// GrammarBytes!

::ThePreposition

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T HE
P REPOSITION
Recognize a
preposition when
you see one.
Prepositionsarethewordsthat
indicatelocation.Usually,
prepositionsshowthislocationin
thephysicalworld.Checkoutthe
threeexamplesbelow:

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// GrammarBytes!::ThePreposition

The
puppy
Thepuppyis
ison
besidethe
the
phone.
floor. Thepuppy
isinthe
trashcan.

On,in,andbesideareall
prepositions.Theyareshowing
wherethepuppyis.Prepositions
canalsoshowlocationintime.Read
thenextthreeexamples:

Atmidnight,Jill
cravedmashed
potatoeswithgrape
jelly.

Inthespring,Ialways
vowtoplanttomatoes
butendupbuying
thematthe
supermarket.

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Duringthemarathon,
Iggy'slegscomplained
withsharppains
shootinguphisthighs.

Atmidnight,inthespring,and
duringthemarathonallshow
locationintime.

Becausetherearesomanypossible
locations,therearequiteafew
prepositions.Belowisthecomplete
list.

Prepositions

about
above
according concerning
to despite onto
across down ontopof
after during out
against except outof
along exceptfor outside
along excepting over
with for past
among from regarding
apart in round
from inaddition since
around to through
as inbackof throughout
till
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// GrammarBytes!::ThePreposition

asfor incaseof to
at infrontof toward
because inplaceof under
of inside underneath
before inspiteof unlike
behind insteadof until
below into up
beneath like upon
beside near upto
between next with
beyond of within
but* off without
by on
bymeans
of

*Butisveryseldoma
preposition.Whenitisused
asapreposition,butmeans
thesameasexcept
Everyoneatefrog
legsbutJamie.But
usuallyfunctionsasa
coordinating
conjunction.

Understand
how to form a
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prepositional
phrase.
Prepositionsgenerally
introduceprepositional
phrases.Prepositional
phraseslooklikethis:

P R E P O S I T I O N +
OPTIONAL
M O D I F I E R ( S ) +
N O U N ,P R O N O U N ,
O R G E R U N D

Herearesomeexamples:

Atschool

At=preposition
school=noun.

Accordingtous

Accordingto=
prepositionus=
pronoun.

Bychewing

By=preposition
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// GrammarBytes!::ThePreposition

chewing=
gerund.

Underthestove

Under=
prepositionthe=
modifierstove=
noun.

Inthecrumb
filled,rumpled
sheets

In=preposition
the,crumb
filled,rumpled=
modifierssheets
=noun.

Realize that
some
prepositions
also function as
subordinate
conjunctions.
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Someprepositionsalso
functionassubordinate
conjunctions.These
prepositionsareafter,as,
before,since,anduntil.
Asubordinateconjunction
willhavebothasubject
andaverbfollowingit,
formingasubordinate
clause.

Lookattheseexamples:

AfterSamand
Esmerelda
kissed
goodnight

After=
subordinate
conjunctionSam,
Esmerelda=
subjectskissed=
verb.

AsJerome
buckledonthe
parachute

As=subordinate
conjunction
Jerome=subject
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buckled=verb.

BeforeIeat
thesefroglegs

Before=
subordinate
conjunctionI=
subjecteat=verb.

Sincewehave
enjoyedthe
squideyeball
stew

Since=
subordinate
conjunctionwe=
subjecthave
enjoyed=verb.

Untilyour
hiccupsstop

Until=
subordinate
conjunction
hiccups=subject
stop=verb.

Ifyoufindanoun[withor
withoutmodifiers]

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followingoneofthesefive
prepositions,thenallyou
haveisaprepositional
phrase.Lookatthese
examples:

Afterthekiller
calculustest

After=
prepositionthe,
killer,calculus=
modifierstest=
noun.

Asagood
parent

As=preposition
a,good=
modifiersparent
=noun.

Beforedinner

Before=
preposition
dinner=noun.

Sincethe
breakup

Since=
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prepositionthe=
modifierbreakup
=noun.

Untilmidnight

Until=
preposition
midnight=noun.

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