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A prepositional phrase is a small group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with its object. It may look simple, but it does a lot of work. These phrases tell readers where something is, when something happens, how an action is done, why something occurs, or which person or thing you mean. In English, prepositional phrases most often act like adjectives or adverbs. This guide explains how they are built, how they function in sentences, which prepositions appear often, and how to use these phrases without making your writing awkward or unclear.
Contents at a Glance
- How a Prepositional Phrase Is Built
- Frequently Used Prepositions
- When Prepositional Phrases Describe Nouns
- When Prepositional Phrases Modify Actions or Qualities
- Meanings Prepositions Can Show
- Multiword Prepositions
- Using More Than One Prepositional Phrase
- What Can Serve as the Object
- Where to Put the Phrase for Clear Meaning
- Mistakes Writers Often Make
- Try It Yourself
How a Prepositional Phrase Is Built
A complete prepositional phrase includes two necessary parts. It may also include words that add detail to the object:
- Preposition — the opening word of the phrase, such as in, on, at, by, or with
- Object of the preposition — the noun, pronoun, gerund, or noun clause that comes after the preposition
- Modifiers (optional) — adjectives, adverbs, articles, or other words that describe or limit the object
"beside the window" — preposition: beside; object: window; modifier: the
"without much warning" — preposition: without; object: warning; modifier: much
"after the surprisingly short lecture" — preposition: after; object: lecture; modifiers: the, surprisingly, short
Frequently Used Prepositions
English has approximately 150 prepositions. The list below groups many of the ones you will see most often:
| Category | Prepositions |
|---|---|
| Time | in, on, at, before, after, during, since, until, by, from...to, throughout |
| Place/Location | in, on, at, above, below, between, among, beside, behind, in front of, near, next to, inside, outside, under, over, beneath, across, through |
| Cause/Purpose | for, because of, due to, on account of |
| Direction/Movement | to, from, into, out of, toward, through, across, along, past, up, down, around |
| Other Relationships | of, about, concerning, regarding, despite, except, instead of, according to |
| Manner/Means | by, with, without, like, as |
When Prepositional Phrases Describe Nouns
A prepositional phrase works as an adjective when it modifies a noun or pronoun. In this role, the phrase normally comes right after the word it describes. It helps answer questions such as "which one?" or "what kind?"
"The keys on the counter belong to Maya." (Which keys? The ones on the counter.)
"A child with a blue backpack knocked on the door." (Which child?)
"The cabin near the lake needs repairs." (Which cabin?)
"Several visitors from Brazil signed the guest book." (Which visitors?)
"He brought a box of old photographs." (What kind of box?)
When Prepositional Phrases Modify Actions or Qualities
A prepositional phrase acts as an adverb when it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. These phrases answer questions such as "when?" "where?" "how?" "why?" and "to what extent?"
"The dog raced across the yard." (Where? — modifies "raced")
"Our flight leaves after dinner." (When? — modifies "leaves")
"Nina answered with a smile." (How? — modifies "answered")
"The picnic moved indoors because of the storm." (Why? — modifies "moved")
"The room was quiet beyond belief." (To what extent? — modifies "quiet")
Meanings Prepositions Can Show
Place and Position
"The shoes are under the bed." / "The clock hangs above the doorway."
"Luis stood between two chairs." / "The bakery is across the avenue."
Time Relationships
"The concert begins at 8 p.m." / "They moved here in 2015."
"Call me before lunch." / "The nurse stayed until dawn."
Motion and Direction
"The hikers climbed toward the ridge." / "The path winds through the forest."
"The kitten leaped into the basket." / "We biked along the river."
How Something Is Done
"He wrote the note with a pencil." / "They commute by bus."
"We finished the setup without extra tools."
Reason and Purpose
"The parade was delayed because of heavy traffic."
"Marco stretches every morning for flexibility."
Multiword Prepositions
Some prepositions are made of two or more words but still operate as one unit:
- in front of, because of, according to, on behalf of, in addition to, out of, instead of, in spite of, on top of, due to, along with, prior to, as well as, apart from, by means of, as opposed to, in case of, in accordance with, in regard to, in comparison with, with respect to
"According to the survey, membership rose by 15%."
"The team won in spite of several injuries."
"In addition to free parking, the job includes health benefits."
Using More Than One Prepositional Phrase
A single sentence can include several prepositional phrases. They may also appear one after another:
"The lamp on the desk near the window of the study flickered."
"Rosa placed the cookies in a tin on the shelf above the sink."
This kind of stacking is grammatical, but it can weigh a sentence down. If the line feels crowded or confusing, split it up or move some information to another sentence.
What Can Serve as the Object
The object of a preposition is not limited to a single noun. Several kinds of words and word groups can fill that position:
- Noun phrase: "beside the small brick school"
- Gerund: "after finishing the assignment"
- Noun: "near the station"
- Noun clause: "about what she said this morning"
- Pronoun: "for them" (always objective case: me, him, her, us, them)
Pronoun Case Rule: Use objective-case pronouns after prepositions: "between you and me" (not "between you and I"), "for him and her" (not "for he and she").
Where to Put the Phrase for Clear Meaning
Keep a prepositional phrase close to the word it modifies. When the phrase sits in the wrong spot, readers may connect it to the wrong noun or verb:
Misplaced: "The guide showed photos to the tourists with a tablet." (Were the tourists holding the tablet?)
Clear: "The guide showed photos with a tablet to the tourists."
Prepositional Phrases at the Beginning
When a sentence opens with a prepositional phrase, add a comma if the phrase is long (usually four or more words) or if the comma helps the reader:
"After the noisy morning assembly, the students returned to class." (comma after long phrase)
"In 2020, many routines changed suddenly." (comma for clarity)
"On Tuesday we meet the new manager." (short phrase, comma optional)
Mistakes Writers Often Make
1. Choosing the Wrong Preposition
English prepositions are often fixed by usage rather than by a simple rule, so many combinations have to be learned:
"interested in" (not "interested on")
"different from" (not "different than" in formal writing)
"arrive at a building" / "arrive in a city/country"
"consist of" (not "consist in")
2. Adding Prepositions You Do Not Need
"Where is the remote at?" → "Where is the remote?"
"Where did she go to?" → "Where did she go?"
3. Using the Wrong Pronoun Case After a Preposition
Incorrect: "between Sam and I"
Correct: "between Sam and me"
Try It Yourself
Find the prepositional phrase in each sentence and decide whether it works as an adjective or an adverb:
- "The bikes behind the garage need air in their tires."
- "Omar listened with unusual patience."
- "The trail to the waterfall was closed."
- "They submitted the form before noon."
- "The mirror above the dresser is cracked."
Answers: 1. "behind the garage" — adjective (modifies "bikes"). 2. "with unusual patience" — adverb (modifies "listened"). 3. "to the waterfall" — adjective (modifies "trail"). 4. "before noon" — adverb (modifies "submitted"). 5. "above the dresser" — adjective (modifies "mirror").
Key Takeaway: Prepositional phrases give English sentences useful detail about place, time, manner, purpose, direction, and other relationships. They can describe nouns like adjectives, or they can modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. For cleaner writing, keep each phrase near the word it belongs with, use objective-case pronouns after prepositions, and remember that many preposition choices in English are idiomatic.