A cup of coffee is on the table.
  • 5.Off: The cat jumped off the bed.
  • 6.On: The keys are on the counter.
  • 7.Onto: She climbed onto the roof.
  • 8.Out: We played outside in the garden.
  • 9.Outside: It’s snowing outside.
  • 10.Over: The plane flew over the mountains.
  • 11.Past: We walked past the old building.
  • 12.Through: We walked through the forest.
  • 1.Throughout: She smiled throughout the entire presentation.
  • 2.To: They went to the park.
  • 3.Toward: We walked toward the city centre.
  • 4.Under: The cat is hiding under the bed.
  • 5.Underneath: The treasure is underneath the rock.
  • 6.Until: They stayed up until midnight.
  • 7.Up: She climbed up the stairs.
  • 8.Upon: The cat perched upon the roof.
  • 9.With: I went to the party with my friends.
  • 10.Within: The answer is within the book.
  • 11.Without: He managed without any help.

Prepositional Phrase Examples

Here are a few examples of prepositional phrases:

  1. On the table:
    • “The book is on the table.”
    • “on” is the preposition, and “the table” is the object of the preposition.
  2. At the park:
    • “We had a picnic at the park.”
    • “at” is the preposition, and “the park” is the object of the preposition.
  3. Under the bridge:
    • “The river flows under the bridge.”
    • “under” is the preposition, and “the bridge” is the object of the preposition.
  4. In the morning:
    • “The sun rises brightly in the morning.”
    • “in” is the preposition, and “the morning” is the object of the preposition.
  5. With my friends:
    • “I enjoy playing with my friends”
    • “with” is the preposition, and “my friends” is the object of the preposition.

For more examples see our page of prepositional phrase examples

In each example, the preposition indicates a relationship between the noun or pronoun that follows it (the object of the preposition) and other elements in the sentence. These phrases can convey information about location, time, manner, or other relationships. Understanding prepositional phrases is crucial for constructing clear and detailed sentences in English.

Prepositional phrases can add important details to sentences, providing information about where, when, how, or in what manner an action is taking place. They are versatile elements in English grammar and are used to convey a variety of relationships within sentences.

For prepositional phrase exercises see our page on the prepositional phrase

Conclusion

If you want to learn more about prepositions visit the prepositions page, or visit the parts of speech page.

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