What is a preposition?

A preposition is a part of speech used to express the relationship of a noun or pronoun (or another grammatical element functioning as a noun) to the rest of the sentence—specifically, to create a prepositional phrase.

A phrase is a group of two or more words used to create a higher element like a clause or a sentence. A prepositional phrase is a phrase that consists of a preposition and its object, which can be a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.

Examples:

  • on the roof
  • under the table
  • from Melanie
  • over the counter
  • by her

The underlined words are the prepositions, and the nouns, noun phrases, or pronouns they modify (the ones that follow them) are called the objects of the preposition.

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