Prepositions

1. Prepositions Identify Prepositions Identify Objects of Prepositions

2. What is a preposition? • It is a word that shows how a noun or pronoun relates to another part of the sentence. • In, on, of, by, for, with~prepositions are little words that make a HUGE difference. • My sister is lying to me. • My sister is lying next to me. • I am swimming toward the shark’s tummy. • I am swimming away from the shark’s tummy as fast as I can. • I am swimming inside the shark’s tummy.

3. Prepositions: • A group of words may act as a preposition: on account of, along with, in spite of, together with. • A preposition usually introduces a phrase. The noun or pronoun (plus other words like adjectives) that follows the preposition is called “the object.” • Some prepositions tell when: during, till, before, since, about, after, through, for. • Some prepositions tell which: with. • Some prepositions tell what: into. • Some prepositions tell where: above, across, around, behind, below, beside, next, in, underneath. • Some prepositions compare things: like, as (think simile).

4. Examples: • Prepositional phrases can appear at the beginning or at the end of a sentence. • The frog on the lily pad jumped into the rippling river. • The frog with green spots jumped away from the angry elf during a thunderstorm. • In his bed, the giant snored throughout the night. • The giant snored like a buzzsaw. • Rumpelstiltskin spun straw in the room filled with straw. • Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into golden thread.

5. Now you try some: • The queen laughed. • The king called the guard. • Snow White ate the poisoned apple. • The bats flew. • I am swimming. • A gargoyle sat. • A clown juggled. • The princess giggled.

6. Identify the preposition and the object of the preposition in each of these sentences: • Our 4th grade class has been picking up litter every Saturday morning throughout the community. • As we drove on the roads around the mountain, we could see that we were getting higher with every curve. • Despite her fears, Natalie tiptoed into the abandoned house. • At 2:30 we will go to the pool. • I thought I saw your book in the garage sitting on top of the shelves. • How long is it until summer vacation?

7. Rewrite and combine the following sentences by adding prepositional phrases. You also add other words besides prepositions, but each sentence must contain a preposition. • There is a hen. There is a wooden table. The hen clucks and lays golden eggs. • There is a giant. There is a beanstalk. • There is a blackbird. There is a a tree. There is a castle. There is a window. • There is an elf. There is a meadow. There is the moon. • There is a princess. There is a throne. There is a ballroom. • There is a troll. There is a bridge. • There is a dwarf. There is a shoe. The shoe looks like an ogre’s foot. • I am kayaking. There is a Tennessee River. My kayak is red. • There is a book. There is a shelf. There is a student. • There is a principal. There is a key. There is an envelope.

8. Elements of Language Pages 104-105 Do exercise 11

9. Using Prepositions to Describe • Look at a picture in a picture book. • Use at least ten prepositions to describe what you see in the picture. • Example from Where the Wild Things Are. • Max is running down the stairs. • Max is running toward the dog. • Max has a fork in his hand. • Max’s wolf suit has ears on top of its head.