Prepositions and What they Modify

Prepositions and What They Modify

An exciting tale of love, loss, triumph, and glory

Now, let's rewind it first!

A preposition is: a word that shows a relationship between two other words in a sentence.

Example: The cat ran under the chair.

Preposition: under

Connects: cat and chair :)

What is a prepositional phrase?

A prepositional phrase looks the same no matter how it is used. It begins with a preposition and is followed by a noun or pronoun that is the object of the preposition.

Example: The cat ran under the chair.

Prepositional Phrase: under the chair

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct prepositional phrase of the sentence below: The bug flew in my eye.

• The bug

• flew in my eye

• in my eye

Prepostional Phrases and what they modify

It's true! They do! Some prepositional phrases are used as adjectives. Like all adjectives, they will describe or modify a noun or pronoun.Today we'll be talking about modifying:

*subjects

*direct objects

*subject complements

Modify the subject!

• The subject of the sentence is who the sentence is about.

• Prepositional phrases can answer the question, "which one?" or "what kind?"

• Example: The medicine above the counter is mine.

• Prepositional Phrase: above the counter.

• What it modifies: medicine (the subjct of the sentence!)

Modify the Direct Object!

• Prepositions can also be used to describe direct objects. They help us answer the question, “Which one or what kind?”

• direct objects receives the action of the verb

Modify the Direct Object Continued!

• Example: Luis read an article about a recent discovery.

• Prepositional Phrase: about a recent discovery.

• Noun it modifies: article

• Article is a direct object

• The phrase modifies a direct object

Modify a Subject Complement!

• Some prepositional phrases describe subject complements.

• Subject complements are nouns that come after a linking verb, often a form of be. They describe or identify the subject of the sentence. They help us answer the question, “Which one or what kind?

Modify a Subject Complement continued!

• Example: Our teacher became a writer of spy novels.

• Prepositional Phrase: of spy novels.

• SC: teacher

• LV: became

• The prepositional phrase modifies the SC: teacher!

Okay that was a lot of info so let's practice!

Multiple Choice

What word does the prepositional phrase modify?

Mr. Thomas put the cat in his bag.

• Mr. Thomas

• put

• cat

• bag

Multiple Choice

What word does the underlined prepositional phrase modify?

She is the pilot beside the crew in this picture.

• She

• pilot

• crew

• picture

Multiple Choice

What word does the underlined prepositional phrase modify? Jasmine, by the door, was falling asleep.

• Jasmine

• falling

• asleep

• door

Multiple Choice

What word does the underlined prepositional phrase modify?

The rat with a long tail was tiny.

• tail

• rat

• tiny

• was

Multiple Choice

What part of the sentence does the underlined preposition modify?

Amanda put her racket in her backpack.

• subject complement

• the object of a different preposition

• direct object

• subject

Multiple Choice

What part of the sentence does the underlined preposition modify? Sarah's sister is the surgeon beside the doctor in this picture.

• the object of a different preposition

• direct object

• subject

• subject complement

Multiple Choice

What part of the sentence does the underlined preposition modify?

Jackson, by the lantern, was moody.

• subject

• the object of a different preposition

• subject complement

• direct object

Multiple Choice

What part of the sentence does the underlined preposition modify? The hamster with brown fur was sleepy.

• subject complement

• the object of a different preposition

• subject

• direct object

Multiple Choice

What part of the sentence does the underlined preposition modify? Sarah's sister is the surgeon beside the doctor in this picture.

• the object of a different preposition

• direct object

• subject

• subject complement

Multiple Choice

What word does the underlined prepositional phrase modify? Jasmine, by the door, was falling asleep.

• Jasmine

• falling

• asleep

• door

Congratulations!

You made it to the end! Does your head hurt some? Totally cool if it does. This is complicated stuff, but you did it! Flex on us!!!