The Prepositional Phrase
The last structure for us to study at the phrase rank is the prepositional phrase. This phrase is a 'nonheaded' construction in English since no one constituent functions as the center of the phrase, the center on which the other elements depend. Instead, the structure is divided into two functional components - the preposition followed by its complement. In general, a prepositional phrase expresses a relationship between the complement of the preposition and some other constituent of the sentence. Diagrammatically, the structure of the prepositional phrase looks like this:
The table below illustrates some of the possible structures found in the English prepositional phrase.
Some Examples of the Prepositional Phrase in English |
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FUNCTION |
Preposition |
Complement |
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(a) |
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for |
now |
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E |
(b) |
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with |
her |
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X |
(c) |
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in |
time |
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A |
(d) |
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next to |
the table |
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M |
(e) |
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into |
the thick of things |
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P |
(f) |
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by |
the time that you read this |
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L |
(g) |
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before |
slipping off to sleep |
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E |
(h) |
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after |
running more than 500 miles in one week |
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S |
(i) |
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to |
whomever it may concern |
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(j) |
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from |
what I can see |
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FORM |
Preposition |
Adverb |
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Pronoun |
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Noun |
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Noun Phrase |
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-ing Clause |
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Relative Clause |
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