Prepositional phrases
Prepositional phrases modify nouns and verbs while indicating various relationships between subjects and verbs.
Prepositional phrases consist of a preposition and an object of a preposition and the noun phrase or pronoun that follows the preposition is called the object of the preposition
At the minimum, a prepositional phrase will begin with a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause, the "object" of the preposition.
These are the patterns for a prepositional phrase:
preposition + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause
Here are some examples of the most basic prepositional phrase:
| AT FIRST | AT HOME |
AT WORK |
BY ACCIDENT |
BY ALL MEANS |
BY CHANCE |
| BY HEART |
IN A HURRY |
IN ANY CASE |
IN DANGER |
IN FACT |
IN THE END |
| ON/OFF DUTY |
ON BUSINESS |
ON HOLIDAY |
ON PURPOSE |
ON SALE |
OUT OF ORDER |
If you don't understand these expressions, you can look them up here.
Exercise
Complete the sentences with the right prepositional phrase from above
1. We finally solved our problem a new device created by our research and development department.
2. All the phones in the street were
3. She didn't do it ; it was just an accident
4. As she was I couldn't talk to her
5. They spent their days in hiking and fishing.
6. He was suspended from the force for being drunk while
7. I met her again in a department store in London.
8. Mary had trouble learning the song , but her teacher insisted on it
9. "I don't want to go to a restaurant; we can't afford it"
10. She is very clever. she will succeed
11. I bought these pants for half price.
12. She met her new boyfriend while she was