Overview
This lecture explains prepositional phrases, how they modify sentences by providing extra details, and offers examples of using them to specify time, place, and direction.
Complete Sentences
- A complete sentence consists of a subject (who or what) and a predicate (what the subject does or is).
- Example: In "Superman caught the robber," "Superman" is the subject and "caught the robber" is the predicate.
Prepositional Phrases: Definition and Structure
- A prepositional phrase is a modifying phrase consisting of a preposition and its object.
- The preposition usually shows direction, time, place, or details, and always appears before its object.
- The object of a preposition can be a noun, proper noun, or pronoun.
- Prepositional phrases provide extra information in a sentence.
Types and Examples of Prepositional Phrases
- Prepositions of time include: after, during, before, past, since, until.
- Prepositions of place include: behind, under, in, through, at, beside, across, between.
- Examples: "after midnight" (time), "behind the building" (place), "over the fence" (direction), "during lunch" (time), "for her birthday" (details).
Adding Prepositional Phrases to Sentences
- Prepositional phrases can make sentences more specific by telling when or where something happens.
- Example: "Superman caught the robber behind the building" (where).
- Example: "Shelton played football before dinner" (when) and "Shelton played football at the park" (where).
- Example: "The little girl found a dollar during the picnic" (when) and "The little girl found a dollar between the trees" (where).
Key Terms & Definitions
- Prepositional Phrase — a group of words starting with a preposition and ending with its object, adding detail to the sentence.
- Preposition — a word that shows the relationship of its object to another word, often indicating time, place, or direction.
- Object of the Preposition — the noun, proper noun, or pronoun that follows the preposition.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Practice making sentences more specific by adding prepositional phrases for time and place using common prepositions.