Preposition Pointers
From Painless Grammar
By Rebecca Elliot
Articles
► a,
► In
an, the
your bell-work, put a check mark over
each example of “a,” “an,” or “the.”
Check yourself

“The Cowboys’ little field-goal kicker rolled

his eyes to the ceiling in mock alarm.

He knew the burden on his shoulders.”
Bell-Work
► Copy
the quote.
► “The
Cowboys’ little field-goal kicker rolled his
eyes to the ceiling in mock alarm. He knew the
burden on his shoulders.” –from the Quarterback
Walk-On by Thomas J. Dygard
► Put
parentheses () around the group of words
which tells where he rolled his eyes?/how he rolled
his eyes?/where the burden was?
Prepositions
►A
preposition is a word that shows the
relationship between a noun or a pronoun
and some other word in a sentence.
Prepositions are unimportant…right?
► In,
on, of, by, for, with –prepositions are
unimportant little words that we don’t need
to pay much attention to. Right?
► WRONG!
► Check out what a big difference a little
preposition can make:
 My sister is lying to me.
 My sister is lying next to me.
►I
am swimming toward the shark’s tummy.
 Oops!
►I
am swimming away from the shark’s
tummy.
 Hurry!
►I
am swimming inside the shark’s tummy.
 Bummer!
Common Prepositions
► about
► above
► across
► against
► among
► around
► at
► after
► along
► as
► before
► into
► behind
► for
► beside
► from
► between
► beyond
► by
► down
► in
► during
► below
► beneath
► out
► inside
► near
► of
► off
► to
► over
► past
► through-
out
► through
► toward
► on
► up
► without
► until
► with
► under
► upon
Prepositional Phrases
►A
prepositional phrase includes both a
preposition, an object of the preposition and
any modifers of the object.
prep.
►I
OP
went to the football game.
► Objects
of a preposition must be a noun or
a pronoun.
Partner practice
► When
each example pops up, turn to a
partner and identify the prepositional
phrase.






Our trip began in Iowa.
We skated across the lake.
Others stood by the shore.
The moon shone in the sky.
At midnight everyone left.
Night on the lake was calm.