Prepositional phrases

Adverbials can be single words or groups of words. If an adverbial is a single word then it is usually an adverb.

Compare these pairs of sentences:

Let me know tomorrow.
Let me know at the end of the week.

He always used to tuck it away.
He always used to tuck it underneath the water butt.

Fat Watt watched them go smugly.
Fat Watt watched them go with a self-satisfied air.

In each case the adverb has been substituted by a phrase of similar meaning. Each of these is a prepositional phrase, so called because it begins with a preposition. Most prepositional phrases begin with a preposition, followed by one of the following:

• a noun
  for elephants
• a pronoun
  for them
• a noun phrase
  for the bulk of the population

Other uses of prepositional phrases
Prepositional phrases don't only work as adverbials. They also often form part of other phrases.

In noun phrases
They are often used as modifiers in noun phrases, as in these examples:

...a teacher from one of the local primary schools...
Where this wins over the dance floor bandwagon jumpers is in its upfront and in your face approach rather than being docile.

In adjective and adverb phrases
They can also occur in adjective and adverb phrases, particularly those involving comparison:

The LMS used to be the biggest of the railways.

As a subject complement
They can come after verbs like be to provide more information about the subject. for example:

The critics were over the moon.

©John Seely 2008