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Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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Phrases

A phrase is a group of two or more words that does not contain a subject and a verb working together. There are many types of phrases, including verb phrases, adverb phrases, and adjective phrases. Each of these groups of words acts together as a single part of speech.

Prepositions

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word. Common prepositions are shown in the table below:

Prepositions A-At	Prepositions B-Bu	Prepositions By-In	Prepositions In-Ov	Prepositions P-Un	Prepositions Un-Z
about above across after against along among around at	before behind below beneath beside besides between beyond but*	by concerning down during except for from in inside	into like near of off on out outside over	past since through throughout to toward under underneath until	unto up upon with within without

Prepositions A-At

Prepositions B-Bu

Prepositions By-In

Prepositions In-Ov

Prepositions P-Un

Prepositions Un-Z

about

above

across

after

against

along

among

around

before

behind

below

beneath

beside

besides

between

beyond

but*

concerning

down

during

except

for

from

inside

into

near

off

out

outside

over

past

since

through

throughout

toward

under

underneath

until

unto

upon

with

within

without

* “but” is only a preposition when it means “except”

Note: Some of these listed prepositions (like “after” and “before”) can also act as adverbs or subordinating conjunctions. Look for the object of a preposition to determine if the word is acting as an adverb or a preposition.

Prepositional Phrases

The prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, the object of a preposition, and all its modifiers. A prepositional phrase may be used as an adjective or an adverb.

Examples:

I placed the flowers on the flowered tablecloth.

The preposition is “on”; the object of the preposition is “tablecloth”; “flowered” modifies “tablecloth.” The entire prepositional phrase is therefore “on the flowered tablecloth.” This phrase answers the question “where”—I placed it where? On the tablecloth—making “on the tablecloth” an adverb prepositional phrase.

The box without a label arrived at our house.

“Without a label” is an adjectival prepositional phrase, describing (modifying) the box. “Label” is still the object of the preposition “without.” “At our house” is an adverbial prepositional phrase, answering the question where and modifying “arrived.” “House” is the object of the preposition.

Look in the drawer with the scissors!

This sentence has two prepositional phrases. The first, “in the drawer with the scissors,” is an adverb, modifying the verb “look.” The phrase answers the adverb question where: Where should I look? In the drawer. “Drawer” (and its modifying phrase “with the scissors”) is the object of the preposition “in.” The second prepositional phrase, “with the scissors” is an adjectival phrase, modifying the noun “drawer.” (To repeat, since “with the scissors” modifies “drawer,” it is part of the prepositional phrase that begins “in”).

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Exercises

Find the prepositional phrases in the following sentences. Then mark the object of the preposition and indicate which part of speech the prepositional phrase functions as (adjective or adverb). Remember that prepositional phrases can exist within other prepositional phrases!

In 2016 I tried snowboarding for the first time.
I frequently fell on my butt and once put my head in a snowbank.
Afterwards, I had green and yellow bruises on my knees under my knee pads.
I took a hike down a ravine to a pond with clouds of vicious mosquitoes.
The bridesmaid's dress was a terrible shade of pink with small orange dots.
The commentator on the radio mentioned a book about saturated fats in fast food.

Answers

Phrases are in bold; objects of preposition are italicized.

In 2016 (answering the question “when”) and for the first time (answering the question “under what condition”). Both are adverbial prepositional phrases modifying the verb “tried.”
on my butt (an adverbial phrase answering “where” I fell) and in a snowbank (an adverbial phrase answering “where” I put my head).
on my knees under my knee pads (adjectival phrase describing “bruises”) and under my knee pads (adjectival phrase describing “knees”). Note: Afterwards is not a preposition here; it is an adverb since it has no object of the preposition.
down a ravine to a pond with clouds of vicious mosquitoes (adjectival phrase modifying “hike”) and to a pond (adjectival phrase modifying “ravine”) and with clouds (adjectival phrase modifying “pond”) and of vicious mosquitoes (adjectival phrase modifying “clouds”).
of pink with small orange dots (adjectival phrase modifying “shade”) and with small orange dots (adjectival phrase modifying “pink”).
on the radio (adjectival phrase modifying “commentator”) and about saturated fats in fast food (adjectival phrase describing “book”) and in fast food (adjectival phrase modifying “fats”).

Adapted from Lydia Fash, University Writing Program, 2008, 2021.