Prepositional phrase

On this page

• What’s a prepositional phrase?
• How is a prepositional phrase structured?
• What does a prepositional phrase do?
  • Adjective prepositional phrases
  • Adverb prepositional phrases
• Additional information

What’s a prepositional phrase?

A prepositional phrase is a word group that forms a unit and begins with a preposition.

A preposition is a type of joining word that links a noun or nominal (a word or word group acting as a noun) to another word in a sentence and shows a relationship between them.

Some examples of common prepositions are at, by, from, in, of, to and with. (For more on prepositions, see the writing tip “Prepositions.”)

How is a prepositional phrase structured?

Every prepositional phrase contains at least two words:

• a preposition at the beginning
• at least one object (the noun or nominal that completes the phrase)

But a preposition may have more than one object. And any modifiers or other words connected to the object are also part of the phrase. Thus, a prepositional phrase can never be shorter than two words, but it can certainly be longer.

The examples below show prepositional phrases of different lengths, with different types of objects.

• Preposition + noun(s):
  • at home
  • down a dusty dirt road
  • for Alice and Joe
• Preposition + pronoun(s):
  • above them
  • between you and me
• Preposition + gerund phrase:
  • by practising regularly
  • since coming to Canada
• Preposition + noun clause:
  • with what you have
  • to whoever attends

What does a prepositional phrase do?

A prepositional phrase normally acts as an adjective or an adverb.

Adjective prepositional phrases

When it functions as an adjective, a prepositional phrase modifies the noun or nominal immediately before it.

In the three examples below, the prepositional phrases (shown in bold) modify a noun or nominal:

• We bought the house on the corner.
  [modifies the noun “house”]
• One of the baby birds has fallen out of the nest.
  [modifies the pronoun “one”]
• Astrid could hear only the sighing of the wind.
  [modifies the gerund “sighing”]

Adverb prepositional phrases

When it functions as an adverb, a prepositional phrase usually modifies a verb. The phrase may be next to the verb or at the beginning or end of the sentence.

In the three examples below, the prepositional phrases (shown in bold) modify the verb:

• The letter sat on the desk all week.
  [modifies the verb “sat”]
• With a puzzled look, Jason followed his sister.
  [modifies the verb “followed”]
• The panther crept silently along the narrow ledge.
  [modifies the verb “crept”]

An adverb prepositional phrase may also modify a verbal (a present or past participle, a gerund or an infinitive).

• Racing toward the finish line, Georg left the other runners behind.
  [modifies the present participle “racing”]
• The passengers seated at the back couldn’t see.
  [modifies the past participle “seated”]
• I don’t mind sailing in rough weather.
  [modifies the gerund “sailing”]
• Do you want to go out for lunch?
  [modifies the infinitive “to go”]

In addition, some adverb prepositional phrases modify adjectives.

• The children were fond of the little dog.
  [modifies the adjective “fond”]

Finally, an adverb prepositional phrase may sometimes follow a form of the linking verb be.

• Samina was in the garden.

Additional information

• Prepositions
• Gerund, gerund phrase
• Participle, participle phrase
• Infinitive, infinitive phrase
• Noun clause
• Preposition (HyperGrammar 2)