Prepositional phrase is the group of words that are formed with the combination of preposition and its object and is used to modify the object.
Contents
Prepositional Phrase:
A prepositional phrase is a combination of two words, ‘preposition’ and ‘phrase’. To better understand the prepositional phrase, firstly it is important to know about ‘preposition’ and ‘phrase’.
What is a Preposition?
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or a pronoun to show its relation to some other word in the sentence. The common prepositions in a sentence are on, in, at, to, of, by, within, upon, etc.
What is a Phrase?
It is a group of words in which the combination of subject and verb is not present.A phrase can be formed by joining two or more words.
Prepositional Phrase
It is the group of words that are formed with the combination of preposition and its object and is used to modify the object.
Function of Prepositional Phrase
In a sentence, the prepositional phrase is either works as an adjective or as an adverb.
Examples:
The boy in the yellow shirt is my fiance.
In the above sentence, the words i.e. ‘in the yellow shirt’ have been used as an adjective, which is describing the noun ‘boy’.
The cat sitting beneath the table was found me last week.
Here in the sentence, ‘beneath the table’ is a prepositional phrase which is giving information about a specific cat i.e. noun.
He will give me notes after the class.
Here ‘after the class’ is working as a prepositional phrase which is indicating the adverb ‘when’ in a sentence.
He got vaccinated in the evening.
In the sentence, the words ‘in the evening’ is acting as a prepositional phrase and is giving information about the adverb ‘when’ in a sentence.
Julia is arranging a dinner at her home.
Here ‘at her home’ is a prepositional phrase that is explaining the adverb of action ‘where’.
List of Prepositional Phrases Meanings & Examples:
| Prepositional Phrase | Meaning | Sentence |
| Abide by | Obey laws | Good people abide by the rules of the game |
| Absorbed in | Pay full attention | He was absorbed in reading a book at that time |
| Abstain from | Keep oneself from | Abstain from drinking |
| Accede to | Agree | He will accede to my proposal. |
| Accord with | Match | His personality does not accord with his talk. |
| Account for | Answerable | You must account for your mistakes |
| Accuse of | Allegation | The police can accuse him of theft |
| Accustomed to | Be used to | We are accustomed to walking one hour daily |
| Acquit of | Do something well | She will acquit herself in this matter |
| Act on | Follow | Now act on your promise |
| Adapt to | Make suitable | We shall adopt this plan to our needs |
| Addicted to | Be in the habit of | He is addicted to smoking |
| Adequate to | Enough | This income is adequate for our needs |
| Adhere to | Be faithful to | Always adhere to your religion |
| Admit of | Allow as possible | This question admits of another answer |
| Affected by | Troubled with | We were deeply affected by our friend’s failure |
| Affection for | Fondness | He has great affection for his sister |
| Afraid of | Fearful | I am not afraid of the danger here |
| Agree on | Decide to do after discussion | They have agreed to start a project for the needy people |
| Agree with | Have some opinion as someone else | I do not agree with you on this matter |
| Aim at | Intend to | I aim at becoming a doctor |
| Alive to | Fully aware | We are alive to our duties |
| Allude to | Indirectly refer to | You allude to my mistakes, and I feel sorry. |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase start with “B” | ||
| Back out of | Knowing well | I am aware of his arrival |
| Bathe in | Bathing | They bath in the canal near their house |
| Bear away | Win the prize | We hope that we shall bear away the prize at the debate |
| Bear out | Support the truth of | I can bear out his statement |
| Beg for | Ask humbly for | we do not beg for your help |
| Believe in | Consider being true | I cannot believe this story |
| Belong to | Be connected with | This shop does not belong to him |
| Blame for | Consider responsible | Do not blame her for the accident |
| Blame on | Put the responsibility | Do not blame this loss on me |
| Blind in | Can’t see anything physically | The beggar is blind in the right eye |
| Blind of | Unable to see | Joker was blind of one eye |
| Born in | Birth | She was born in poverty |
| Boast of | Talk too proudly | Do not boast of your property so much |
| Bound for | Intending to go | This plane is bound for London |
| Break away | Leave free oneself from | The thief broke away from the policemen |
| Break into | Force one’s away into the steal | The thief could not break into the bank |
| Break off | To end | The two countries may break off their relations |
| Break out | Begin suddenly | No disease can break out in a clean town |
| Break through | Force away through | The army will break through the enemy lines |
| Bring up | Train | She will bring up the children in the best ways |
| Buy off | Bribe for getting something done | They can buy off the government officer |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “C” | ||
| Call at | Pay a visit | We shall call at his house in the evening |
| Call for | Require | Our leader made a call for an end to begging |
| Call in | Ask to attend | I shall call in the police if there is a danger |
| Call off | Cancel or give up | The worker may call off the strike |
| Capacity for | Ability to do something | He has the capacity for climbing high mountains |
| Capable of | Having the ability to do something | He has the capacity for climbing high mountains |
| Care about | Think it important | I do not care about your talk against me |
| Care for | Like | I do not care about your talk against me |
| Care for | Look after | My mother will care for her friend’s child |
| Careful about | Taking care | Be careful about your money and property |
| Carry on | Continue | Carry out the orders of your officers |
| Catch at | Try to hold or seize | Our cat will catch at your bird |
| Caution against | Warn about possible danger | We cautioned him against copying in the examination |
| Certain of | Sure | I am certain of his success |
| Change in | Becoming different | We feel the change in the weather |
| Change of | Replacement | We want a change of the government |
| Clever at | Quick in learning | Rafel is clever at cooking |
| Come by | Get by chance | We have come by a gold watch on the road |
| Come off | Become separated | The cover of the book may come off |
| Come over | Affect someone | A happy feeling came over him when he met his mother after a long time |
| Commence with | Start with | They will commence the meeting with a prayer |
| Comment on | Give an opinion about | I do not like to comment on the dirty politics of the country |
| Compete for | Try to win something in the competition | You should compensate for his losses |
| Confide to | Tell secrets to somebody | Do not confide your secrets to John because he is against you |
| Confident of | Certain of | He is confident of his success |
| Confront with | Bring face to face with | They will confront you with your corruption |
| Congenial to | In agreement with one’s taste | The weather here is congenial to your health |
| Consist in | Have the qualities as described | Honesty consists in speaking the truth |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase start | ||
| with “D” | ||
| Deal in | Sell | These shops deal in cloth |
| Deal with | Behave towards | Our boss deals affectionately with the staff members |
| Decide on | Choose to do something | We decided on a visit to the hill station at last |
| Delight in | Fee happy | My mother is a delight in my success |
| Demand for | Desire to obtain | There is a lot of demand for Graphic Designers today |
| Depend on | Rely upon for support | John use to depend on Julia for preparation his exams |
| Deprive of | Take away from | The thief deprive the lady of her personal belongings |
| Derive from | Obtain from | We can derive a good lesson from this story |
| Desire for | Strong wish | They have a desire to become a doctor in future |
| Develop into | Grow or increase | This plant will soon develop into a tree |
| Devoid of | Not having | She is devoid of wisdom |
| Differ from | Different from another thing | My books differ from your books |
| Different from | -do- | My opinion is different from her |
| Differ with | Not to agree with other | I differ with you in this matter |
| Discovery of | To find out something | The discovery of new countries is impossible now |
| Disgusted with | Feeling strong dislike | He is disgusted with her behavior |
| Displeased with | Unhappy | Her boss is much displeased with her |
| Dispose of | Giving away | I want to dispose of my old bicycle |
| Divide into | Make distribution | Divide this apple into two parts |
| Drive at | Mean to say | Can you tell what he is driving of? |
| Drop off | Fall asleep | They drop off in class together |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “E” | ||
| Eager for | Having a strong desire | She is eager for a visit to Paris |
| Efficient in | Doing something very ably | She is very efficient in her work |
| Emphasis on | Give special importance to | The place emphasis on hard work |
| Engaged in | Be busy with | He was engaged in studies when we went to him |
| Enlist in | Join one of the armed forces | They have enlisted in the army |
| Entitled to | Deserve | You are entitled to a better position in the profession |
| Entrust with | Give the charge | We should not entrust this difficult task to her |
| Envious of | Showing envy | Some of my friends are envious of my success |
| Equipped with | Supplied with | The factory is equipped with modern machinery |
| Estimate at | Calculate roughly | They estimate the arrival of guests in function at one thousand |
| Excel in | Do better than | You cannot excel him in singing |
| Expel from | Turn out | Why was he expelled from his college? |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “F” | ||
| fall back on | Turn to for support | You can fall back on your friend’s help in difficulty |
| Fall out | Quarrel | They will never fall out as they are close friends |
| Fall in with | Meet by chance | We become very happy when we fall in with old friends in new cities |
| Familiar with | Knowing well | He is familiar with your boss |
| Feel for | Have sympathy with | They do not feel for their old friend who is in poor |
| Find out | Learn with effort | We should find out the truth in the matter |
| Fire at | Shoot at | The police fired at the thieves |
| Fit for | Suitable | You are quite fit for this job |
| Focus on | Pay special attention to something | The government should focus on the education of special persons |
| Fond of | Great liking for | Locus is very fond of red color cars |
| Foreign to | Not natural to | Business is foreign to his character |
| Frown at | Show anger or worry | She frowned at me when I told her about her dark future |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “G” | ||
| Gaze at | Look constantly | He became angry when we gazed at her |
| Get at | Reach with effort | He tried to get at the apples on the tree |
| Get over | Overcome | We shall get over our problems soon |
| Get at | Reach with effort | He tried to get at the apples on the tree |
| Get over | Overcome | We shall get over our problems soon |
| Give away | Distribute | Who will give away the prizes at the end of the match? |
| Give in | Accept defeat | Don’t give in to his demands |
| Give up | Stop having | Do not give up your efforts |
| Glad at | Be happy at | They all are glad at your success |
| Glance at | Take a quick look at | I glanced at the clock, I found that it was time for the departure |
| Go about | Handle | I do not know how to go about getting my money back from him |
| Go after | Follow someone | I tried to go after the running child |
| Grasp at | Hold | He tried to grasp at my shirt |
| Greedy for | Having excessive desire | He is greedy for money and power |
| Grieve for | Feel deeply sad | They grieve for their dead father |
| Grow out of | Develop from something | Crime grows out of poverty |
| Guess at | Make a guess about | We can only guess at his income |
| Guilty of | Responsible for some wrongdoing | He is guilty of this crime |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “H” | ||
| Hand over | Give control of | Out teacher will hand over the charge of the class to the junior teacher |
| Hang up | Halt the progress of | The floods will hang up the construction of the road |
| Hanker after | Desire to have greatly | Do not hanker after money so much |
| Hard on | Treat | Do not be so hard on the students |
| Hatred for | Intense dislike | We should not have any hatred for each other |
| Heir to | Legally entitle | The son is heir to most of his property |
| Hindrance to | Stops in the way | His inability is a great hindrance to his progress |
| Hint at | Make gesture | I hinted at his failure if he did not study |
| Hold out | Face | Our army will hold out against the enemy until its defeat |
| Hold up | Block the movement of | The road repairs hold up the traffic for a long time |
| Honest in | To be loyal | We should be honest in our work |
| Hope for | Feeling of expectation | Hope for the best and be prepared for the worst |
| Hostile to | Against | They are hostile to me for nothing |
| Hunt for | Search for | The hunt for the lost aircraft is continuing |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “I” | ||
| Ignorant of | Not knowing | We are ignorant of the result of poverty |
| Inform of | Tell about | I have informed him of the examination result |
| Impose on | Establish officially | The government will impose fines on the smugglers |
| Impress on | Fix deeply on the mind | He tried to impress on me that he was very able |
| Impute to | Attribute | Do not impute his mistake to him |
| In preference to | A greater liking over one alternative | I bought a book in preference to shoes |
| Incite to | Encourage or stir up | They tried to incite me to quarrel with Joe |
| Inclined to | Desire to do something | He is inclined to do business |
| Included in | Compromise or contain | You are included in the team |
| Incapable of | Not able to do | He is incapable of learning this subject |
| Increase in | Greater in size | He wants an increase in his salary |
| Indebted to | Very grateful to | I am indebted to you for your timely help |
| Independent of | Free from outside control | Julia is spending her life independent of her parents |
| Indifferent to | Not caring about | Locus is indifferent to your anger |
| Indulge in | Enjoy something much | We should not indulge in hunting so much |
| Infected with | With disease put into the body | He was infected with measles at the dirty place |
| Infer from | Draw the meaning from | I cannot infer any result from this talk |
| Inherit from | Receive from those who have died | We inherited this house from our father |
| Injurious to | Causing damage | Smoke is injurious to health |
| Innocent of | Not guilty of a crime | He is innocent of this crime |
| Inquire of | To ask | We injured of her what she wanted to do |
| Insight into | Deep understanding of | He has insight into political matters |
| Insist on | Require or demand something forcefully | Do not insist on your point |
| Interest in | Wanting to know or learn | I have no interest in useless films |
| Intimate with | Close and familiar with | Do not be so intimate with them |
| Introduce to | Make known for the first time | Please introduce me to your new friend |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “J” | ||
| Jealous of | Wanting to get what someone has | He is jealous of Joe’s new job |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “K” | ||
| Keen about | Wanting to do something | He is very keen on starting projects for the poor people |
| Keep to something | Do what one has promised | Keep to your promise |
| Knock at | Strike a surface noisily | He will knock at the door when he comes |
| Knock about | Lead an irregular life | It is his habit to knock about in new cities |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “L” | ||
| Lack of | Not having enough | Lack of money has forced them to work hard |
| Late for | After the right time | You are very late for the class |
| Laugh at | make the spontaneous sound | Do not laugh at his foolishness |
| Lay down | Stop using something | Our forces will never lay down their arms before the enemy |
| Lay out | Show to others | We can never let out your secrets |
| Lecture on | Serious speech | His lecture on democracy was useful |
| Live on | Having a particular thing to spend life | They live on their lands |
| Long for | Desire greatly | We long for his friendship |
| Look for | Try to find | We should look for a new house |
| Look out | Be ready | Look out! You may fail if you do not study |
| Loyal to | Faithful to | We should be loyal to our country |
| Lack in | Do not have enough | We lack in tea |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “M” | ||
| Made of | Material use in something | This table is made of glass |
| Make away with | Steal | He tried to make away with my watch but was caught |
| Make for | Move in the direction of | She made for her house when she got tired in the market |
| Make out | Understand with difficulty | Can you make out this writing? |
| Meddle with | Interfere with | We should not meddle with the affairs of others |
| Mediate on | Try to get an agreement between two parties | You should mediate between the two brothers |
| Mix with | Associate with | Do not mix with people of bad habits |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “N” | ||
| Necessary for | Needed to be done | It is necessary for you to wear the uniform |
| Notorious for | Famous for the bad quality | He is notorious for dealing in narcotics |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “O” | ||
| Object to | Be against | He should not object to my plans |
| Obliged to | Grateful | I am obliged to him for his help |
| Offended with | Much displeased with | He was offended by your talk |
| Operate on | Perform the operation | The surgeon operated on the patient successfully |
| Opposed to | Much displeased with | He is opposed to your political ideas |
| Overcome with | Overpowered by | We cannot be overcome with your power |
| Overwhelmed with | Overpowered with emotion | She was overwhelmed with anger when he abused her |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “P” | ||
| Part with | Give away | I cannot part with these books |
| Part from | Be separated from | We feel very sad when we part from school friends |
| Partial to | Favoring one side more | A teacher should not be partial to any student |
| Participate in | Take part | He is going to London to participate in a seminar |
| Particular about | Give close attention to | She is quite particular about her hair and clothes |
| Patience with | Tolerate with | A teacher should have patience with weak students |
| Passion for | Very great desire for | He has a great passion for old coins |
| Persist in | Continue with | They were ill, but they persisted in playing game |
| Play at | Do something without real interest | She plays at teaching |
| Play on | Take advantage of one’s feelings | Do not try to play upon her fears |
| Plot against | Make secret plans against | The worker plotted against the boss |
| Possessed of | Have, own | She is possessed of beauty, wisdom, and wealth |
| Pray for | Polite request | I pray for your success |
| Prefer to | Like better | I prefer coffee to tea |
| Prepared for | Be ready for | We are prepared for success as well as failure |
| Preside over | Participate as head | The Principal presided over the meeting of the teachers |
| Prevail on | Persuade | I shall prevail on him to sell his old books to me |
| Proceeded with | Continue | Proceeded with our work, please |
| Proficient in | Expert in | You areproficient in English |
| Prominent in | Widely known | He is prominent in his profession |
| Pull down | Destroy a building | They should pull down the dangerous building |
| Put in | Spend time doing something | He put in two hours writing this essay |
| Put out | Extinguish a fire | They put out the fire at the factory |
| Put up with | Tolerate | I cannot put up with this insult |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “Q” | ||
| Quick at | Intelligent at something | He is quick at business but poor in housework |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “R” | ||
| Reason for | Come | What is the reason for your good health? |
| Rebel against | Fight against | Many soldiers rebelled against the government |
| Recover from | Get well | He has just recovered from a long illness |
| Refrain from | Hold oneself back | We should refrain from telling lies |
| Rejoice at | Be very happy of | We rejoice at our grand success |
| Regard for | Respect for | He has great regard for his teachers |
| Relevant to | Directly connected with | Your answer is relevant to the question |
| Relieve of | Remove unpleasant feeling | This tablet will relieve you of pain |
| Rely on | Trust | We cannot rely on them as they are dishonest |
| Repent of | Be sorry for | Now I repent of my mistake |
| Replete with | Well supplied | The store is replete with the best food |
| Rescue from | Save from | He rescued her from the fire |
| Retreat from | Move back or away | The fighters retreated to the forest from the battle |
| Rule out | Reject | We rule out support to dishonest rulers |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “S” | ||
| Search for | Find out | We searched for the lost watch everywhere |
| See to | Attend to | See to the letters that you have to write |
| Seek after | Try to find | A good student seeks after knowledge at all places |
| Sell at | Be sold at a price | We sell this cloth at Rs. 50$ per meter |
| Set in | Begin and continue | The summer season has set in |
| Set up | Go in business as | He will set up as a doctor on his return from America |
| Shocked at | Feel very upset | I am shocked at his strange behavior |
| Shoot at | Fire a gun | They shot at the thieves |
| Side with | Take aside | You should not side with my enemy |
| Sneer at | Speak hatefully | Do not sneer at your enemies |
| Sorry for | Feel sympathy for | We are sorry for the children who go uneducated |
| Stand | Support somebody | We shall stand by you in every difficulty |
| Stare at | Look fixedly in wonder | Do not stare at others like this |
| Stink of | Give a bad smell | These shops stink of dirty oil |
| Strive for | Make great effort | We shall strive for success in all these difficulties |
| Sufficient for | Enough | Our income is sufficient for the family |
| Suitable for | Fit for | This house is suitable for our family |
| Surety for | Guarantee for | Who will stand surety for you at his job? |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “T” | ||
| Take care of somebody | Look after | Take care of your parents well |
| Take down | Write down | As I speak, take down my words |
| Take off | Remove clothes | He took off his clothes and then he jumped into the river |
| Taken in | To be cheated | The poor people are taken in by clever politicians |
| Take to | Begin regularly | He will take to acting if he fails the examination |
| Tally with | To agree with | Your figures do not tally with ours |
| Tempt with | Make someone do something bad in an attractive way | He tempted his friend into busying his old camera |
| Tide over | Overcome difficulties | We are trying to tide over our difficulties |
| Tired of | Bored with | I have got tired of working long hours |
| Triumph over | Gain a victory over | He triumphed over his opponents in the election |
| Trust in | Have confidence in | All of us trust in your leadership |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “U” | ||
| Usher into | Show the way to | The servant ushered us into the office |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “V” | ||
| Vote for | Give opinion in favor of another person | We should vote for able leaders |
| Prepositional | ||
| Phrase | ||
| start with “W to Y” | ||
| Want of | Absence of | The crops failed for want of water |
| Wash off | Remove by washing | She washed off the stains easily |
| Wash up | Wash plates | Please wash up the plates after eating |
| Weary of | Very tired | He is wary of visiting that office every day |
| Wind up | Finish a speech | Let us wind up this long discussion |
| Wish for | Have a desire for | We cannot wish for the moon |
| Withdraw from | Move back | We will not withdraw our proposal in the auction proceeding |
| Witness to | One who can explain something | He is a witness to the accident |
| Work out | Find the solution by thinking or talking | We are trying to work out an agreement with them |
| Wrest with | Struggle with a person | He wrestled well with the strong man |
| Write off | Cancel bad debt | Rich countries should write off our debts |
| Yield to | Stop opposition to surrender to | We can never yield to force |
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