More About Prepositions
• If possible, don’t use prepositions at the end of a
sentence.
Ex: I don’t know where my brother is at.
Fix: I don’t know where my brother is right now.
•Sometimes you’ll see prepositions in a sentence. If
the preposition is NOT part of a prepositional phrase
(starting with a preposition and ending with a noun or
pronoun, it is NOT functioning as a preposition in that
sentence.
Ex: She is going to run tomorrow morning.
*to is NOT a preposition in this sentence
Ex: My dog was running around.
*around is NOT a preposition in this sentence
Prepositional Phrases: Adjective or
Adverb??
Prepositional phrases can function as adjectives
describing either a noun or a pronoun.
• Prepositional phrases functioning as adjectives
answer the questions:
What kind? How many? Which one?
Examples:
Irish setters are dogs with long hair.
**with long hair is modifying the noun: dog
Answers the question: What kind?
The bridge over the creek is old.
**over the creek is modifying the noun: bridge
Answers the question: Which one?
Prepositional Phrases: Adjective or
Adverb??
Prepositional phrases can also function as adverbs describing
either a verb, adjective, or other adverb.
• Prepositional phrases functioning as adverbs answer the
questions:
How? When? Where? How long? How often? How
much?
Examples:
The hockey team will play at the new arena.
**at the new arena is modifying the verb phrase: will play
Answers the question: Where?
Before class, Josh begged his friend for a pencil.
**Before class is modifying the noun: bridge
Answers the question: When?
***Notice the prepositional phrases are not always
directly after the word they are modifying.
Now you try…
1. Turn to page 8 in your packet.
2. First, identify the prepositional
phrases in each sentence. Put
them in parenthesis.
3. Next, decide if they are
functioning as adjectives or
adverbs.