Prepositions and Conjuntions

I. Prepositions :

- A preposition is a word that shows the relationship of a noun or a pronoun to some

other word in the sentence.
- Some of the prepositions are: by, to, with, about, at, for, etc.
- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The latter must be a
noun (or a noun plus its modifiers) or a pronoun. Here are some examples:

in the morning (morning is the object of the preposition in)

pre adj N
after class (class is the object of after)
pre N
by Shakespeare (Shakespeare is the object of by)
prep N
with great difficulty (difficulty is the object of with)
pre adj N
to them (them is the object of to)
pre pro

-If prepositional phrases modify nouns, they are called adjective phrases. If they
modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, they are called adverb phrases. Here are
some examples:

Adjective phrase: Please take the cup on the table.

N
Adverb phrase: We will see each other in the morning.
V
He is always lucky at cards.
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 adj
We went to a movie later in the evening.
adv

Exercise: Put between square brackets prepositional phrases. Within, identify

the prepositions, the nouns, their modifiers, or the pronouns. Then, say whether
the prepositional phrase is an adjective or an adverb phrase.

0. The house [with the driveway] [of red brick] is ours.

pre adj N pre adj N
-with the driveway is an adjective phrase modifying the noun house.
-of red brick is an adjective phrase modifying the noun driveway.

1. After school, I rode my bicycle to a friend’s house.

2. At her first Olympic competition, Sonja Henie was eleven years old.

3. Sonja was the daughter of a Norwegian fur dealer.

4. Trained as an ice skater, she competed in the 1924 Olympics at age eleven.

5. Her costume, a knee-length, flared skirt, made an impression on observers.

6. The skirt might have been considered improper on an adult.

7. However, opinions at the Olympics four years later had changed.

8. Sonja left the 1928 Olympics with her first gold medal.

9. Sonja introduced the elements of dance and showmanship.

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 10.Furthermore, Sonja did jumps that had only been performed by men.

11.Sonja preferred to be treated like someone of great celebrity.

12.She was considered temperamental by many.

II. Conjunctions:

-A conjunction joins words or groups of words.

-There are two types of conjunctions: coordinating conjunctions, and subordinating

conjunctions.

-Coordinating conjunctions can be summarized in one word FANBOY, and they are: for,
and, nor, but, or, and yet. They join words or groups of words of EQUAL status.

-Subordinating conjunctions join clauses of UNEQUAL status. Example:

I went to bed late because I had to study for a big test.

-because is a subordinating conjunction that joins the adverb subordinating clause I had to
study for a big test to the main clause I went to bed late.

-Six of the coordinating conjunctions can be used to join two sentences (or two independent
clauses):

for
and
John loves Mary, but Fred loves Alicia.
or
yet
so

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-Nor can join sentences only if the first sentence is negative:

John does not love Mary, nor does Fred love Alicia.

-The conjunctions and and or are commonly used to join single words or groups of words
that are less than a full sentence. Examples:

Words:

John and Mary were asking about you. (two nouns)

Gwendolyn sings or dances. (two verbs)

The boring and pointless meeting lasted forever. (two adjectives)

John terminated the interview abruptly and rudely. (two adverbs)

Groups of words:

Melvin read the book and saw the movie.

The reporters took notes or made recordings.

-There is a type of coordinating conjunctions called correlative conjunctions.

-The most common correlative conjunctions are: both….and, either…..or, neither…..nor, and
not only……but also. Examples:

Words:

John loves both Mary and Alicia.

John loves either Mary or Alicia.

John loves neither Mary nor Alicia.

John loves not only Mary but also Alicia.

Groups of words:

John turned on both the TV and the radio.

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 The coach told me to either practice harder or quit the team.

Without my car, I could neither get to work nor go back home.

Marvin not only missed the meeting but also the party later.

-They can join sentences as well:

Either I pay my rent, or I will have to find a new place.

Not only was the movie stupid, but also it ran for three hours.

Exercise: Underline coordinating conjunctions twice. Underline once the words, groups
of words, or whole sentences that the conjunctions join. If there is a correlative
conjunction, underline both elements twice.

0. Ann’s mother both planned the wedding and made up the guest list.

1. We were tired, so we went home early.

2. This is either very good cheese or very bad meat.

3. I’m sure that he is OK, but I can’t help worrying.

4. We got into the car and drove to the station.

5. Did you want coffee, tea, or milk?

6. Not only did Holmes fool Watson, but also he fooled Inspector Lestrade.

7. Thanks to careful planning and more than our share of good luck, we were successful.

8. John neither drinks nor watches daytime TV.

9. Either you give me my money back, or I will take you to court.

10.Unfortunately, I am neither rich nor famous.

11.They had better hurry, for the game is about to start.

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 12.He is either a fool or a knave.

13.Time and tide wait for no man.

14.It was getting late, so I decided to quit.

15.Either a Pepsi or a Coke is OK.

A Summarizing Exercise: In the following, identify all the parts of speech.

0. The new mystery baffled both the local police and Scotland Yard.
adj adj N V C adj adj N C N

1. Almost all professional writers keep a daily journal.

2. The FDA carefully evaluated the new drug.

3. They rebuilt the old gym and completely restored the chemistry lab.

4. Holmes finally located the missing the missing gun and incriminating letters.

5. The plane circled the field and then landed smoothly.

6. The Constitution protects free speech.

7. Count Dracula appreciated her friendly attitude and unlocked windows.

8. A new conductor led the orchestra today.

9. Unfortunately, the tuba player had a bad cold and missed some notes.

10.I always have a good time here.

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 11.The waitress pocketed the tip and smiled politely.

12.John came home late last Thursday.

13.The cleaner nearly ruined my blue sweater.

14.The class passed the examination easily.

15.Fortunately, every dark cloud has a silver lining.

16.Our cat loves fresh fish or old cat food.

17.My mother loudly announced our engagement.

18.Every graduate faces a frightening and thrilling new beginning.

19.Theirs was a very odd but happy marriage.

20.The black jacket is mine.

Source Used:

- Mark Lester’s Grammar and Usage in the Classroom, Second Edition.

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