Prepositional Phrases: Can You Score Full Marks in These 3 Tests? [Important for School Students]

Last updated on March 11th, 2023 at 01:28 pm

High school English classes lay emphasis on prepositions and their usage. A good knowledge of prepositions is important for writing correct English. However, there is comparatively less focus on prepositional phrases even though their knowledge is also quite crucial to understand formation of sentences.

As this website serves the purpose of providing writing help, we thought we could give a better service by way of discussing some core grammar lessons. This is the first of such lessons and we request our esteemed readers to put forward their queries in the comments box.

Let us learn about prepositional phrases in a quick and easy way. Then we shall come to the main part of this article where you will be prompted to appear in three tests on prepositional phrases. 

What is a Prepositional Phrase?

A prepositional phrase is a combination of a preposition and either of a noun, pronoun, gerund or clause. The latter word is the object of the preposition. There may or may not be modifiers of the accompanying word or clause.

The following image illustrates the composition of a prepositional phrase quite clearly:

Example:

Only two players survived in the end.

Here, the phrase ‘in the end‘ is the prepositional phrase. ‘In‘ is the preposition, ‘the‘ is a modifier and ‘end‘ is a noun.

A Prepositional Phrase May Act as an Adjective or Adverb

Prepositional phrases sometimes act as adjectives, i.e. they modify nouns or pronouns. Acting as adjectives, they answer the following type of questions:

  • Which one?
  • Which ones?
  • What kind?
  • How many?
  • How much?

Example:

The research paper on mysteries of the brain was submitted yesterday

  • Prepositional phrase: On mysteries of the brain
  • Modified part of speech: The research paper (noun)
  • As the modified part of speech is a noun, the prepositional phrase is working as an adjective.
  • Question type: Which one?

At other times, they act as adverbs and on those occasions they modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. In such scenarios, they answer to the questions of following types:

  • How?
  • When?
  • Where?
  • To what extent?
  • Why?

Example:

We ordered coffee at the start.

  • Prepositional phrase: at the start
  • Modified part of speech: ordered (verb)
  • As the modified part of speech is a verb, the prepositional phrase is working as an adverb.
  • Question type: When?

Take Tests on Prepositional Phrases

Take the following 3 tests on prepositional phrases and check your expertise. The ANSWER KEYS are also provided at the end of the tests.

TEST-1

A. Identify the prepositional phrases in the following sentences:

  1. Nomads moved from one place to another in search of new pastures.
  2. Hermaini needs your help because she is not good at mathematics.
  3. Villagers are playing with a purpose.
  4. They left the city for good.
  5. Sri Lanka is the country that lies to the south-east of India

B. Identify the prepositional phrases in the following sentences and state which of them are acting as adjectives and which are acting as adverbs:

  1. He won the match for us single-handedly.
  2. Poor kids picked the sweets on the floor.
  3. He kneeled on the ground.
  4. One woman among many spoke the truth.
  5. The keys hung by her waist.

C. Identify the question types in the following usages of prepositional phrases (i.e. which one, what kind, how many, how, when, where, to what extent or why) and name the part of speech which the prepositional phrase is modifying (prepositional phrases are italicized):

  1. I walk to the school on foot.
  2. He played for victory.
  3. Ominous thoughts came to his mind.
  4. The watch in the showcase looks beautiful.
  5. A vaccine for Corona will be sold soon

ANSWER KEY – 1

A.

  1. to another, in search of
  2. at mathematics.
  3. with a purpose.
  4. for good.
  5. to the south-east, of India

B.

  1. for us, adverb
  2. on the floor, adjective.
  3. on the ground, adverb.
  4. among many, adjective.
  5. by her waist, adverb.

C.

  1. How, verb (walk)
  2. Why, verb (played)
  3. Where, verb(came)
  4. Which one, noun(watch)
  5. Which one, noun (vaccine)

TEST-2

A. Identify the prepositional phrases in the following sentences:

  1. She has mastered the art of calligraphic writing.
  2. He needs some help with the technical part.
  3. The bird is sitting on the thin branch.
  4. The woman in the red outfit had a black mark on her right elbow.
  5. He is cycling on the highway.

B. Identify the prepositional phrases in the following sentences and state which of them are acting as adjectives and which are acting as adverbs:

  1. The car in the shadow is mine.
  2. Rebecca fought with one hand.
  3. Can you impress the interviewer with a good answer?
  4. The communication from the headquarter says he may be transferred shortly.
  5. The kite rose in the sky.

C. Identify the question types in the following usages of prepositional phrases (i.e. which one, what kind, how many, how, when, where, to what extent or why) and name the part of speech which the prepositional phrase is modifying (prepositional phrases are italicized):

  1. He entered in the cave.
  2. The most beautiful girl of the three was selected ‘Miss Universe’.
  3. The book beside the blue one is mine.
  4. The monkey hung on a branch.
  5. He struck Max’s face with brutal force.

ANSWER KEY – 2

A.

  1. of calligraphic writing.
  2. with the technical part.
  3. on the thin branch.
  4. in the red outfit, on her right elbow.
  5. on the highway.

B.

  1. in the shadow, adjective.
  2. with one hand, adverb.
  3. with a good answer, adverb.
  4. from the headquarter, adjective.
  5. in the sky, adverb.

C.

  1. Where, verb (entered)
  2. Which one, noun (girl)
  3. Which one, noun (book)
  4. Where, verb (hung)
  5. How, verb (struck)

TEST-3

A. Identify the prepositional phrases in the following sentences:

  1. Cottages on the shore look beautiful.
  2. Bussingers dwelt by the lake side.
  3. They lost everything after the war.
  4. All bad manners were welcome in the prison.
  5. None of them can do the task.

B. Identify the prepositional phrases in the following sentences and state which of them are acting as adjectives and which are acting as adverbs:

  1. This is a blessing from the Almighty.
  2. Working on the project, she thought what would happen next.
  3. The house at the terminus is locked.
  4. He arrived during the marriage.
  5. Only he amidst the crowd, dared to support her.

C. Identify the question types in the following usages of prepositional phrases (i.e. which one, what kind, how many, how, when, where, to what extent or why) and name the part of speech which the prepositional phrase is modifying (prepositional phrases are italicized):

  1. The old mountain was the epicenter of the earthquake.
  2. Taking in view the regulations, his case was dealt leniently.
  3. He stood by me in rise and fall.
  4. The invader’s turn towards the east caused hate and disgust.
  5. Williams faced crisis in the evening.

ANSWER KEY – 3

A.

  1. on the shore
  2. by the lake side.
  3. after the war.
  4. in the prison.
  5. of them

B.

  1. from the Almighty, adjective.
  2. on the project,adverb.
  3. at the terminus, adjective.
  4. during the marriage, adverb.
  5. amidst the crowd, adjective/ to support, adverb.

C.

  1. Which one, Noun(epicenter)
  2. How, Verb (taking)
  3. He stood by me – Where, verb (stood) / in rise and fall – Where or How, Verb (stood)
  4. Which one, Noun (turn)
  5. When, verb( faced)

More Tests Will be Coming

I hope, having taken these tests, you will possess a strong conceptual knowledge with respect to prepositional phrases. Further, I promise to load more tests and cryptic ones too in order that you could reach an expert level with this topic.

Meanwhile, you can brush up yourself more on the subject through the following link:

Prepositional phrase examples on your dictionary website

The only thing I request you, is to keep giving me suggestions about those aspects of academic as well as professional writing that you want to know and learn more about. So, kindly use the comments box and send your ideas and suggestions.