Prepositions
Prepositions are words or groups of words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun (the object of the sentence) and another word in the sentence. A prepositional phrase includes the preposition, the object of the preposition, and the modifiers (describes other words) of the object. Prepositional phrases tell about when or where something is happening.
In class we've been learning how to identify parts of a sentence. You will need to know how to label sentences. Here is how you do it:
1. Who or what is the sentence about? = subject (S)
2. What is the subject doing? = verb (V)
3. Where/when is the subject doing the verb? = prepositional phrase
4. What is the first word of the prepositional phrase? = preposition (P)
5. Preposition, where/what? = object of the preposition (O)
6. What kind of object? = modifier (M)
Example:
S V P M O
The dog is running down the narrow street.
1. Who/what is the sentence about? = dog
2. What is the dog doing? = running
3. Where/when is the dog running? = down the narrow street
4. What is the first word of the prepositional phrase? = down
5. Down where/what? = street
6. What kind of street? = narrow
Now you try!
Label all of the parts of the following sentences.
1. The cats slept next to the warm fireplace.
2. Billy ate at the new restaurant.
3. My mother went under the bridge.
4. The boys slept until sundown.
5. My friend walked across the red bridge.
Here are some common prepositons:
above |
behind | for | over |
across | below | from | to |
after | beneath | in |
toward |
along | beside | inside | under |
around | between | into | until |
at | by | off | with |
away | down | off | with |
because | during | on | within |
before | except | outside | without |
Try making some sentences of your own and labeling each part of speech!