Prepositions

Prepositions are utilized to express the relationship of a noun or pronoun to the other part of the sentence. The noun or pronoun that is joined by the preposition is known as the object of the preposition. 

• There’s a big balloon in the sky. 
• Jane is jumping into the pool. 

A preposition is usually preceded a noun phrase. 

Some prepositions can also come before an adverb. 

Prepositions can also come before a gerund. 

A preposition of place portrays where something is located in reference to something else, or where something occurred or will occur. 

• All children fear the darkness below/under their beds. 
• The design above/over the hallway reminded Natalie of a castle she’d visited. 

A preposition of direction or movement portrays how, where, or in what way something moves. 

• My sister went to Europe with her friends. 
• The best friends rode their bicycles along the road. 

A preposition of time portrays when or for how long something occurred or will occur. 

• Let’s meet at noon. 
• Chris arrived at one o’clock. 

A preposition of agency portrays a person or a thing that has caused or is causing something to occur. 

• The house was built by the three siblings. 

A preposition of instrument or device is used when describing certain technologies, machines, or devices. 

• Aunt Patricia returned home by ferry. 

A preposition of reason or purpose describes why something has occurred or will occur. 

• Everything I did was for you. 
• Through her bravery, we were able to escape unharmed. 

A preposition of connection describes possession, relationships, or accompaniment. 

• The Statue of Liberty is located in New York Harbor. 
• A well-written essay is impressive to teachers. 

Prepositions and their objects together form prepositional phrases, which can function as either adjectives or (more commonly) adverbs. 

• He arrived to school in a red car. 
• We keep the lawnmower in the shed out back. 

Certain prepositions can be utilized in conjunction with nouns to connect, emphasize, or provide clarification for ideas expressed in sentences. 

Few verbs require prepositions to connect to their sentences’ objects. These combinations are also known as prepositional verbs. 

When a prepositional phrase revises a verb, adjective, or adverb, it is considered to have the function of an adverb within the sentence. These phrases are known as adverbial prepositional phrases, or sometimes just adverb prepositional phrases, or adverb phrases. 

Prepositional idioms combine prepositions with verbs, nouns, or phrases to create idiomatic expressions. 

• I dialed the wrong number by mistake.