What is a Preposition?
Think of a preposition as any word that describes the relationship between (for example) a caterpillar and an apple.
In this picture, all of the prepositions are underlined.
Are you ready to hear the actual definition of a preposition?
This may sound complicated, but with the help of examples and more of an explanation, you’ll know exactly what prepositions are.
Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word or element in the rest of the sentence.
Let’s break that down with a few examples.
She swam across the lake.
Across connects the noun lake with the verb swam. It tells us where she swam. Do you see how the preposition tells us the relationship between lake and swam?
The cupcake with sprinkles is mine.
In this example, the preposition with is showing the relationship between the noun sprinkles and the noun cupcake. It tells us which cupcake is hers.
Is this still confusing? Are you still asking yourself, “So… what is a preposition?”
Prepositional Phrases
One ultra-important thing that you need to know about prepositions is that they are always in prepositional phrases.
- A phrase is a group of words, without both a subject and a verb, that functions as a single part of speech.
- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus a noun or pronoun (the object of the preposition).
What’s in a prepositional phrase?
A preposition and an object of the preposition are the minimum ingredients for a prepositional phrase. We can jazz up prepositional phrases by adding adjectives and adverbs.
These prepositional phrases include only the necessary ingredients (preposition + object of the preposition).
with nuts
near water
with food
These prepositional phrases start with prepositions and end with nouns, but they also contain adjectives and/or adverbs.
above such foolishness
onto the floor
up the very steep mountain
Propositional Phrases Act As Adjectives or Adverbs
What is a preposition? Do you remember? It’s a word that shows the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word or element in the rest of the sentence. Prepositions are always in prepositional phrases.
All of the words in a prepositional phrase come together to function as an adjective or adverb. (Sometimes they do other things, but we won’t worry about that here!)
Prepositional Phrases Acting As Adjectives
If the prepositional phrase is describing a noun, the phrase is functioning as an adjective. (Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns.)
The table with the broken leg is downstairs.
Since the prepositional phrase with the broken leg is modifying table (a noun), this prepositional phrase is functioning as an adjective.
Prepositional Phrases Acting As Adverbs
If the prepositional phrase is describing a verb, adverb, or an adjective, then it’s functioning as an adverb. (Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.)
The rabbit hopped through the pretty garden.
Through the pretty garden is a prepositional phrase modifying the verb hopped, so it’s functioning as an adverb.
What is a preposition? I hope that you can easily answer that now!
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AGH / Jan.2020