4Real Forums: Prepositions

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Topic: Prepositions

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Aagot
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Posted: April 03 2014 at 4:07pm \| IP Logged

My kids can't tell when a prepositional phrase is functioning as an adverb or an adjective. Any tips on how to figure this out because I guess I don't get it 100% of the time either.

SallyT
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Posted: April 03 2014 at 6:57pm \| IP Logged

Depends on what it's modifying. For example:

I sat on the bench.

Here, "on the bench" modifies "sat," which is a verb, so the phrase functions as an adverb.

The knob on the bench broke off.

Here, "on the bench" modifies "knob," a noun, so functions as an adjective.

These are kind of simplistic sentences, but that's always what you have to ask: what does the prepositional phrase modify? Sometimes it's less straightforward, but usually one word makes more sense than another. Say you had a sentence like this --

Through the woods Donald ran.

Well, here the prepositional phrase is *closer* to "Donald." But does it really describe him? Is Donald "through the woods?" If so, then "through the woods" would be functioning as an adjectival phrase. Or does it more accurately describe *how* he ran? In that case, it would be an adverbial phrase.

Does that make sense? Do you have an example of a more complicated sentence, where it really is confusing? I think mine are probably kind of obvious.

Sally

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Aagot
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Posted: April 04 2014 at 2:28pm \| IP Logged

Yes, that makes sense. Thanks!
I know the correct answer to this one and I think I am coming up with a way that would help them figure this out, but take a look at this one:

Mother filled the jar with pennies, nickels, and dimes.

The prep phrase modifies "filled" but the kids want to say it modifies "jar"

SallyT
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Posted: April 04 2014 at 5:00pm \| IP Logged

Hm. How to explain that one?

Does "with pennies, etc" describe the jar itself? Or something about what happens to the jar in the course of the sentence? In the course of the sentence, it *gets filled* -- with pennies, nickels, and dimes. In a sense the coins only come with the filling -- they don't come with the jar that then gets filled.

So, say you just had the sentence "Mother filled the jar."

*Would you describe that jar with the phrase "with pennies, nickels, and dimes?"

*Is it "a jar with pennies, etc?"

*No, it's an empty jar until Mother fills it.

*And *how* she fills it is with pennies, nickels, and dimes. If that phrase tells *how* something is done, then it's an adverbial phrase modifying a verb.

I think that's how I might explain it . . .

Sally

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Aagot
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Posted: April 05 2014 at 9:18pm \| IP Logged

Got it! Thanks Sally!

Mom21
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Posted: May 02 2014 at 12:35pm \| IP Logged

I also use this strategy ...

Object following . . . preposition

No object following . . . adverb

Works most of the time!

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