Before we go into this lesson, let’s do a quick recap:
- A phrase is a group of word tied together in a sentence.
- A phrase, unlike a clause, has neither subject nor predicate.
- A phrase does the work of a single part of speech.
- Phrases may classified by how they are formed: prepositional phrases, infinitive phrases, participial phrases and gerund phrases.
- Phrases may also be classified by the work they do in a sentence: noun phrases, adjective phrases and adverb phrases.
In this lesson, we will look at the prepositional phrase.
To understand the prepositional phrase, you must first understand what a preposition is. A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between an object and some other noun, pronoun or verb in a sentence.
Here is an example:
I walked over the bridge.
A preposition always takes an object. In the example above, the preposition is “over” and its object is “bridge”.
The preposition, together with its object, form a prepositional phrase.
Therefore, the words “over the bridge” is a prepositional phrase.
The table below gives some more examples.
Preposition | Object of the Preposition |
In | The kitchen |
Over | The hill |
Under | The sea |
Inside | The oven |
To | My home |
Before | The storm |
After | The party |
Outside of | The house |
Beside | The fire |
In the sentences below the prepositions are underlined and the prepositional phrases are set in italics.
Mom was in the kitchen.
We walked over the hill.
A submarine travels under the sea.
Put the cake inside the oven.
Let’s go to my home.
There was a loud thunder before the storm.
We are going home after the party.
My friends are waiting outside of the house.
We will sit beside the fire.