Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases Practice
Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases Practice
Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases Practice
Practice
Circle the prepositions in the following paragraphs, and underline the
prepositional phrases.
Martha found the big box tucked away in a corner of the attic near the big
chimney. As you may suspect, the little girl longed to open the big box and see
what was in it. For we are all curious, and little girls are just as curious as the rest
of us.
She stopped and clapped her little hands together gayly as she
remembered a big basket of keys on the shelf in the linen closet. They were of all
sorts and sizes; perhaps one of them would unlock the mysterious chest!
She flew down the stairs, found the basket and returned with it to the attic.
Then she sat down before the brass-studded box and began trying one key after
another in the curious old lock. Some were too large, but most were too small.
One would go into the lock but would not turn; another stuck so fast that she
feared for a time that she would never get it out again. But at last, when the
basket was almost empty, an oddly-shaped, ancient brass key slipped easily into
the lock. With a cry of joy Martha turned the key with both hands; then she heard
a sharp “click,” and the next moment the heavy lid flew up of its own accord!
The little girl leaned over the edge of the chest, and the sight that met her
eyes caused her to start back in amazement.
Slowly and carefully a man unpacked himself from the chest, stepped out
upon the floor, stretched his limbs and then took off his hat and bowed politely to
the astonished child.
Then another man emerged from the chest, yawning and rubbing his eyes
like a sleepy schoolboy. While Martha stared open-mouthed at the remarkable
sight a third man crawled from the chest.
Source:The above text is an edited excerpt from American Fairy Tales, a short
story collection written by L. Frank Baum.
Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
Practice
Write one COMPLETE sentence that uses at least ten prepositional phrases.
Study the example before you begin your attempt.
Example: With a flyswatter in her hand, Mrs. Manny Brown ran out the door,
down the hall, around the corner, through the double doors, across the
Commons, past the office to the music wing, chasing the fly who had been a pest
in her class for too long.
English Prepositions
There are more than 100 prepositions in English, yet this is a very
small number when you think of the thousands of other words (nouns,
verbs etc). Prepositions are important words. We use individual prepositions
more frequently than other individual words. In fact, the prepositions of, to and in
are among the ten most frequently used words in English. Here is a short list of seventy of
the more common one-word prepositions. Many of these prepositions have more than one
meaning. Please refer to a dictionary for precise meaning and usage.
• aboard • inside
• about • into
• above • like
• across • minus
• after • near
• against • of
• along • off
• amid • on
• among • onto
• anti • opposite
• around • outside
• as • over
• at • past
• before • per
• behind • plus
• below • regarding
• beneath • round
• beside • save
• besides • since
• between • than
• beyond • through
• but • to
• by • toward
• concerning • towards
• considering • under
• despite • underneath
• down • unlike
• during • until
• except • up
• excepting • upon
• excluding • versus
• following • via
• for • with
• from • within
• in • without
Prepositions
Practice
Prepositions link and relate nouns to other parts of a sentence. They often show
position or placement. Write each word from the preposition list in a place which
illustrates its position in relation to the boxes. For example “in” is in a box.
IN
Prepositional Phrases
Portfolio
Underline each prepositional phrase, and circle the object of the
preposition. Do not circle adjectives that modify the object; circle
only the object of each prepositional phrase.
2. The grass behind the house and near the fence is dying.
4. A pretty girl with brown hair and eyes sat near me at the banquet.
11. The real owner of the property is not available for comment.