Prepositional Phrase
Identify the preposition first, then the words that complete it. A prepositional phrase may function in several ways in a sentence, and a word that looks like a preposition can instead be a particle in a multi-word verb, so structure matters more than memorizing a surface pattern.
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its complement, as in “at the station,” “with her,” or “after finishing.” The whole phrase can add information such as place, time, manner, or can complete the meaning of another word.
Key details
Further guidance
Diagnostic
Find the preposition and ask what completes it: in “under the desk,” “under” is the preposition and “the desk” is its complement.
Function
Then identify what the phrase does in the larger sentence: it may modify a noun, modify a clause, or complete a verb/adjective pattern.
Particle Test
Do not classify a multi-word verb only by the word form. In “look up the number,” “up” belongs to the verb-particle construction rather than introducing a normal prepositional complement.
Worked Example
“The keys on the table belong to Maya” contains “on the table,” a prepositional phrase modifying “keys,” and “to Maya,” a phrase completing “belong.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Prepositional phrases (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Defines a prepositional phrase as a preposition plus its complement and shows common complement types and syntactic functions.
- Prepositions and particles (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Distinguishes prepositions from verb particles and identifies common prepositional complements, supporting a bounded phrase-level grammar guide.