What Is a Prepositional Phrase?

A prepositional phrase is a group of words consisting of a preposition, its object, and any words that modify the object. Most of the time, a prepositional phrase modifies a verb or a noun. These two kinds of prepositional phrases are called adverbial phrases and adjectival phrases, respectively.

At a minimum, a prepositional phrase consists of one preposition and the object it governs. The object can be a noun, a gerund (a verb form ending in “-ing” that acts as a noun), or a clause.

He arrived in time.

Is she really going out with that guy?

To these two basic elements, modifiers can be freely added.

He arrived in the nick of time.

Is she really going out with that tall, gorgeous guy?

Some of the most common prepositions that begin prepositional phrases are to, of, about, at, before, after, by, behind, during, for, from, in, over, under, and with.

Prepositional Phrases That Modify Nouns

When a prepositional phrase acts upon a noun, we say it is behaving adjectivally because adjectives modify nouns. A prepositional phrase that behaves adjectivally is called, quite logically, an adjectival phrase.

The cat in the middle is the cutest.

I always buy my milk from the convenience store on Main Street.

My mother has always wanted to live in a cabin by the lake.

In the first of these sentences, in the middle answers the question of which cat the writer thinks is the cutest. Similarly, on Main Street gives us information about which store the writer is describing, and by the lake tells us what kind of cabin the writer’s mother is dreaming about. All of these adjectival phrases provide specificity to a noun in order to enhance our understanding.

Prepositional Phrases That Modify Verbs

When a prepositional phrase acts upon a verb, we say it is behaving adverbially because adverbs modify verbs. A prepositional phrase that behaves adverbially is called an adverbial phrase.

To find the person who stole the last cookie, look behind you.

Harry drank his Butterbeer with fervor.

In the first sentence, behind you answers the question “Look where?” In the second, with fervor answers the question “Drank how?”

Prepositional Phrases Acting as Nouns

Less frequently, prepositional phrases can function like nouns in a sentence.

During the national anthem is the worst time to blow your nose.

After the game will be too late for us to go to dinner.

How to Avoid Excessive Prepositional Phrases

It is tempting to overuse prepositions and prepositional phrases. If you see more than one preposition for every ten or fifteen words in your writing, you should edit some of them out. You may be surprised at how much more elegant and economical your writing is when you make the effort to do this.

It is best to behave with caution when running with a sword in the presence of Magneto.

There is nothing grammatically incorrect about this sentence, but it has two “with” phrases, an “of” phrase, and an “in” phrase, which is a sure sign that it could be written more efficiently.

In Magneto’s presence, run cautiously with swords.

Here, it was possible to replace one of the prepositional phrases, with caution with the correlating adverb cautiously. Of Magneto was simply a possessive that can be easily converted into Magneto’s. Four prepositional phrases have been reduced to two.

Another way to reduce prepositional phrases is to switch from a passive voice to an active voice. There is a famous example to illustrate this concept.

Why was the road crossed by the chicken?

Clearly, the passive voice makes this sentence fussy and the prepositional phrase by the chicken seems a bit silly. It would be better written in an active voice, with the chicken in the driver’s seat where it belongs.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Remember When? 6 Grammar Rules From the Past

Merriam-Webster defines grammar quite simply as the set of rules explaining how we use words in the English language. And as language itself has evolved over time, so have the rules of grammar. Given the speed with which written communication has adapted to life in the Internet era, even the strictest style mavens understand that some grammar conventions may no longer apply. Here are some grammar rules today’s writers can usually safely ignore.

Ending a Sentence With a Preposition

The English poet John Dryden proclaimed it “inelegant” to end a sentence with a preposition simply because it wasn’t possible to do so in Latin, the gold standard of the time. In fact, many early grammar rules were heavily influenced by the limitations of Latin. Today, most writers agree with Winston Churchill, who, when asked about the preposition rule, drolly replied, “This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put.”

Splitting Infinitives

The rule against split infinitives is another relic left over from Latin constructions. In the past, strict grammarians would object to separating the infinitive with a descriptive word, insisting that to quickly run must be replaced with to run quickly. Now it’s universally understood that the writers are free to choose the style that best suits their needs.

Using Possessive Pronouns With Gerunds

Purists insist that writers treat gerunds as they would any other noun and precede it with a possessive pronoun. “Mother didn’t appreciate my singing during dinner,” is technically correct, but it is also acceptable to say, “Mother didn’t appreciate me singing during dinner.” In many cases, pronoun choice is more a stylistic choice than a strict rule of grammar.

Not beginning a Sentence With a Conjunction

The prohibition against opening a sentence with a conjunction is one of the most persistent grammar myths of all time. In fact, the “Chicago Manual of Style” estimates that as many as 10 percent of the finest sentences ever written began with a conjunction. Since this practice is accepted by all the major style guides, it’s safe to say it’s okay to start a sentence with a conjunction.

Avoiding Sentence Fragments

Fiction writers recognize the stylistic value of employing a sentence fragment to emphasize a point. In general, it’s still the rule to avoid fragments in formal and academic writing, but employed sparingly and judiciously, the sentence fragment is a powerful tool in prose. Of course, as with any subjective matter in writing, the danger lies in using stylistic tricks to disguise sloppy composition.

Using Gendered Pronouns

Throughout the history of written English, he was the preferred pronoun for generic writing. Today, this is no longer the case, a condition causing fits for the current generation of writers. English lacks gender-neutral pronouns, and it doesn’t seem as though a widely acceptable alternative to he and she will be available any time soon.

Since the major style guides caution against using a generic he, some writers have resorted to using they as a singular pronoun: “The student needs to understand that they are responsible for bringing lunch.” Since most editors are not as comfortable with that construction, it’s best to rewrite the sentence with a plural noun: “The students need to understand that they are responsible for bringing lunch.”

Of course, for the most formal writing, especially in academic situations, it’s best to adhere to strict grammatical constructions. But for other writing, especially where style, point of view, and dialect are important to give nuance to a piece, go ahead and ignore the archaic constraints.

Do you play loose with grammar rules in your daily writing? Which ones annoy or confuse you the most?

Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: Rules and Examples

Adjectives can compare two things or more than two things. When we make these comparisons, we use comparative and superlative forms of adjectives.

Comparatives

One way to describe nouns (people, objects, animals, etc.) is by comparing them to something else. When comparing two things, you’re likely to use adjectives like smaller, bigger, taller, more interesting, and less expensive. Notice the ‑er ending, and the words more and less. A mistake that both native speakers and non-native speakers make is using incorrectly formed comparative adjectives. See the sentences below for an illustration of this common error:

His cat is more large than my dog.

His cat is larger than my dog.

So what makes the first example wrong and the second right? There are a few rules that explain this:

• For adjectives that are just one syllable, add -er to the end (this explains the above example).
• For two-syllable adjectives not ending in -y and for all three-or-more-syllable adjectives, use the form “more + adjective.”
• For two-syllable adjectives ending in -y, change the -y to -i and add -er.

These simple rules make it easy to tell when you should add -er or -ier and when you should use “more + adjective.”

Here are a few more examples:

This house is more exciting than ever.

This house is excitinger than ever.

Mike is funnier than Isaac.

Mike is more funny than Isaac.

Notice the spelling change for adjectives ending in ‑y: the comparative ends in ‑ier.

This book is boringer than the last one.

This book is more boring than the last one.

Advertising pressures women to be more thin.

Advertising pressures women to be thinner.

Superlatives

When comparing more than two things, you’ll likely use words and phrases like smallest, biggest, tallest, most interesting, and least interesting. Notice the ‑est ending and the words most and least. Make sure you use the proper ending or superlative adjective when forming these superlatives. The examples below illustrate the correct form:

Martha is the elder of the four sisters.

If there were only two sisters, we could use the comparative elder here. Because there are four sisters, we need a superlative.

Martha is the eldest of the four sisters.

Here are a couple of other examples:

I think his last book is his least interesting; his third book was the most interesting.

That must be the weirdest play ever written.

Remember that adjectives ending in ‑y change their spelling when ‑est is added. To form these superlatives, change the y to an i before adding the -est ending, as illustrated below:

That is the sleepyest puppy of the litter.

That is the sleepiest puppy of the litter.

Forming Comparative and Superlatives of Irregular Adjectives

It’s important to note that there are irregular adjectives (and adverbs) that you have to memorize because they don’t follow the rules above. They are:

Adjective/Adverb	Comparative	Superlative
good/well	better	best
bad/badly	worse	worst
far	farther, further	the farthest, the furthest
little	less	least

Here are some examples of these irregular words as comparatives and superlatives in context:

Today I had the best time touring the city.

I went farther than my friend when we walked around the park.

You dance better than I do.

You bought the least attractive pair of moccasins at the thrift store.

He can run the farthest of his classmates, but that’s only once around the track.

I do badly in math, but at least I’m not the worst.

Comparative and Superlative of “Handsome”

Besides the irregular words in the table above, one other unclear comparative/superlative choice is handsomer/more handsome and handsomest/most handsome. The rules call for handsomer and handsomest, but usage has changed over time. Modern speakers prefer more handsome to handsomer, and there is an even split between handsomest and most handsome. Preferred usage typically follows what native speakers say, and the trend seems to be moving toward the simpler construction of more + adjective and the most + adjective.

What Does It Mean to “Pore Over” Something?

This one’s pretty easy: pouring something over a book would mean spilling something on it. Poring over a book means reading it with great attention. “Pour” and “pore” are never interchangeable; they are two completely different words.

There’s a well of spelling mistakes in the English language that never seems to dry up. A bump on the road that keeps tripping people and never seems to be fixed. A pit people keep falling into. We’re talking about homophones—words that sound alike but have different spellings and different meanings. Probably the most famous triplet of homophones, and the most annoying to those of us who like to see words written properly, is “they’re,” “their,” and “there.”

In this article, while we’re trying to figure out what it means to pore over something, we’ll come across another pair of commonly confused homophones—pore and pour. When you use the phrase “to pore over a book,” it’s important to keep these two straight. If you use pore, you’ll be saying you’re reading the book carefully. If you use pour, you’ll be saying that you’re spilling something on the book.

Pore and How to Use It

The verb pore is a word whose roots are hard to trace. It might have its origin in the Old English root purian, which is found in spyrian—to investigate—and spor—a trace or a vestige. Today we usually use the verb pore with the adverbs “over” or “through.” It means

To read or study something carefully:

Instead of hiring expensive assistants to pore over cases and sort through tickets, law firms are increasingly turning toward artificially-intelligent machines to do the expensive menial jobs instead. —Tech Insider

Three years ago, Devon Trevelyan took a chance on the classic war-themed game of “Risk”—and about 1,000 other board games—when he opened Knight Moves, a Brooklyn cafe where people gather to wind down and pore over puzzles and strategy games. —Boston Globe

Speaking of pore, it might also be worth mentioning that there’s another word spelled the same—pore, the noun, which means:

A small opening on a surface such as skin, leaves, or even rocks:

There’s no denying it—pore strips are extremely satisfying. —Marie Claire

With an all-solid mahogany top, back and sides and an open-pore finish that’s smooth and soft to the touch, it’s the perfect acoustic complement for passionate players who prefer a more natural look and feel. —Guitar World Magazine

Pour and How to Use It

The origins of pour are unclear, but today this verb is used in a few ways.

To describe a movement of liquid:

The 22-year-old wore just her underwear and a bull horn headband as she poured buckets of fake blood over herself as part of the demonstration organised by AnimaNaturalis and PETA. —The Daily Mail

To say that it rains profusely:

As rain continued to pour, there weren’t too many takers for the log flume but the same could not be said for the waltzer, which proved an immediate hit with punters who were quick off the mark. —ChronicleLive

To describe a movement of a large quantity of something:

The Quebec government says it has no plans to pour more money into the massively overbudget new cement production plant on the Gaspé Peninsula. —The Globe and Mail