Overview
This lecture explains prepositional phrases, their functions in sentences, and how understanding them improves both writing and reading comprehension.
What is a Prepositional Phrase?
- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and a noun (object), possibly with adjectives.
- Example: "on the table" or "on the oak dining room table" are prepositional phrases.
Functions of Prepositional Phrases
- Prepositional phrases add detail and description to writing.
- They can show location (e.g., "on the table"), direction (e.g., "down the street"), time (e.g., "in Spring"), or manner/feeling (e.g., "in Surprise").
- Adding prepositional phrases makes sentences more vivid and specific.
Prepositional Phrases and Sentence Structure
- Nothing within a prepositional phrase can be the subject of a sentence.
- Removing prepositional phrases helps identify the subject, verb, and object of the sentence.
- Example: In "the photo of Mr Freeborn frightened the children," "the photo" is the subject.
- Sentence inversion for emphasis/formality can move the subject after prepositional phrases, e.g., "Around the corner from my school is a Brazilian buffet," where "buffet" is the subject.
Importance in Reading and Writing
- Using prepositional phrases improves descriptive writing.
- Recognizing prepositional phrases helps with sentence comprehension and identifying main sentence parts.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Prepositional Phrase — a group consisting of a preposition and its object (a noun), possibly with modifiers, but no verb.
- Preposition — a word showing the relationship between its object and another word (e.g., on, in, at, by, under).
- Object of the Preposition — the noun or pronoun following the preposition in the phrase.
- Inversion — reversing the normal subject-verb order, often after prepositional phrases.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice identifying and using prepositional phrases by following the link provided at the end of the video.