Recognize Prepositional Phrases

·                                Sentences

·                                Words

·                                Phrases

Step1

Be careful to distinguish between the preposition 'to' (to the house, to Tucson) and the 'to' that marks an infinitive verb (to read, to jog).

Step2

Adjectives and other modifiers may be placed between a preposition and its object. Also, a preposition may have more than one object. "He looked 'across the broad, serene river'." [adjectives added] "The view was 'to the east and the south'." [two objects]

Step3

Prepositional phrases may also occur in a sequence or two or more. "The bird 'at the top of that tree' is chirping." A prepositional phrase usually functions as an adjective or an adverb. When it is used as an adjective, it modifies a noun or a pronoun and is called an 'adjective phrase'. An adjective phrase always follows the word it modifies. "I pressed the button 'on the right'." [adjective phrase modifying the noun, button]

Step4

When a prepositional phrase is used as an adverb, it modifies a verb, an adjective or an adverb and is called an 'adverb phrase'. "This bus will be convenient 'for you'." [adverb phrase modifying the adjective convenient] An adverb phrase that modifies a verb may appear in different positions in the sentence.

Tips:

·                                 Place the adjective and adverb phrases where they belong.

·                                 A misplaced phrase can be confusing