Some writers have a tendency to overuse prepositional phrases, repeatedly stringing together four, five, or even more
in a row
. They are often motivated by the desire to convey a lot of information quickly, but the result can be a meandering sentence structure that is difficult to follow.
What is an example of a prepositional phrase?
An example of a prepositional phrase is,
“With a reusable tote in hand, Matthew walked to the farmer’s market
.” Every prepositional phrase is a series of words consisting of a preposition and its object. In the example above, “with” is the preposition and “reusable tote” is the object.
Are excessive prepositional phrases bad?
Sometimes prepositional phrases
aren’t really necessary
, especially when you use them (instead of an apostrophe + s) to denote possession of an object. Also, try to avoid using too many prepositional phrases in a single sentence, since they can obscure the main subject and action of a sentence.
Can prepositional phrases be overused?
Avoid Overusing Prepositions
. Of is a preposition, and although it’s not an inherently evil word, overusing it can make your writing sound passive and fussy. … They often mark phrases you can reduce to one or two words.”
How many prepositional phrases are too many?
Another general rule of thumb that is sometimes cited is a maximum of
four prepositions per sentence
.
Can you have 2 prepositional phrases in a sentence?
When two or more prepositional phrases
follow each other, they may modify the same word
, or one phrase may modify the object in the preceding phrase: They arrived at the airport on time. (Both phrases modify “arrived”; “at the airport” tells where and “on time” tells when.)
Is a lot of a prepositional phrase?
There are two options: Either
(a lot of) is unbreakable
, which would presumably make it a multi-word preposition, or. It divides into (a lot) [noun phrase] and (of time) [prepositional phrase].
What are 5 examples of prepositions?
- He sat on the chair.
- There is some milk in the fridge.
- She was hiding under the table.
- The cat jumped off the counter.
- He drove over the bridge.
- She lost her ring at the beach.
- The book belongs to Anthony.
- They were sitting by the tree.
What are 5 examples of prepositional phrases?
Common prepositional phrase examples include
about, after, at, before, behind, by, during, for, from, in, of, over, past, to, under, up, and with
.
How do you identify a prepositional phrase in a sentence?
Prepositions are part of a group of words called a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and ends with a noun or a pronoun. Examples of prepositional phrases are “
in our house”
and “between friends” and “since the war.”
How do you get rid of excessive prepositional phrases?
- Eliminate Prepositions by Using Active Voice. …
- Substitute an Adverb for a Prepositional Phrase. …
- Use a Genitive in Place of a Prepositional Phrase. …
- Omit Prepositions by Eliminating Nominalizations. …
- Delete Prepositional Phrases. …
- Keep learning!
Can I end a sentence with a preposition?
The best-known rule about prepositions is
that you shouldn’t end a sentence with one
. … Although it is not permissible to end Latin sentences with prepositions, in fact English speakers have been (not incorrectly) ending their sentences with prepositions for quite some time.
Should you end a sentence with a prepositional phrase?
No sentence should end in a preposition
. … If you don’t like to end your sentences with prepositions, you don’t have to—just don’t say that it is a rule. And if you like to end your sentences with a succinct with, go right ahead and keep doing so—just don’t quote Winston Churchill when someone says that you shouldn’t.
How do we use prepositional phrases?
- The park is next to the hospital.
- The student is between an A and a B.
- The fight scene is before the second act.
How can you use prepositional phrases to improve your writing?
You can make your writing clearer, and often more forceful, by
editing prepositional phrases that function as adverbs
. In many cases, you can replace the prepositional (adverbial) phrase with a single, precise verb. Original: The building shook with great force.
How do you rewrite prepositional phrases?
- Delete the Phrase. …
- Eliminate Buried Verbs. …
- Use Adverbs, Stronger Verbs or Adjectives Instead. …
- Replace a Prepositional Phrase with a Genitive. …
- Use Active Voice.
