Prepositional Phrases
The sentences above contain prepositional phrases.
The phrases are ‘after breakfast’ and ‘at the pond’.
Prepositional phrases start
with a preposition and is usually followed by a noun. The phrases will not
be followed by verbs and will also not contain the subjects of the sentences.
Prepositional phrases can function as the adjectives or
adverbs in sentences.
Here are some examples of prepositional phrases.
This email is from my
aunt and uncle.
The house at the end
of the street has been vacant for a year.
She carried the infant with
great care.
With the exception of
Abigail, the rest of the students are keen to visit the Orchid Garden.
You can wash the dishes instead
of the laundry.
On returning to
work, he was told that he had been promoted.
(use the verb in the –ing form after ‘on’)
In spite of his
poor attitude, his supervisor praised him.
The patient did not show any improvement despite being given a course of
antibiotics.
Here are two common errors when using prepositional
phrases.
1.
Using a verb instead of a noun, pronoun or
gerund
The patient did not show any
improvement despite give a course of antibiotics. (x)
despite: preposition
give: verb
The correct
answer should be,
The patient
did not show any improvement despite being given a course of antibiotics.
2.
Not using a comma when placing the prepositional
phrase at the start of a sentence.
Upon seeing the movie star the
fans waved and shouted his name. (x)
Missing comma after the prepositional phrase.
Where do we place the comma?
What is the preposition? à upon
What is the object of the
prepositional phrase? à
movie star
What is the prepositional phrase?
à Upon seeing the movie
star
The correct answer should be,
Upon seeing the movie star, the fans waved
and shouted his name.
Let’s Practise.
Rewrite the sentences using the prepositions given.
1.
All the teachers were present at the concert.
The exception were Mr Clark and Miss Smith.
With the
______________________________________________________________
2.
Joshua did not sell his apartment. He rented it
out instead.
Instead of
_____________________________________________________________
3.
The nurse was attentive to the patient’s needs.
The patient soon felt much better.
With the attentiveness
__________________________________________________
4.
The toddler realised that she was lost. She
burst into tears.
Upon
________________________________________________________________
5.
Online shopping is convenient. Hence it is very
popular.
_______________________________
because of its _________________________
Answers:
1.
With the exception of Mr Clark and Miss Smith,
all the teachers were present at the concert.
2.
Instead of selling his apartment, Joshua rented
it out.
3.
With the attentiveness of the nurse, the patient
soon felt much better.
4.
Upon realising that she was lost, the toddler
burst into tears.
5.
Online shopping is very popular because of its
convenience.
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