P REPOSITIONS & P REPOSITIONAL P HRASES Adding vivid, specific details to your writing

S TUDENTS, Please get out your homework (if you did not turn it in yesterday) and wait quietly for further instructions.

A LL ABOUT PREPOSITIONS Prepositions are used to explain more details about parts of a sentence. They are used in phrases that relate the position of one word to some other word in the sentence. For example: What words could fit in the blank to relate the table to the placement of the box? Lee placed the box the table.

A LL ABOUT PREPOSITIONS Lee placed the box the table. All the words that fit the blank are examples of prepositions. Notice that prepositions are always used in phrases : on the table, beside my entire family, below them.

A LL ABOUT PREPOSITIONS Lee placed the box the table. All the words that fit the blank are examples of prepositions. Notice that prepositions are always used in phrases : on the table, beside my entire family, below them. The noun or pronoun at the end of the phrase is called the object of the preposition.

A L IST OF C OMMON P REPOSITIONS Here are some of the most common prepo- sitions. Learn to recognize these and use them in your writing. Can you think of some phrases that use these prepositions? about across after around at before behind below down during for from in inside into near of off on outside over past since through to under until up upon with within

F OUR HINTS ABOUT PREPOSITIONS Here are some hints about prepositions. 1. Prepositions and prepositional phrases never include verbs. For example: Do these sentences use “to” as a preposition? Shari left the house and walked to the store. Find the boys, give this letter to them, and return. Check out my report to learn about giraffes. The first two sentences use “to” as a preposition. The third does not. “To learn” is a phrase that ends with a verb, so it cannot be a prepositional phrase.

F OUR HINTS ABOUT PREPOSITIONS 2. Prepositions only occur in phrases. If a word looks like a preposition but is used without a phrase, it’s probably something else (like an adverb, perhaps). For example: Do these sentences use “down” as a preposition? It’s easy to fall down if you aren’t used to skating. Tony ran down the stairs to greet his Uncle Frank. Only the second sentence uses “down” as a preposition; it has a phrase that ends with a noun. The first “down” is an adverb.

F OUR HINTS ABOUT PREPOSITIONS 3. If two words right next to each other seem to be prepositions, one of them is an __________________. For example: What are the prepositional phrases in these sentences? My mother said I should never go down by the bay. “Stay outside near the trees,” the captain said. Could you hike up with me later?

F OUR HINTS ABOUT PREPOSITIONS 3. You will never find two prepositions right next to each other. If two words right next to each other seem to be prepositions, only one of them really is. For example: What are the prepositional phrases in these sentences? My mother said I should never go down by the bay. “Stay outside near the trees,” the captain said. Could you hike up with me later? Only the highlighted words are the prepositional phrases.

F OUR HINTS ABOUT PREPOSITIONS 4. A prepositional phrase always ends with a noun or a pronoun. When you reach the noun or pronoun that’s being connected to the rest of the sentence, you have reached the end of that phrase. Sometimes two phrases are next to each other. For example: What are the phrases below? You are among friends in this city, so rest well. Maude greeted Sami and talked with her at the door. Maryanne walked with her aunt for half an hour.

F OUR HINTS ABOUT PREPOSITIONS 4. A prepositional phrase always ends with a noun or a pronoun. When you reach the noun or pronoun that’s being connected to the rest of the sentence, you have reached the end of that phrase. Sometimes two phrases are next to each other. For example: What are the phrases below? You are among friends in this city, so rest well. Maude greeted Sami and talked with her at the door. Maryanne walked with her aunt for half an hour.

F OUR HINTS ABOUT PREPOSITIONS 4. A prepositional phrase always ends with a noun or a pronoun. A side note: There are some exceptions. It used to be said that a sentence or phrase should never end with a preposition. This rule has changed over time, and now it is sometimes acceptable. However, make sure it’s really the best option for that sentence. For example: Everyone left early, so Sue had no one to walk with. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here for you. (This works, but a better sentence might be…) If you need to talk to someone, I’m here for you.

U SE THESE WORDS IN PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Using what you have learned so far, write sentences that use these words in prepositional phrases. in of to outside after with over

U SE THESE WORDS IN PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Now check the answers... Miranda walked in the door and dropped her keys on the table. The story of the kings kept Joey’s interest for hours. I would like to watch the game with them. (NO) Antonio finished his work and went outside. (NO) After solving the crime, Watson sipped his tea contentedly. (NO) Tara went with her family to Great Adventure. If you aren’t careful on the steps, you’ll fall over. (NO)

D IFFERENT JOBS FOR PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Good work with prepositional phrases so far! The next part of this presentation will explain how prepositional phrases have different jobs. These jobs depend on what the phrases are talking about in different sentences.

A DJECTIVE P HRASES When a prepositional phrase describes a noun, it is called an adjective phrase. To decide if it is an adjective phrase, you must look back or ahead to see what the phrase modifies. What phrases do you see below? The cake in the oven will be finished after an hour.

A DJECTIVE P HRASES When a prepositional phrase describes a noun, it is called an adjective phrase. To decide if it is an adjective phrase, you must look back or ahead to see what the phrase is related to. What phrases do you see below? The cake in the oven will be finished after an hour. This phrase is related to cake, which is a noun. That’s how we know it’s an adjective phrase.

A DJECTIVE P HRASES When a prepositional phrase describes a noun, it is called an adjective phrase. To decide if it is an adjective phrase, you must look back or ahead to see what the phrase is related to. What phrases do you see below? The cake in the oven will be finished after an hour. This phrase is related to finished, which is a verb; so this is not an adjective phrase.

P RACTICE A DJECTIVE P HRASES Practice writing sentences with adjective phrases. Use these phrases to describe nouns in your sentences. in a lake on the ground from his mother across the path

A DVERB P HRASES Prepositional phrases can also act like adverbs. These are called adverb phrases. Adverb phrases explain when, where, or how something happened or will happen. As with adjective phrases, you must look back or ahead to see what the phrase is related to. What phrases do you see below? After school, the three friends walked past the bakery.

A DVERB P HRASES Prepositional phrases can also act like adverbs. These are called adverb phrases. Adverb phrases explain when, where, or how something happened or will happen. As with adjective phrases, you must look back or ahead to see what the phrase is related to. What phrases do you see below? After school, the three friends walked past the bakery. “After school” is an adverb phrase that explains when “walked” took place.

A DVERB P HRASES Prepositional phrases can also act like adverbs. These are called adverb phrases. Adverb phrases explain when, where, or how something happened or will happen. As with adjective phrases, you must look back or ahead to see what the phrase is related to. What phrases do you see below? After school, the three friends walked past the bakery. “Past the bakery” is also an adverb phrase that explains where “walked” took place.

P RACTICE A DVERB P HRASES Now practice writing sentences with adverb phrases. Include prepositional phrases that describe these verbs. threw searched gathered was thinking

K EEP USING PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Prepositional phrases can make your sentences stronger by giving specific details. They can also help vary your sentence structure, because prepositional phrases can often be used in different parts of sentences. Try using them in the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence to see what works. Keep writing!

P OP ( OPEN NOTE ) QUIZ If the word is not used as a preposition, explain why. If it is used as a preposition, write down the entire phrase. 1. Miranda walked in the door and dropped her keys on the table. 2. The story of the kings kept Joey’s interest for hours. 3. I would like to watch the game with them. 4. Antonio finished his work and went outside. 5. After solving the crime, Watson sipped his tea contentedly. 6. Tara went with her family to Great Adventure. 7. If you aren’t careful on the steps, you’ll fall over.

W RITING PROMPT If you could change one thing about your life right now, what would you change and why?