Preposition Notes

1. Preposition Notes

2. American Lit: Prepositions • Key Idea ONE: • A preposition is a word that shows a relationship between one word in the sentence and the “object of the preposition” • Ex: The duck is in the lake.

3. Key Idea TWO: • Prepositions are often words that are hard to define by themselves -- they need other words around them to have meaning. • About • At • By • For • From • Of • Since • To • with

4. Key Idea THREE: • Prepositionsoften show spatial relationships, so if you can “do it to the mountain” then it’s a preposition. • She went under the tree bough.

5. Key Idea FOUR: • Both linking verbs and prepositions show relationships. • This means you must study and know the list of linking verbs from your notes! • If you see a word that shows a relationship, and you know it is not a linking verb, then you know it is a preposition. • I am a teacher. (Linking verb) • I am on the treadmill. (Preposition)

6. Objects of Prepositions • The object of the preposition is the noun or pronoun that follows the preposition. • Some of the construction crew built a scaffold near the tower. • The library will hold the book until tomorrow. • The prompter sat behind the scenery with a small flashlight.

7. Try it yourself! Find the prepositional phrase and tell which word is the object. • Chirps of the newly hatched chicks could be heard in the corridor. • A plane made an emergency landing in a cornfield. • The elephants lumbered past us toward the water hole. • The puppy came into our tent and slept at the foot of my sleeping bag. • The city was without power for several hours.

8. Prepositions • Sometimes the same word can be used as a preposition or as an adverb. If there is no object, then the word is an adverb. • Ex: “Come along” vs “The messages travel along the telephone wire”

9. Determine whether the word is an adverb or a preposition • I have spoken to you before, haven’t I? • Before the speech, the audience was restless. • Write these words down quickly. • The train continued down the track.

10. What is a Preposition? • Prepositions are words that we use to show relationships between words. • The dog is under the bed. • Here, “under” shows the relationship between dog and bed.

11. Prepositional Phrases • A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, its object (the noun that follows it, like “bed” in “under the bed”), and any modifiers of the object (like the adjective “the”). • People communicate in many ways. • Here, the preposition is “in,” the object of the preposition is the noun “ways,” and the prepositional phrase is “in many ways.”

12. Using Prepositional Phrases • Prepositional phrases are ALWAYS related to another word in the sentence. • They modify that word in the same way an adjective or an adverb does.

13. Types of Prepositional Phrases • “Adjective Phrases” are prepositional phrases that modify nouns or pronouns • They tell which one, how many, or what kind • “Adverb Phrases” are prepositional phrases that modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. • They tell where, when, how, why, or to what extent

14. Find the Prepositional Phrase. Then, tell whether it is an adjective phrase or an adverb phrase. • People enjoy talking with one another. • They share news of their daily lives. • News about international events is broadcast on television. • Many people find current news on the internet. • Communication methods have changed over the centuries.