Prepositions vs. Conjunctions
Fifth Grade
Writing
Challenge students with a discussion about prepositions and conjunctions in this lesson. Your class will write a
journal entry to explain the function of the prepositions and conjunctions in a specific sentence.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to determine whether to use a conjunction or preposition in a text and explain their
reasoning.
Materials and preparation
Key terms
Class set of The Pentagon Tour Tips and Tricks
worksheet
Images of the Pentagon
Class set of lined paper
The Conjunctions: The Cure for Your Run-ons
worksheet (optional)
The Practice with Prepositional Phrases
worksheet (optional)
conjunction
preposition
Attachments
The Pentagon Tour Tips and Tricks (PDF)
Conjunctions: The Cure for Your Run-ons (PDF)
Practice with Prepositional Phrases (PDF)
Introduction (5 minutes)
Display a picture of the Pentagon.
Ask students if they recognize the building and if they know what people do in the building.
Explain that the Pentagon is where a lot of the people in charge of the military work. Tell them they
cannot get into the building without permission.
Ask students if they can think of any other buildings in the United States that are government buildings
with limited access.
Allow students to share their answers (e.g. the Capitol Building and the White House).
Explain that today they are going to edit a journal entry about getting into the Pentagon so that it makes
sense. They will add either a preposition or a conjunction and explain their choices.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (5 minutes)
List the following prepositions and conjunctions on the board: under, through, and, or.
Read the student objective and define conjunction as a word used to connect two clauses (e.g. and, but,
nor, or, for), and write the definition on the board.
Define a preposition as a word that shows where something is or when something happened, and write
the definition on the board.
Write the following on the board: The teacher walked ____ the classroom.
Read through the sentence, and fill in the blank with the correct preposition from the options listed on the
board.
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Think aloud about your choice by placing some of the words on the line and reading the sentence.
Eliminate the conjunctions because there are no clauses in between the blank. Reinforce the decision to
use a preposition in this sentence by showing that the sentence mentions a location (i.e. the classroom).
Read through the correct sentence: The teacher walked through the classroom.
Explain that you chose this preposition based on the options given.
Guided Practice (12 minutes)
Ask students if they could have chosen another preposition (e.g. into or around).
Allow a student to pretend to be the teacher and model what it would look like to enter the classroom or
walk through the classroom.
Write the following on the board: The teacher walked through the classroom _____ into the hallway.
Tell the students to look at the options listed on the board and turn and talk to their partner about the
right answer for the sentence.
Ask one student to share their answer (i.e. and) and explain their choice.
Allow a student to act out the sentence.
Emphasize to students that the conjunction connected the two things the teacher did.
Distribute The Pentagon Tour Tips and Tricks worksheet, read the directions, and complete the first
paragraph with student volunteers giving their answers and explanations.
Ask another student to restate the volunteer’s explanations.
Assign the students A–B partners and tell them to complete the second paragraph in The Pentagon Tour
Tips and Tricks worksheet. Tell the students you may choose them randomly to explain their answers.
Choose non-volunteers to explain their answers on the page. Prompt them to share why they would use a
conjunction instead of a preposition, and vice versa.
Independent working time (8 minutes)
Review the directions for The Pentagon Tour Tips and Tricks worksheet.
Explain they will now complete the rest of the worksheet using the words from the word box.
Tell students they may have to explain their answers to the class at the end.
Differentiation
Support:
Assign the words in the word box to specific paragraphs in The Pentagon Tour Tips and Tricks worksheet.
Give students only one of the two paragraphs to complete for their independent practice.
Support student understanding of prepositions and conjunctions with the Conjunctions: The Cure for Your
Run-ons and Practice with Prepositional Phrases worksheets.
Provide the following words for students to choose to fill the blank on their exit ticket: but, or, in, while.
Use sentence frames for the discussion and exit ticket. For example: I chose ____ because ____.
Enrichment:
Challenge students to find the prepositional phrases throughout The Pentagon Tour Tips and Tricks
worksheet and underline them.
Ask students to complete The Pentagon Tour Tips and Tricks worksheet without the word box.
Allow students to write their own journal entry using at least ten prepositions and conjunctions.
Assessment (3 minutes)
Pass out the lined paper.
Write the following on the board: The student gave us nice tips, ____ I want to know if the Pentagon has
any food!
Require students to fill in the blank with a conjunction or preposition, and justify their answer in 1–3
sentences.
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Review and closing (2 minutes)
Ask for volunteers to share their answers from their independent practice.
Remind students this is an opportunity to share an explanation if they haven't done so already.
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Name:
Date:
The Pentagon Tour Tips and Tricks
A preposition is a word that shows where something is or when something happened.
Example: The airplane landed safely onto the tarmac.
A conjunction is a word used to connect two clauses.
Example: The airplane landed safely, and everyone cheered.
Directions: Read through the journal entry. Then, fill in the blanks with a conjunction or a preposition
from the word box. You may need to use a word more than once.
Word Box
but
beneath
to
through
within
while
in
before
or
inside
at
and
until
Day 3 of our trip to Washington, D.C.
Visiting the Pentagon is no easy feat! It is possible to visit, ______ you need to
make sure you follow the rules closely. We are a nation of rules, are we not? Here are
some simple tips to keep in mind when planning your trip ______ the Pentagon.
First, make an appointment. Do not just show up without asking permission! That
is a big no-no, ______ it will not get you ______ the building. Make sure that you
get an appointment no earlier than 90 days before the visit, ______ no later than
two weeks ______ the visit. I think it has something to do with having an orderly visit,
______ they never told me why. I guess they do not want too many people showing
up at one time. Did you know 106,000 people visit the Pentagon annually? That’s a lot
of people visiting ______ 365 days!
Secondly, you should really make sure to dress appropriately. You will need to
walk ______ a lot of the Pentagon. It will be at least one and a half miles ______
a 60-minute timeframe, so make sure your shoes are comfortable. That does
not mean showing up in baggy pants ______ wearing wrinkled clothes. These people
help keep us safe, ______ they have a dress code of their own. The least we can do
is show up looking presentable ______ in the building!
Lastly, take some paper because there are no cameras, ______ any electronic
devices, allowed ______ the building. It’s for security reasons, of course. That’s why
they make you bring your identification, too. You can use your paper to take notes, or
even to draw pictures of some of the cool things you may see during the tour. I
forgot my paper ______ the hotel ______ the bed, so I was out of luck ______
touring the Pentagon. I will not make that mistake before the Capitol Building tour!
Enjoy your visit!
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Conjunctions: The Cure for Your Run-ons
Run-on sentences are sentences that have two or more ideas that are smashed
together without a conjunction. It’s like pushing a car and a trailer together
but not hooking them up.
Run-On:
Fixed:
My brother made a gallon of slime
he didn’t share any with me.
My brother made a gallon of slime, but
he didn’t share any with me.
Directions: Use the lists of conjunctions below to fix the run-on sentences.
1. I beat the video game my brother beat it a few weeks later.
2. I went to the gas station and got a ton of candy my mom got angry.
3. My brother takes the longest showers he comes home from practice dripping with sweat.
4. My sister won the skateboard competition she practiced for weeks.
5. The movie is showing at 7:00 it is showing at 9:30, too.
Subordinating Conjunctions
after
although
as
as if
as long as
as much as
as soon as
as though
because
before
even if
even though
how
if
inasmuch as
in order that
till
unless
until
when
whenever
where
Coordinating Conjunctions
wherever
while
• for • and • nor • but • or • yet • so
Correlative Conjunctions
both … and …
neither … nor …
early … or …
not only … but also …
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Practice with Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase is a modifying phrase consisting
of a preposition and its object. These phrases usually
add details about “where” or “when.”
.
Preposition
+ Its Object = Prepositional Phrase
example
under + the bridge = under the bridge
Directions: Use this method to record the parts of each prepositional phrase below.
2. I cleaned during the commercials.
1. Sarah sprinted down the hill.
down
Preposition =
down
the hill
+
the hill
Object =
Preposition =
down the hill
=
Object =
+
=
3. I have homework on the weekends.
4. My mom is cheerful in the morning.
Preposition =
Preposition =
Object =
+
Object =
+
=
=
Directions: Complete each sentence with a prepositional phrase. Underline the preposition
and circle the object. You may choose to select prepositions from the word bank or use
your own.
Preposition Word Bank
in on
at
during
around
before over off for by to
5. The princess lives
.
6. Mr. Roberts, the math teacher, offers chapter review sessions
7. My sister has a dental appointment
.
8. The annual Springfield parade takes place
.
9. We take turns saying what we’re thankful for
10. We traveled
.
.
.
11. We veered right to turn
.
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