English grammar is full of various components that help in the successful construction of meaningful sentences. These components are present in every sentence and satisfy various purposes that are crucial to grammar in general. These components together are known as the ‘Parts of Speech.’

Among all of these, today’s focus will lie on a proposition. As the name suggests, this component of the parts of speech is a word pre-positioned before the noun or pronoun to indicate the location, time, relationship, place, or introduce an object.

Prepositions are idiomatic and serve the vital function of accompanying the noun to make the sentence meaningful. One such type of preposition, known as the Phrasal Preposition, is our area of study in this article.

Phrasal Prepositions

Phrasal Prepositions are words that sit in front of a noun, pronoun, or phrase and increase wordiness in a sentence making it sound interesting. Phrasal Prepositions are not independent and make incomplete sense on their own; hence they are used with an accompanying noun, pronoun, or phrase to express the thought with complete meaning. Some common phrasal prepositions include in addition to, in favor of, etc.

Examples of Phrasal Prepositions

Here are some easy examples of breaking down how phrasal verbs work:

Sentence 1:

Becky will probably back out of the match due to her injury.

Explanation:

Here, the phrase ‘back out of’ is a phrasal preposition that refers to the act of withdrawing from something.

Sentence 2:

I don’t think you can get away with stealing so quickly.

Explanation:

Here, the phrase ‘getaway with’ is a phrasal preposition that refers to the act of being excused or let go after committing a felonious act.

Usage of Phrasal Prepositions

A Phrasal Preposition is a group of words indicating the relationship between two things or their location. However, they can sometimes be confused with Prepositional Phrases that start with a preposition and end with nouns or pronouns.

Example

• The car is parked in front of the school. [‘in front of’ here is a phrasal preposition].
• The phone on the shelf is my sister’s. [‘on the shelf’ here is a prepositional phrase].

List of common Phrasal Prepositions

The following is a list of the most commonly used Phrasal Prepositions in English grammar:

Conclusion – Phrasal Prepositions

Phrasal prepositions are terms that appear near the commencement of a noun, pronoun, or phrase. They are idiomatic and serve an essential function in making the phrase meaningful by accompanying the noun. Because phrasal prepositions are not self-contained and make insufficient sense, they must be combined with a noun, pronoun, or phrase to express the idea fully.

Practice Questions on Phrasal Prepositions

Here are some practice questions on Phrasal Prepositions:

1. Do not _____________ acting, because people need to witness your talent.
2. Everyday I _____________ the sound of my cat meowing.
3. You should always ___________ your mistakes.
4. Never ____________ those who are not as privileged as you.
5. I will surely ____________ the conference on Saturday.
6. Do you ________________ your siblings?
7. Holmes deducted that all the evidence ____________ Mr. Robertson.
8. I hope as a good human being, you will always ______________ what is right.
9. It is easier to ____________ a stranger during tough times.

Answer key:

1. quit
2. awake to
3. learn from
4. compare with
5. be present on
6. get along with
7. pointed at
8. stick with
9. speak to

Frequently Asked Questions on Phrasal Prepositions