PREPOSITIONS
These little words describe relationships
between people, things or ideas.
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Common Prepositions:
aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
amid
among
around
as
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
but
by
down
during
except
excluding
following
for
from
in
inside
into
near
of
off
on
onto
opposite
outside
over
past
regarding
since
than
through
to
toward
towards
under
underneath
unlike
until
up
upon
with
within
without
Lesson One: A Cloze Sheet (Notice where the commas belong!)
Choose the correct preposition from the list after each paragraph.
_________ Monday, the weather was beautiful. The sun shone. _________ the garden, flowers bloomed. _________ the ground, worms dug tunnels, and _________head, birds soared.
over under on in
_________ Tuesday, I had fun at school. _________ recess, we played math games. _________ lunch, we did science experiments. _________ P.E., we played volleyball. _________ Art, we painted pictures. _________ , it was a great day!
overall in in before after on
_________ Wednesday, it rained. _________ school, I got wet walking. _________ lunch, I got wet outside. _________ school, I got wet walking home. Fortunately, I’m washable!
after at before on
Lesson Two: A Cloze Story
A. Fill in the blanks using prepositions that make sense. Notice that some prepositions are already filled in for you.
The day Shiloh come, we’re having us a big Sunday dinner. Dara Lynn’s dipping bread ________ her glass of cold tea, the way she likes, and Becky pushes her beans up ________ the edge of her plate ________ her rush to get ‘em down.
Ma gives us her scolding look. “Just once ________ my life,” she says, “I’d like to see a bite of food go direct ________ the dish ________ somebody’s mouth without a detour of any kind.”
She’s looking ________ me when she says it, though. It isn’t that I don’t like fried rabbit. Like it fine. I just don’t want to bite down ________ buckshot, is all, and I’m checking each piece.
“I looked that rabbit over good, Marty, and you won’t find any buckshot ________ that thigh,” Dad says, buttering his bread. “I shot him ________ the neck.”
Somehow I wish he hadn’t said that. I push the meat from one side ________ my plate to the other, through the sweet potatoes and back again.
“Did it die right off?” I ask, knowing I can’t eat at all unless it had.
From Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Dell, 1991, p. 1).
B. Find a book and copy some sentences. Underline all the prepositions. Write down the name and author of the book you use.
Lesson Three: Write Around the Prepositions
Complete the sentences so that they make sense.
E.g. During the holidays, I went to the beach with my family.
1. During _______________ , _____________ to ________________
with ___________________________
2. During _______________ , _____________ to ________________
with _______________________ .
E.g. In December, I went skiing on Mt. Baker.
3. In ________________ , _________________ on ______________ .
4. In ________________ , _________________ on ______________ .
E.g. On Saturday, my friend thanked me for helping her.
5. On _______________ , ___________________ for
________________ .
6. On _______________ , ___________________ for
________________ .
E.g. We went bike riding outside on Sunday in the park.
7. ________________________ outside on ______________ in
____________________ .
8. ________________________ outside on ______________ in
____________________ .
Lesson Four: Write Sentences Three Different Ways
1. Look at the sentences in blue down below.
2. In each set, the same sentence is written three different ways.
3. The first sentence has the preposition in the middle.
4. The second sentence starts with a preposition and has a comma in the middle.
5. The third sentence starts with a preposition but the words are rearranged so that the verb is in the middle and there is no comma.
6. See the pattern.
7. Write 3 sets of sentences of your own. (9 sentences in total.) Follow the pattern!
Prepositions by Patricia
Example: The whales are swimming below the ship.
Below the ship, the whales are swimming.
Below the ship are the swimming whales.
The waves are pounding against the ship.
Against the ship, the waves are pounding.
Against the ship are the pounding waves.
1. Crabs are spilling aboard the ship.
Aboard the ship, crabs are spilling.
Aboard the ship are spilling crabs.
2. Sea gulls are flying above our heads.
Above our heads, sea gulls are flying.
Above our heads are flying sea gulls
3. Marbles are rolling across the floor.
Across the floor, marbles are rolling.
Across the floor are rolling marbles.
4. Dogs are chasing after squirrels.
After squirrels, dogs are chasing.
After squirrels are chasing dogs.
5. Olivia is walking along the path.
Along the path, Olivia is walking.
Along the path is walking Olivia
6. Kids are running around in circles.
Around in circles, kids are running.
Around in circles are running kids.
7. Denver bowed before the queen.
Before the queen, Denver bowed.
Before the queen bowed Denver.
8. Paige is gossiping behind Leah’s back.
Behind Leah’s back, Paige is gossiping.
Behind Leah’s back is gossiping Paige.
9. Rats are scurrying beneath the floor.
Beneath the floor, rats are scurrying.
Beneath the floor are scurrying rats.
10. Keith is sitting beside Will.
Beside Will, Keith is sitting.
Beside Will is sitting Keith.