What is a prepositional phrase?

Definition
	A prepositional phrase is an adpositional phrase in which a preposition is the head. The preposition precedes its complement.
	The phrase is an exocentric construction that functions as an adjectival or adverbial modifier. The complement to the preposition is typically one of the following:
	Noun Noun phrase Pronoun

Examples (English)
	on the bus to town on the other hand

Generic
	A prepositional phrase is a kind of
	What is an adpositional phrase?

Sources
	Hartmann and Stork 1972 182–183
	Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik 1985 63, 657
	Crystal 1980 282

Context for this page:

Concept module: prepositional phrase
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): P
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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