Meet the Prepositional Phrase

​Hey Accusative, a bunch of us are going out after work. You joining up?

Thanks guys, but I just got a side gig working for CenaCurre, the hot new delivery app. If I'm going to be a star, I need cash!

Oh, wow. A side gig? Doesn't Accusative have enough work getting direct objects in the sentence?

In this economy? The cases sometimes have do extra duties.

You know...I bet Accusative is going to see a lot of prepositions...

Alright, CenaCurre app is turned on...now we wait...

ORDER IS READY

OK, first CenaCurre delivery...5 stars, here I come! I wonder how many prepositions I'll see out there...not that I'm w-w-worried!

USE DOOR IN FRONT OF YOU. WALK THREE STEPS DOWN STAIRS THEN GO UP THE RAMP INTO PARKING LOT TO YOUR CAR...1 SECOND LEFT.

While he's looking for his car, let's take a look at a prepositional phrase.

Long story short, they will show location. And watch out - don't confuse it with dative.

Alright, so every prepositional phrase starts with a preposition.

So you ask yourself,

​

​"Under where?"

Oh my...saying that out loud...

​💧

Hey, someone had to say it. "the water" answers that where? question.

Making it the object of the preposition!

And there it is folks. The preposition and object of the preposition make up the...

...prepositional phrase! Let's answer a few questions and then see how Accusative is doing.

Multiple Choice

through the tunnel

What is the object of the preposition?

• tunnel

• through

• through the tunnel

Multiple Choice

through the tunnel

What is the prepositional phrase?

• tunnel

• through

• through the tunnel

Multiple Choice

through the tunnel

What is the preposition?

• tunnel

• through

• through the tunnel

In the car and feeling good. I-I-I'm not nervous at all or anything. Ready for any prepositions that come my way!

Oh geez. The Ablatives are out driving too? Ablative of Place is going to make this CenaCurre run very interesting...

While Accusative gathers his courage at the red light, let's talk prepositional phrases in Latin.

(I still can't believe I was tricked into saying "underwear...")

Preposition, no worries here. What's nice is that they're always the same, except for two we'll get to later.

Our student should know that these Latin prepositions are common in English as prefixes. Practical Latin!

Object of the preposition as expected. You see here that we have an accusative ending.

It's not working here as the direct object. It's just something that happens after prepositions.

But like Accusative said, you also sometimes see the ablative after a preposition.

This is another use of the ablative, called Ablative of Place. Easy peezy! Just know the preposition's meaning.

Oh yeah, speaking of those two weird prepositions. "ab" and "ex" change depending on what comes next.

Don't let them being single letters throw you off. They mean the same thing!

Anyway, you don't have to remember which prepositions take the ablative and which ones take the accusative.

Translate naturally and you'll be fine. Speaking of fine, I wonder how Accusative is doing?

I'M FREAKING OUT! HERE COMES THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES!

!!

Multiple Choice

PER SILVAM

• THROUGH the woods

• AROUND the woods

• OUT OF the forest

• INTO the forest

Multiple Choice

INTER VACCIS

• BETWEEN the cows

• TOWARDS the cows

• BEFORE the cows

• AROUND the cows

Multiple Choice

ANTE REGINA

• BEFORE the queen

• AWAY FROM the queen

• TOWARDS the queen

• DOWN FROM the queen

Multiple Choice

CIRCA CULINAM

• around the KITCHEN

• around the BATHROOM

• around the HALLWAY

• around the BASEMENT

Multiple Choice

SUPRA MONTE

• OVER the mountain

• UNDER the mountain

• NEAR the mountain

• THROUGH the mountain

Multiple Choice

A MONSTRO

• AWAY from the monster

• TO the monster

• AROUND the monster

• BETWEEN the monsters

Whew! It was a long, dangerous journey with lots of prepositions, but the food is hot and the customer will be happy, which is what matters.