Prepositions and Conjunctions - Quia

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Introduction to Prepositions and Conjunctions

We use prepositions and conjunctions to show relationships between words, phrases, and clauses.

Prepositions

Prepositions show relationships between nouns or pronouns and other words in a sentence.

Prepositions often indicate direction, time, or location. The italic words in the sentences below are

prepositions; the words in bold type make up the rest of the prepositional phrase.

Location

Direction

Time

She says she put the book on the

table. (The preposition on shows

location.)

You head into town. (The

preposition into shows

direction.)

You should go on Saturday. (The

preposition on shows a

relationship of time.)

Look in the family room.

I will walk toward the gas

station.

The basketball tournament is

held in the spring.

Some Common Prepositions

aboard

before

down

off

till

about

behind

during

on

to

above

below

except

onto

toward

across

beneath

for

opposite

under

after

beside

from

out

underneath

against

besides

in

outside

until

along

between

inside

over

up

among

beyond

into

past

upon

around

but (except)

like

since

with

as

by

near

through

within

at

concerning

of

throughout

without

A preposition that is made up of two or more words is a compound preposition. Following is a list of

common compound prepositions

Some Compound Prepositions

according to

by means of

instead of

ahead of

in addition to

in view of

apart from

in back of

next to

aside from

in front of

on account of

as of

in place of

out of

because of

in spite of

prior to

Prepositional Phrases

Examples

A preposition is always part of a group of words called a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase

begins with a preposition. It ends with a noun or pronoun, which is called the object of the preposition.

A prepositional phrase may also contain modifiers.

We hiked in the early evening. (In is the preposition; evening is the object of the preposition; in

the early evening in the prepositional phrase.)

We walked behind the old shed.

He would not go near the lake of the ruins.

Preposition or Adverb?

Some prepositions can also be adverbs. They are prepositions when they are part of a prepositional

phrase. They are adverbs when they stand alone.

Preposition

We wanted to keep the dog inside the house.

Adverb

When the sun set, we all went inside.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions connect words, phrases, and clauses. Coordinating and correlative conjunctions connect

words, phrases, or clauses of equal rank. Notice that correlative conjunctions are pairs of words.

Coordinating Conjunctions

We can take a bus or the subway. (The conjunction

or connects the nouns of equal grammatical rank,

bus and subway.)

I need to stop and think before I do something like

that again. (The conjunctions and connects the

verbs stop and think.)

Correlative Conjunctions

Travel is not only exciting but also enriching. (The

conjunction not only/but also connects the

adjectives exciting and enriching.

Coordinating and Correlating Conjunctions

Coordinating Conjunctions

and

nor

Correlative Conjunctions

both/and

not only/but also

but

or

either/or

for

so

neither/nor

whether/or

yet

Examples

Subordinating Conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses and connect them to the main clauses.

Unless you hear from me, I will be home by six o¡¯clock. (The conjunction unless introduces the

subordinate clause unless you hear from me and connects it to the main clause.

Because of the snowstorm, I didn¡¯t get home until midnight. (The conjunction because introduces

the subordinate clause because of the snow storm and connects it to the main clause.)

Some Subordinating Conjunctions

after

as soon as

in order that

until

although

as though

since

when

as

because

so that

whenever

as far as

before

than

where

as if

even though

though

wherever

as long as

if

unless

while

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