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A prepositional phrase is a group of words made up of a preposition, the object of the preposition, and words that modify that object. In most cases, the prepositional phrase is used to modify a noun or a verb. The use of the prepositional phrase to modify a noun is called an adjectival phrase ; when it modifies the verb it is known as an adverbial phrase .
At a minimum, the prepositional phrase will consist of a preposition and the object it governs, although there may be more than one preposition. The object of the sentence can be one of the following three elements:
- A noun .
- A verb that ends in -ing but acts as if it were a noun, which is called a gerund .
- A clause .
Prepositions
As in Spanish, in English a preposition is a word that usually indicates where or when something is in relation to something else. There are many prepositions that can be used in a prepositional phrase. Let’s see some of the most used with their most common translations, although their meaning may vary depending on the context.
- About _
- After _
- at _
- Before (Before)
- Behind _
- by _
- During _
- For (For)
- From _
- in (in)
- Of (Of)
- Over (Over)
- To (A)
- Under (Low)
- With _
Now that we know how a prepositional phrase is formed, let’s look at some examples of its use.
- She came to the interview on time. (She arrived on time for the interview)
- Does she really go out with that guy ? (Is she really she is she dating that boy?)
As we can see, prepositional phrases start with a preposition and a noun, but there is also the possibility of modifying that noun in the prepositional phrase. Let’s see how.
- Does she really go out with that handsome guy ? (Is she really she is she dating that handsome boy?)
In short, a prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition. The purpose of a prepositional phrase is to act as an adjective or adverb. In the phrase “ She has paid this bill twice by mistake ”, “ by mistake” is the prepositional phrase.
Types of prepositional phrases
Propositional phrases fall into three categories: those that modify a noun, those that modify a verb, and those that act as a noun.
Prepositional phrase that modifies a noun
A prepositional phrase can act on a noun and thus in the same way as an adjective . When this happens, the prepositional phrase is called an adjectival phrase . Let’s see some examples.
- The turtle at the end is the largest. (The turtle at the end is the biggest)
- She always gets her clothes from the thrift store on Melrose Avenue . (She always buys her clothes at the thrift store on Melrose Avenue)
- I decided to move into a house by the mountains . (I decided to move to a house near the mountains)
In the above examples we can see that the adjectival phrase is used as a way of giving us additional information about the noun. For example, if we look at the first sentence, we get more information about the location of the turtle; in the second we have more details about the location of the store. The prepositional phrase offers additional description, which is what an adjective would normally do.
Prepositional phrase that modifies a verb
In some cases, the prepositional phrase can act on a verb , thus behaving like an adverb . When a prepositional phrase is used like this it is called an adverbial phrase . Let’s see some examples.
- If you want to find out who is knocking the door, look behind you. (If you want to know who is knocking on the door, look behind you)
- Brian ran along the street with grace . (Brian ran down the street gracefully)
In the two examples above you can see that the adverbial phrase gives us an answer to the question “in what way?”. The first example could be an answer to the question “who is knocking at the door?” The second example could be an answer to the question “how did Brian run down the street?”
Prepositional phrase that acts as a noun
Sometimes the prepositional phrase can act as a noun, but this does not happen very often . Let’s see some examples.
- Over the rainbow is a magical place. (Above the rainbow is a magical place)
- Under the chair is where there are a lot of crumbs. (Under the chair there are a lot of crumbs)
Rules for prepositional phrases
There are, of course, certain rules when it comes to using a prepositional phrase. One of the main problems is its excessive use, which can reduce the elegance and fluidity of a text. As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to use only one prepositional phrase every 10-15 words in your written work. Consider the following example.
- He liked to talk with grace and patience when he spoke with his clients in the office of work . (He liked to speak with grace and patience when he talked to his clients in the work office)
Although the sentence is grammatically correct, there are two cases in which the word with (with) is used and another two in which the prepositions in (en) and of (de) intervene. This can make the sentence awkward to read. Let’s now look at the phrase after removing some prepositional phrases.
- In the work office, he liked to talk to his clients with grace and patience. (In the work office, he liked to talk to his clients with grace and patience)
This sentence is much more concise and uses fewer prepositional phrases, while still giving us the same information. Using the active voice instead of the passive is also a good way to avoid overuse of the prepositional phrase in English grammar.
Sources
- Cambridge Dictionary. (nd). grammar. Prepositions and particles . Prepositional phrases . In English Grammar Today.
- GingerSoftware. (nd). Grammar Rules . Prepositional Phrases .
