prepositions lesson 1

Prepositions

A preposition is a word that shows a relationship between words in a sentence. It
can show relationships of time (when), direction, or location (where), or add detail.
Common prepositions include in, on, at, over, under, with, after, and during. A
preposition begins a prepositional phrase.

Direction

The dog ran toward the door.

Time

The dog ran after lunch.

Location

The dog ran into my room.

Detail

The door to my room was open.

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Grammar 4.4.1a

Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Grammar 4.4.1b

Prepositions

Identify the preposition in each sentence and tell whether the preposition shows
time, direction, location, or detail.

1 The dog ran to the basement.

2 She upset the backpack of homework.

3 I chased after her.

4 The dog was naughty during the birthday party.

5 She knows she is the hit of the party.

6 We won’t scold her at the moment.

7 We will take her to obedience school tomorrow!

8 Next time I will keep the homework in my bedroom.

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Grammar 4.4.2a

Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase can add information to a sentence in a creative story or
text. It can tell where, when, or how, or can add detail.

Where

The dog walker traveled on the bus.

When

The dog walker traveled after school.

How

The dog walker traveled with our friends.

Detail

Russ is the dog walker for our neighbors.

Grammar 4.4.2b

Prepositional Phrases

Identify the prepositional phrase in each sentence.

1 I got my dog at the dog pound.

2 He sleeps on my brother’s bed.

3 They go for a walk before breakfast.

4 They meet other dogs and owners on their walk.

5 Mom makes them a warm breakfast after their return.

6 Later I will take the dog to the park.

7 A friend of mine will bring his dog, too.

8 The park is one of our favorite places.

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Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Grammar 4.4.3a

Combining Sentences

A prepositional phrase can be used to combine two sentences.

Short Sentences

My grandmother raises dogs. She lives in Oklahoma.

Combined Sentence

prepositional phrase

My grandmother in Oklahoma raises dogs.

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Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Grammar 4.4.3b

Combining Sentences

Suggest how to rewrite the two short sentences as one sentence using a
prepositional phrase.

1 My dog Miffy barks loudly. She barks at everything and everyone.

2 My dog chases my cat. The cat runs under the dining room table.

3 My neighbor has a tiny dog. The dog was flown from the Midwest.

4 Miffy likes hiding. She sits under the porch steps.

5 I walk with Miffy every day. We walk up and down the hill.

6 Miffy buries her bones. She puts them in the backyard.

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Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Grammar 4.4.4a

Review Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Prepositions are words that show relationships between other words in a
sentence. Some common prepositions are above, after, at, during, for, through, in,
of, to, and with. Prepositions convey location, time, or direction. Prepositional
phrases begin with a preposition and end with a noun or pronoun. They add
meaning and details to sentences.

Direction

A dog walker was moving toward the park.

Time

She had been walking three dogs for an hour.

Location

She stopped at the smallest dog’s home.

Detail

A woman with red hair happily patted her dog.

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Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Grammar 4.4.4b

Review Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Identify each prepositional phrase and tell whether it shows location, time,
direction, or detail.

1 I am the dog walker for our family’s dog.

2 We always walk to the southern part of town.

3 We visit the park on Seventh Street.

4 We play fetch the stick until five o’clock.

5 I write entries in my dog walker’s diary.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Grammar 4.4.5

Connect to Writing: Using Prepositions and
Prepositional Phrases

In your writing, you can combine two short sentences by using a prepositional
phrase. If two sentences tell about one subject, you can combine them by moving
a prepositional phrase from one sentence to the other.

Short Sentences

prepositional phrase

Our dog Growler chased a squirrel. Growler ran into Mrs. Castillo’s garden.

Combined Sentence

prepositional phrase

Our dog Growler chased a squirrel into Mrs. Castillo’s garden.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Grade 5 | Grammar Minilessons

Modifiers • Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases