Writing with Detail: Prepositional Phrases
Identifying prepositional phrases
Adding detail with prepositional phrases
Varying sentence structure with prepositional phrases
Review A
Review B
Identifying prepositional phrases
Great writers help you see a place or situation by
providing detail.
Imagine if you read the following passage:
Far off a square trembled. Staggering along
I floundered, and almost fell.
You might well ask …
or
Whereisof
ishe
this
A Where
square
what?
she
going?
person?
Identifying prepositional phrases
See how Edith Wharton wrote the actual passage
in Ethan Frome:
Far off above
a square
ustrembled.
a square Staggering
of light
along
I floundered,
trembled.
Staggering
and almost
along
fell.
in
I floundered,
Frome’s
and almost
wake
wake,
IIfloundered
floundered
fell.
toward
towardit,
it,and
andalmost
almost
fell.into one of the deep drifts against
fell
the front of the house.
Wharton added all of this detail by using
prepositional phrases.
Identifying prepositional phrases
Prepositional phrases can be lined up, side by
side, to add even more detail.
up the slippery steps of the porch
into one of the deep drifts against the front of the house
Adding detail with prepositional phrases
Prepositional phrases provide detail by answering
the following questions.
Where?
above us
When?
at night
How?
What kind?
Which one?
in the darkness
after dinner
with grace
of gold
in the morning
by climbing
with puffy sleeves
Adding detail with prepositional phrases
To make your sentences more detailed . . .
1. Ask where, when, or how the action took place.
Our class built a bridge.
Where?
Our class built a bridge in the park.
When?
Our class built a bridge over the weekend.
How?
Our class built a bridge out of recycled
plastic boards.
Adding detail with prepositional phrases
2. Look for nouns that you can say more about
by asking “What kind?” or “Which one?”
This box needs to be sorted.
What kind?
This box of clothes needs to be sorted.
Which one?
This box with torn sides needs to be sorted.
Adding detail with prepositional phrases
On Your Own
The following sentences tell a story but are not very detailed.
Add detail to each of the following sentences by adding
prepositional phrases.
1. This morning I woke up.
2. I was surprised to discover a large hole.
3. Something was making strange noises.
4. I decided to have a closer look.
5. Not sure, I stuck in my head.
[End of Section]
Varying sentence structure with
prepositional phrases
Many writers like to begin a sentence with a
prepositional phrase to give the reader a
context for what comes next.
At the height of her fame
and popularity Marella Jacob
traveled constantly, performing
nightly in sold-out concerts for
fans who hung on every note
and watched every movement.
Varying sentence structure with
prepositional phrases
To add variety to your sentence structure, start
some sentences with prepositional phrases.
Repetitive
Varied
Marella Jacob traveled. She was famous
and popular. She traveled constantly. She
performed in sold-out concerts for fans.
At the height of her fame and
popularity, Marella Jacob traveled
constantly, performing nightly in sold-out
concerts for fans who hung on every note
and watched every movement.
Varying sentence structure with
prepositional phrases
On Your Own
Combine each pair of sentences by turning one sentence into a
prepositional phrase and adding it to the beginning of the other.
Change other words as necessary.
1. The car turned at the corner. The car turned right.
2. Buds appear on every branch. Buds decorate the trees.
3. Call 911. Call that number in an emergency.
4. Nina hopes to have raised one hundred dollars. She hopes to
have raised that much by Friday.
5. We stayed indoors during the blizzard. We stayed indoors for
two full days.
[End of Section]
Review A
Identify each prepositional phrase in the following
passage from Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi.
Then, indicate which question each phrase answers.
Sometimes, in the big river, when we would be feeling our
way cautiously along through a fog, the deep hush would
suddenly be broken by yells and a clamor of tin pans, and all
in an instant a log raft would appear vaguely through the
webby veil, close upon us . . . .
Review B
Provide extra detail by adding prepositional phrases to the
following sentences. For two of the sentences, place a
prepositional phrase at the beginning.
1. He saw a rumpled paper bag.
2. The new building will be finished.
3. Each public square has a fountain.
4. The heat filled the room.
5. These ancient people built a sturdy road.
[End of Section]
The End