Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and contains a noun and its modifiers (the words that describe the noun). We italicize prepositional phrases below.

  • Josh's consistent effort raised his grade in English.
  • Laura wrote Ariel concerning their friendship.
  • Ms. Hoo stomped into the noisy classroom.
  • Justin hit the baseball beyond all the fielders.
  • Al's fickle friends led him into dangerous activities.
  • We talked on the phone yesterday.
  • Brent skied beyond Bill and me.
  • Louisa May Alcott wrote classics for children.
  • She learned much from Ralph Emerson and Henry Thoreau.
  • During the Civil War, she worked in the hospital.
  • Amendment V provides protection for any citizen accused of a crime punishable by death.
  • The accused person must go before a Grand Jury.

There can be more than one prepositional phrase in a sentence:

  • Omar finds the answers to his questions (1) in bizarre places (2).
  • A pony leaped over the fence (1) and trotted through the town (2).
  • Brent skis in the remotest parts (1) of the large ski resort (2).
  • Alexander the Great was one of the greatest generals (1) of all time (2).
  • An accused person found not guilty by trial (1) cannot be tried again for the same crime (2).
  • After our lunch (1), let's talk about the reasons (2) for the amendments (3) to the Constitution (4).

Examples

For each sentence, write each prepositional phrase and star the object(s) of each preposition.

  1. Rumors of Big Foot spread throughout Washington within a few weeks.
  2. Some places on the west side of the Cascade Mountains received 180 inches of rain.
  3. Lava from Mount St. Helens flowed down the slopes and onto flat land.
  4. Communicable diseases are spread in a variety of ways.
  5. Some microbes are spread from one person to another person through direct contact.
  6. Colds and flu can spread via sneezing and coughing.
  7. We see Aristotle on the list of famous philosophers.
  8. Aristotle stimulated Alexander's interest in rhetoric, literature, science, medicine, and philosophy.
  9. By means of symbolism, an allegory presents both literal and symbolic meaning.
  10. Must I testify against myself in a court of law?
  11. All people have the right to life, liberty, and property.

Solutions

  1. of *Big Foot / throughout *Washington / within a few *weeks
  2. on the west *side / of the *Cascade Mountains / of *rain
  3. from *Mount St. Helens / down the *slopes / onto flat *land
  4. in a *variety / of *ways
  5. from one *person / to another *person / through direct *contact
  6. via *sneezing and *coughing
  7. on the *list / of famous *philosophers
  8. in *rhetoric, *literature, *science, *medicine, and *philosophy
  9. By means of *symbolism
  10. against *myself / in a *court / of *law
  11. to *life, *liberty, and *property