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Finding Prepositional Phrases
Practice Exercise # 10
Directions: Place parentheses ( ) around every prepositional
phrase.
| The text is: |
| One Sunday in a Midwest
city, a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The
parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were
losing the battle. Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and
walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety
of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for
me! Pray for me!" |
| Work your way through the text one sentence
at a time. |
Sentence #1
| Identify all the prepositional phrases. |
| One Sunday (in
a Midwest city), a young child was "acting up" (during
the morning worship hour). |
Note that although "up" can function as a
preposition, it does not do so here. If we ask acting "up what?," nothing
answers the question. The phrase "acting up" is idiomatic, so the "up"
should simply be considered part of the verb.
I'd bet that some
people mark "during the morning" as a prepositional phrase. [Pay attention
to the meanings of the words.] |
Sentence #2
| Identify all the prepositional phrases. |
| The parents did their best to maintain some sense (of
order) (in the pew) but were losing the battle. |
| "Maintain" is a verb, so "to maintain" is
not a prepositional phrase. |
Sentence #3
| Identify all the prepositional phrases. |
| Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked
sternly (up the aisle) (on his way)
out. |
Here again, with the first "up," if we ask
"up what," nothing answers the question. Thus there is no prepositional
phrase and "up" should be considered part of the verb "picked up."
The situation with "out"
is different. If we ask "out what?," here we can assume "out *of the room*."
On the other hand, we can interpret "out" to mean "outside," a simple adverb.
I would accept either version. |
Sentence #4
| Identify all the prepositional phrases. |
| Just (before reaching)
the safety (of the foyer), the little
one called loudly (to the congregation),
"Pray (for me)! Pray (for
me)!" |
| I would also accept "(before reaching the
safety)." |
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