1. What are prepositions? (P. 132)

By function, prepositions together with their objects, form a prepositional phrases (PP).

Very often, PPs function as adverbials to indicate time, space, and manner. It is also very common for a PP to follow a noun to function as a post-noun modifier (PNM). e.g.,

• • a) A river runs [under the bridge]. PP: Adverbial of place

  • b) The river [under the bridge] runs slowly. PP: PNM

The internal structure of a PP is illustrated through a tree diagram below.

We will have a detailed discussion of PPs in the next module.