Definition:

 
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a word in the sentence and the word
that is the object of the preposition.
You have just finished the Modifiers Module. You learned that adjectives tell which one, what
kind, how much, and how manyabout a noun or pronoun. You learned that adverbs
tell where, when, how, and to what extent about verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

Sometimes the answers to those questions take more than one word. Often those phrases are
prepositional phrases.

Which one: The flower in the vase is a peony.

What kind: The umbrella with the polka-dots is Mary Anne's.
Where: We will be going to the movies.
When: My lunch period is after science.
How: You are walking on your tiptoes.
Definition:
 
A phrase is a group of words working together that does not have both a subject and a verb.
Phrases usually act as a single part of speech. (We will get to that part later.)
Prepositions can never be alone, so it makes sense to learn about prepositions in their phrases. Any lone
preposition is actually an adverb.

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a word in the sentence and the word that is
the object of the preposition.

In the previous examples:

In shows the relationship between the flower and the vase.

With shows the relationship between the umbrella and the polka-dots.
To shows the relationship between where we are going and the movies.
After shows the relationship between our lunch and science class.
On shows the relationship between how we are walking and our tiptoes.

Definition:
 
The object of the preposition is the noun following the preposition that the preposition is relating
to something in the sentence.
In the previous examples, the objects are vase, polka-dots, movies, science class, and tiptoes.
Hint:
 To find the object of the preposition ask "What?" after the preposition.
The flower in the vase is a peony.

You found in - ask "In what?" Answer - vase. Try it with the other examples.

Definition:
 
A prepositional phrase is the preposition, the object of the preposition, and all the modifiers
between the two.

in (preposition) the vase (object)
with (preposition) the polka-dots (object)
to (preposition) the movies (object)
after (preposition) science class (object)
on (preposition) your tiptoes (object)
Some teachers have their students memorize a list of common prepositions. That can be confusing
because sometimes those same words act as adverbs. It is better to understand how they show a
relationship.

Some Common Prepositions

Prepositions of time: after, around, at, before, between, during, from, on, until, at, in,
from, since, for, during, within

Prepositions of place: above, across, against, along, among, around, at, behind, below,
beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, in, inside, into,
near, off, on, opposite, out, over, past, through, to, toward,
under, underneath

Prepositions of at, for, on, to, in, into, onto, between

direction/movement:

Prepositions of manner: by, on, in, like, with

Other types of prepositions: by, with , of, for, by, like, as

Do you need to know what categories they fit into? Not really. It's just a way to sort them.
Remembering time, place, direction, and manner might help you remember what prepositions do.

Hint:
 The word to is often a preposition, but it is just as often part of an infinitive verb. If the word
after to is a verb, to is not a preposition.
Preposition: I want to go to Florida for vacation.
Infinitive Verb: I want to go to Florida for vacation.
Hint:
 Think of prepositions as arrows.

→ to, at, for...

← from, next to...
↔ with, between...
↑ above, on...
↓ in, inside, under, below...

Hint:
 One of the best ways to understand prepositional phrases is to learn how to diagram sentences.

Definition:
 
Compound prepositions are made up of two or more words. They may be written as one word
(They look like regular prepositions) or as two or more separate words (They look like an
adverb and a preposition or another prepositional phrase). These separated prepositions are
sometimes called double prepositions, multiword prepositions, or phrase prepositions.
The bird \in the tree \outside  my window is singing loudly. (one word compound)
The bird \on top of  the tree \outside of  my window is singing loudly. (multiword compounds)
That movie will be playing from June 10 to June 23. (This is an unusual one because the parts of the
preposition are interrupted.)

Compound Objects

A preposition can have two or more objects.

The swimming pool is \between the oak  tree  and the palm  trees.

Some words can be used as either prepositions or adverbs. If the word has an object, it is acting as a
preposition. If it has no object, it is acting as an adverb.

Adverb: My school bus just went past.

Preposition: My brother just drove past us.
Hint:
Ask what after the word to see if it has an object.
Adverb: My school bus just went past. (Past what? Nothing = Adverb)
Preposition: My brother just drove past us. (Past what? Us = Preposition)

Definition:
 
An adjective prepositional phrase describes a noun or pronoun. It answers the questions which
one, what kind,how much, or how many.
Adjective: The wind's sound made a whistling noise.
Prepositional Phrase: The sound \of the wind made a whistling noise.

On the other hand, adverb prepositional phrases modify a verb, adjective, or adverb. They usually
tell when, where, how, why, or to what extent (how many, how much, how long, or how far),
and under what condition.

Adjective prepositional phrases can also follow linking verbs; however, this is not very common.

You seem \under the weather. (Under the weather describes you, not how you seem.)

More than one adjective phrase can modify the same noun.

The sound \of the players \from the gym distracted us.

The sound \of the players
The sound \from the gym

Definition:
 
 An adverb prepositional phrase modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb. It usually
tells when, where, how, why, or to what extent (how many, how much, how long, or how far),
and under what condition.
Modifying a verb:
We always go \to the beach \on the weekends. (Where and when we go.)

Modifying an adjective:

You look tired \from all the heat. (How tired?)

Michele is very good \at singing. (Under what condition is she good?)

Modifying an adverb:

I don't like getting up early \in the morning. (How early?)

Notice that adverbs don't tell why, but adverb phrases do. You generally can't explain why with a single
word.

More than one adverb phrase may modify the same verb.

\At the same time, the two opposing players crashed \into me.
crashed \at the same time
crashed \into me

Once in a while, a prepositional phrase may act as a noun. This is fairly rare. A noun prepositional
phrase generally acts as the subject of a sentence or as a subject complement.

In front of the class is a stressful place to be. (subject)

The most stressful place for me is in front of the class. (subject complement)

In these cases, there is usually a noun in front of the prepositional phrase that is implied or understood,
but not written.

(The spot) in front of the class is a stressful place to be.

The most stressful place for me is (the spot) in front of the class.

A prepositional phrase may modify the object of another prepositional phrase.

The flowers \in the pot \on the windowsill \in the kitchen \of my grandmother's house \in Maine are
violets.

The flowers are in the pot.

The pot is on the windowsill.
The windowsill is in the kitchen.
The kitchen is of my grandmother's house.
The house is in Maine.

Doesn't this sound like a children's rhyme?

Hint:
Be careful not to use too many prepositional phrases at once because it can be confusing. Two
prepositional phrases at a time are usually enough unless you are intentionally trying to layer
lots of prepositional phrases.
 Adjective prepositional phrases follow the nouns they modify, unlike adjectives which generally go
immediately before the nouns they modify. Like adjectives, they tell which one, what kind, how much,
or how many.

The show \on television tonight is about snow leopards \in Asia.

On television tells us which show. In Asia tells us which leopards.

Adverb prepositional phrases that modify adjectives and adverbs must go after the words they modify.
Like intensifiers, they tell to what extent. They can also tell why or in what way or in what
circumstances.

I am hungry \because of this diet. (Because of this diet tells why I'm hungry.)

You can run pretty quickly \in those high heels. (In those high heels tells when you run quickly.)

Adverb prepositional phrases that modify verbs can move about the sentence, just as adverbs do. Like
adverbs they can tell where, when, how, and to what extent. Since they use more than one word, they
can also tell why.

We will go snowboarding \in the winter. (In the winter tells when we will go snowboarding.)

\In the winter, we will go snowboarding.
We will, \in the winter, go snowboarding.
Hint:
Sometimes a prepositional phrase could make sense either as an adjective phrase modifying the
noun before it or as an adverb phrase modifying the verb. In this case, it is usually considered an
adjective phrase.
The plant \in the window gets lots of sunlight. (Tells which plant.)
\In the window, the plant gets lots of sunlight. (Tells where the plant gets lots of sunlight.)
The plant gets lots of sunlight \in the window. (Tells where the plant gets lots of sunlight.)

Misplaced Prepositional Phrases

Putting the prepositional phrase in the wrong place can lead to some strange-sounding sentences.

Tourists often wander along our beach \with cameras. (Do the beaches have cameras?)
Tourists \with cameras often wander along our beach. (No, the tourists have cameras.)

It is always best to put prepositional phrases with the words they modify unless you are consciously
moving an adverb phrase. Make sure you don't put a prepositional phrase after a noun that it doesn't
modify.

Dangling Prepositions

"Never end a sentence with a preposition!" We have almost all heard that rule, but it is not as carved in
stone as it sounds.

Sometimes a preposition at the end of the sentence is really a problem. Sometimes it is not. If it is,
there are several ways to fix it.

 It is fine - just leave it (unless your English teacher has a big problem with prepositions at end of
sentences, in which case try completely rearranging the sentence).

What are you looking at? - That really is okay.

At what are you looking? - Sounds awkward. No one speaks like that, not even English teachers.

What are these cookies made of? - Okay. You could leave it like this.
What are the ingredients in these cookies? - Better
 A teacher is a person most children look up to. - Okay. You could leave it like this.
A teacher is a person to whom most children look up. - A bit awkward. This might impress your
teacher, but people do not talk like this.
Most children look up to a teacher. - Completely rewritten.

 It really is not a problem because it is an idiomatic (two-word) verb.

What time should I pick you up? - Okay because pick up is an idiomatic/two-word verb.

 Move the phrase.

What time should we wake up at? - Nope

At what time should we wake up? - Much better

 Rearrange the prepositional phrase.

Colored pencils are my favorite tools to draw with. - Not terrible

Colored pencils are my favorite tools with which to draw. - Preferable

 Just leave it off. Sometimes people add unnecessary prepositions to the end of a sentence.

Where is your hometown at? - You don't need at.

Where is your hometown? - Much better.

Some prepositions commonly cause trouble for writers.

Beside / Besides
Beside means next to or at the side of.
The book is on the table beside my chair.
Besides means in addition to.
No one besides the teachers is allowed in the teachers' lounge.
Between / Among
Between is used with two things.
I sit between Annie and Mark.
Among is used with a group of three or more.
I sit among my friends.
Have / Of
Because the verb have is often contracted with a helping verb like could or should resulting
in could've or should've, students often think the contractions mean could of or should of.
You should have brought it since you could have.
Angry with / Angry at
You are angry with a person.
I am angry with my little brother for breaking my television.
You get angry at an object.
I was angry at my locker when I couldn't get it open.
Different from / Different than
Always use different from.
My answer was different from the answer on the key.
Never use different than.
My answer was different than the answer on the key.
 Restrictive or Essential Adjective Phrases

Definition:
 
A restrictive phrase, or essential phrase, is one that is necessary to the sentence. It limits or
restricts the word it is modifying so that the reader knows which noun is being referred to.
Restrictive phrases do not have commas around them.
The newspapers \in the attic are garbage. The newspapers \in the den are not garbage.
Without the phrase, I might throw out the wrong newspapers.
Definition:
 
A nonrestrictive, or nonessential, phrase is one that is not necessary to the sentence. It adds
information that is not needed. Nonrestrictive phrases need commas around them.
My father, \with his fear of crowds, did not come with us to the state fair.
I don't need to know about his fear of crowds to know which father I am talking about.

Commas with Adverb Phrases

Adverb phrases at the beginning of the sentence, now introductory prepositional phrases, are usually
separated from the sentence by a comma unless they are very short (three words or fewer) and it is easy
to tell where the phrase ends.

In the morning we got up and got ready for work.

In the morning, we got up and got ready for work.
(Short phrase okay with or without a comma.)

This is one of the few places where how a sentence sounds determines the punctuation.

Without my work, I was tempted to skip class.

(Short, but pauses. It is obvious that work does not describe I.)

Prepositional phrases layered together usually have a comma.

On the morning before my birthday, my parents surprised me with a trip to Hawaii.

Commas are especially important if the object of the preposition is a verb acting like a noun.
Otherwise, the results can be funny.

After vacuuming my brother collapsed on the couch. (Was someone vacuuming your brother?)
After vacuuming, my brother collapsed on the couch. (Comma is necessary)

Sometimes for effect, writers turn the whole sentence around, using the prepositional phrase first, then
the verb, and finally the subject.

Down the stream paddled the kayakers.

This is not an example of an introductory phrase and does not need a comma.

You learned about phrasal verbs in Verbs Module Lesson 12.

Definition:
 
Phrasal verbs, also called idiomatic verbs or two-word verbs, are made up of a verb and one or
more prepositions. The preposition in an phrasal verb is called a particle. This is because the
preposition is not being used to show a relationship such as time, place, or direction; it is just
there because that is the way we speak.
 If you wake up in the morning, is there anything up about how you wake? If you tell someone to shut
up (which we know is rude), what up are they supposed to shut?

Examples:

Please fill out these forms so I can find out more about you.

If you fall behind in your homework, your parents will hear from your teacher.
If you blow up at your friends, it makes it harder to get along with them.

It is important to be able to tell the difference in the ways prepositions are used.

 Verb with an adverb:

We looked up at the sky to see the meteor shower.

As we were racing, James fell behind.

 Verb with a prepositional phrase:

We looked up the road to see if the car was coming.

James fell behind the couch.

 Idiomatic verb:

We looked up the definition of that word in the dictionary.

James fell behind in his schoolwork.

Hint:
If you ask what after the word and get an answer, it's a preposition.