Name:       Date:      

TYPES OF PHRASES

American History
Judith Ortiz Cofer

A preposition is a word that explains the where, when, how, or which in a

sentence. Commonly used prepositions include of, in to, for, through, at, on, or
with. A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition
and end with a noun or pronoun, known as the object of the preposition.
Jeanine lives in Brooklyn, NY. preposition = in
object of the preposition = Brooklyn, NY

If a prepositional phrase modifies a noun, it serves as an adjective phrase:

The present inside the large box prepositional phrase = inside the large box
is mine. noun modified by
inside the large box = The present

If the phrase modifies a verb or adjective, it serves an adverb phrase:

Racing to the finish line, Karen prepositional phrase = to the finish line
realized she was winning. verb modified by
to the finish line = racing

A. DIRECTIONS: Underline the prepositional phrase in each sentence. Then identify

each prepositional phrase as an adjective phrase, an adverb phrase, or neither.
1. It was a cold day in Paterson.           
2. In August, Eugene and his family moved.           
3. I did not tell Eugene that I could see his kitchen from by bedroom.          
4. His mother was very unhappy, Eugene said, in his beautiful voice that rose and
fell in a strange, lilting way.           

B. DIRECTIONS: Write a sentence using each of the prepositional phrases below.

in the display case by the seashore
looking out my backdoor among many video games

1.       
2.       
3.       
4.       

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