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Close Window to Exit	Foreign Language Success Strategies First Edition, Volume I: August 2006 Part II- English Language Grammar Primer & Exercises
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Prepositions can never stand alone in a sentence. They must always include other words in what we call a prepositional phrase (PP). The noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent that follows a preposition is called the object of the preposition (OP). Examples: I have the program loaded on my computer. (Computer is the OP of on.) Under pressure, the Airman admitted stealing Kleenex. (Pressure is the OP of under.) The student with glassy eyes looks bored. (Eyes is the OP of with.) • Rules About Prepositions: 1. Prepositional phrases are usually either adjectival or adverbial. 2. The object of the preposition can never be the subject or direct object of the sentence. 3. Prepositional phrases cannot include verbs. 4. The prepositional phrase functions as a single grammatical unit. Examples: Some of the students give all of the teachers a hard time. I gave a red rose to my invalid aunt. Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives A prepositional phrase that modifies a noun: Examples: The rain from the Arctic wastelands seemed colder than ice. (Which rain?) Bananas with brown skin will attract fruit flies. (What kind of bananas?) She had a dream about the king of Sweden. (What kind of dream? Which king?) Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs A prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb: Examples: The linebacker cried like a baby. (How did he cry?) He hid cowering in his room. (Where did he hide?) Sheila and Mark talked until midnight. (How long did they talk?) TWO-WORD VERBS
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PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES

Prepositions can never stand alone in a sentence. They must always include other words in what we call a prepositional phrase (PP). The noun, pronoun, or noun equivalent that follows a preposition is called the object of the preposition (OP).

Examples: I have the program loaded on my computer. (Computer is the OP of on.)
Under pressure, the Airman admitted stealing Kleenex. (Pressure is the OP of under.)
The student with glassy eyes looks bored. (Eyes is the OP of with.)

• Rules About Prepositions:
1. Prepositional phrases are usually either adjectival or adverbial.
2. The object of the preposition can never be the subject or direct object of the sentence.
3. Prepositional phrases cannot include verbs.
4. The prepositional phrase functions as a single grammatical unit.

Examples: Some of the students give all of the teachers a hard time.
I gave a red rose to my invalid aunt.

Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives
A prepositional phrase that modifies a noun:

Examples: The rain from the Arctic wastelands seemed colder than ice. (Which rain?)
Bananas with brown skin will attract fruit flies. (What kind of bananas?)
She had a dream about the king of Sweden. (What kind of dream? Which king?)

Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs
A prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb:

Examples: The linebacker cried like a baby. (How did he cry?)
He hid cowering in his room. (Where did he hide?)
Sheila and Mark talked until midnight. (How long did they talk?)