Prepositional Phrase
5a. Introduction to
Preposition and Prepositional Phrase
*
What is a Preposition?
==> Preposition is a word
used to show relevance between word and word, phrase and phrase in a sentence.
Examples:
-
He is angry with me.
-
She is a great lover of books.
-
Where are you from?
-
She is studying at
University.
* What is a prepositional Phrase?
==> A
Preposition Phrase is phrase that consists of a preposition followed
usually by a noun, a pronoun, a noun phrase or an adverb.
Examples:
-
She is on the
computer. (She is using the computer.)
-
TJ could hear her across
the room.
-
David walked down
the ramp.
-
We saw her in
town the other day.
5b. The structure
of Prepositional Phrase
==> The table below illustrates some of the possible structures found in the
English prepositional phrase.
|
The
Prepositional Phrase in English
|
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|
FUNCTION
|
Preposition
|
Complement
|
||
|
|
(a)
|
|
for
|
now
|
|
E
|
(b)
|
|
with
|
her
|
|
X
|
(c)
|
|
in
|
time
|
|
A
|
(d)
|
|
next to
|
the table
|
|
M
|
(e)
|
|
into
|
the thick of things
|
|
P
|
(f)
|
|
by
|
the time that you read this
|
|
L
|
(g)
|
|
before
|
slipping off to sleep
|
|
E
|
(h)
|
|
after
|
running more than 500 miles in one week
|
|
S
|
(i)
|
|
to
|
whomever it may concern
|
|
|
(j)
|
|
from
|
what I can see
|
|
FORM
|
Preposition
|
Adverb
|
||
|
Pronoun
|
||||
|
Noun
|
||||
|
Noun Phrase
|
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|
-ing Clause
|
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|
Relative Clause
|
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==> In
the diagram below will show you more about the structure of Prepositional
phrase
5c. The functions of Prepositional Phrase
1. Adverbial: Prepositional phrases may function as adverbials (adjuncts, disjunct
and conjuncts), [or adverb phrase].
a.
Adjuncts: saying where, when,
how, with what, for whom, etc.
Examples:
-
The cat was on the table.
-
In Scotland
it sometimes snows in summer.
-
I paint with great enthusiasm but with little
skill.
-
I even baked a cake for her.
b.
Disjunct: making a comment on
the rest of the sentence.
Examples:
-
To my surprise, there was no-one there.
-
To Mrs. Brown’s relief, there storm hadn’t
damaged her fruit bushes.
-
In all fairness, I don’t think we can blame her
for what happened.
-
In the corner, on a blanket, I lay a huge black
cat.
c.
Conjuncts: linking sentences.
Examples:
-
You’re not going diving. For a start, you can’t
swim.
-
In the first place, you don’t know how to swim.
-
For another thing, you can’t afford it.
2.
Modifier or Adjective phrase
a. A Prepositional phrase may
modify (i.e. describe or identify) a preceding noun in much the same way as an
adjective does.
Examples:
-
Who is that man with red hair? (= that
red-haired man)
-
He is a man of honor. (an honorable man)
-
They greeted us with screams of delight.
(delighted screams)
-
The train at platform 6 is the 10:35 to London
Euston.
b. A prepositional phrase may equally modify a
following noun.
Examples:
-
He made a few off-the-cuff remarks and sat down
again.
- These
offences are subject on-the-spot fines.
-
I don’t like his in-your-face style of speaking.
(‘in-your-face’ means ‘rather aggressive)
-
She was wearing an off-the-shoulder dress.
c. A prepositional phrase may also modify an
adjective or the word not (i.e. it may emphasize it or weaken its force).
Examples:
-
Your behavior was foolish in the extreme.
(=extremely foolish)
-
We weren’t worried in the slightest.
-
I am not in the least surprised.
-
The little girl was glowing with pride.
*
Notice
that when a prepositional phrase precedes the noun it modifies, it is written
with hyphens:
an on-the-spot fine
off-the-peg clothes
an in-depth survey
*
Prepositional phrases that follow the noun they
modify are not hyphenated:
That box on the table is mine.
There’s a man with a wooden leg at the door.
3.
Complement
a. A
prepositional phrase may function as a subject-complement or object-complement.
(see noun phrase as object of preposition)
Examples:
-
Your work is
of great value. (Subject-
complement)
-
The lines have to be of equal length.
(subject-complement)
-
The house was in a terrible mess. (subject-complement)
-
We considered the information of little importance.
(object-complement)
-
Make both line of equal length.
(object-complement)
b. A prepositional phrase may
also function as the complement of an adjective, a verb, a noun or an adverb.
The complement of an adjective, verb, noun or adverb is a group of words that
follows it and provides further information relating to it.
1. Complement
of Adjective
Examples:
-
My parents are very keen on opera.
-
She is very fond of her grandchildren.
-
There’s no need to be afraid of dogs.
-
My daughter is very good with horses.
-
The dog was very possessive about its puppies.
2. Complement of Verb
Examples
-
Can we depend on him?
-
I’ve decided on the black dress.
-
Tom insisted on a vote.
-
At this very moment there are people who are dying of
hunger.
-
I think I got an unfair share of the blame.
3.
Complement of Adjective
Examples:
-
There’s no point in our being here.
-
What is the purpose of this visit?
-
Could we have a jug of water, please?
-
She shows a remarkable aptitude for mathematics.
4.
Complement of Adverb
Examples:
-
She quickly moved away from the wall.
-
She runs quickly with this man.
==>
Notice: It is important to distinguish between
prepositional phrases that are adverbials and those that are complements.
Examples:
-
Mary
was sick on the bus. (adverbial –
says where she was sick)
-
May
was sick of waiting. (complement –
says what she was sick of)
-
She
decided on the black dress.
(complement – says what she chose)
-
She
decided on the way home. (adverbial
– says when she decided)
* It is also important to distinguish
between a phrase that modifies a noun and one that is the complement of a noun.
A prepositional phrase that modifies a noun describes or identifies it, whereas
the complement of a noun say something more about what the noun relates to.
Examples:
-
The
bag on the table is mine.
(modification – identifies which bag_
-
She
was holding a bag of potatoes.
(complement – say what was in the bag)
-
The
answer in the book is wrong.
(modification – identifies which answer)
-
The
answer to your problem lies in yourself.
(complement – says more about what the answer relates to)
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