chapter 4: analyzing examples

The English language is messy, and many times analyzing for  grammatical elements is not always as obvious as the simple examples that we use on the content pages. So to assist your ability to analyze  all the different texts you may encounter as you read, we want to offer a  few more sample analyses of more difficult texts. For these more complicated examples, we review some or all  of the key  features discussed in Chapter 5. Please review these  examples closely, trying  to understand the choices made for the analysis. As always, if you have any questions, please ask your instructor  or start a conversation in your work group. Analyzing for Prepositional Phrases – Example #1Adapted from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: His house had never seemed so enormous to me as it did that night when we hunted through the great rooms for cigarettes. We pushed aside curtains that were like pavilions, and felt over innumerable feet of dark wall for electric light switches—once I tumbled with a sort of splash upon the keys of a ghostly piano. There was an inexplicable amount of dust everywhere, and the rooms were musty, as though they hadn’t been aired for many days. I found the humidor on an unfamiliar table, with two stale, dry cigarettes inside. Throwing open the French windows of the drawing-room, we sat smoking out into the darkness. For this example, we’ll analyze how each of the prepositional phrases are functioning in the context of the sentence. Begin by identifying the prepositions, verifying it is followed by a nominal only, then determining who the words are “hanging out with”: Prepositional Phrases

1. to me – adverbial prepositional phrase
2. through the great rooms – adverbial prepositional phrase
3. for cigarettes – adverbial prepositional phrase
4. over innumerable feet – adverbial prepositional phrase
5. of dark wall – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying FEET
6. for electric light switches – adverbial prepositional phrase
7. with a sort – adverbial prepositional phrase
8. of splash – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying SORT
9. upon the keys – adverbial prepositional phrase
10. of a ghostly piano – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying KEYS
11. of dust – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying AMOUNT
12. for many days – adverbial prepositional phrase
13. on an unfamiliar table – adverbial prepositional phrase
14. with two stale, dry cigarettes – adverbial prepositional phrase
15. of the drawing-room – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying WINDOWS
16. into the darkness – adverbial prepositional phrase

Analyzing for Prepositional Phrases – Example #2Adapted from The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie: I took an early opportunity of testing that statement by stationing my friend Monsieur Hastings in the left wing of the building, just outside Mrs. Cavendish’s door. I myself, in company with the police, went to the deceased’s room, and whilst there I, apparently accidentally, knocked over the table in question, but found that, as I had expected, Monsieur Hastings had heard no sound at all. For this example, we’ll analyze how each of the prepositional phrases are functioning in the context of the sentence. Begin by identifying the prepositions, verifying it is followed by a nominal only, then determining who the words are “hanging out with”: Prepositional Phrases

1. of testing that statement – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying OPPORTUNITY
2. by stationing my friend . . . – adverbial prepositional phrase
3. in the left wing – adverbial prepositional phrase
4. of the building – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying WING
5. outside Mrs. Cavendish’s door – adverbial prepositional phrase
6. in company – adverbial prepositional phrase
7. with the police – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying COMPANY
8. to the deceased’s room – adverbial prepositional phrase
9. whilst there – adverbial prepositional phrase
10. in question – adjectival prepositional phrase, modifying TABLE
11. at all – adverbial prepositional phrase

Note on Other Elements

1. KNOCKED OVER is a main verb phrase, with OVER being a verb particle, not a preposition, and THE TABLE is the direct object of KNOCKED OVER

Previous Page

Table of Contents

Next Page

chapter 4: prepositional phrases

Prepositions are structure-class words that, in a prepositional phrase, precede a nominal, which  is the object of the preposition. Together, the preposition and its  object form a unit that can modify words, phrases, clauses, or whole  sentences. To repeat from an earlier discussion, simple prepositions consist of one word. Common simple prepositions include

• about
• across
• after
• against
• among
• around

• as
• at
• before
• beside
• between
• by

• concerning
• during
• for
• from
• in
• into

• including
• like
• near
• on
• of
• opposite

• out
• over
• pending
• regarding
• since
• to

• through
• under
• until
• via
• with
• without

Many of these words can also do double duty as subordinators, so be sure you can tell the difference.

Phrasal prepositions consist of two or more words. Common phrasal prepositions include 

• according  to
• apart from
• because of

• by virtue of
• down from
• except for

• instead of
• off  of
• outside of

• regardless of
• short of
• together with
• up to

Prepositions occur before a nominal (in the “pre-position”): under the blanketover the toptogether with the green shirt 

Most commonly, prepositional phrases function adjectivally or adverbially, but only rarely do they function nominally. You can use the following flow charts to help guide your analysis:

Prepositional phrases can modify words, phrases, clauses, or whole sentences:

We hurried to the store.Preposition to + nominal the store = prepositional phrase. It is functioning adverbially to modify HURRIED. The book with the green cover looks interesting.Preposition with + nominal the green cover = prepositional phrase. It is functioning adjectivally to modify BOOK. Here are some other examples from Tarzan of the Apes: The fact is that in the telling of it to you I have taken fictitious names for the principal characters.

1. Preposition in + gerund phrase the telling = prepositional phrase. It is functioning adverbially to modify the sentence.
2. Preposition of + nominal it = prepositional phrase. It is functioning adjectivally to modify the gerund TELLING.
3. Preposition to + nominal you = prepositional phrase. It is functioning adverbially to modify the prepositional phrases IN THE TELLING OF IT.
4. Preposition for + nominal the principal characters = prepositional phrase. It is functioning adjectivally to modify the noun NAMES.

While we normally analyze prepositional phrases individually, we  can also see the first three prepositional phrases as a single adverbial  because we can remove it or move it around and the sentence will still  make sense: 

• The fact is that . . . I have taken fictitious names for the principal characters
• in the telling of it to you . . . The fact is that I have taken fictitious names for the principal characters

So I give you the story as I painstakingly pieced it out from these several various agencies.

1. Preposition from + nominal phrase these several various agencies = prepositional phrase. It is functioning adverbially to modify the subordinate clause.

We can test this analysis by removing it or moving it around: 

• So I give you the story as I painstakingly pieced it . . .
• So I give you the story . . . from these several various agencies . . . as I painstakingly pieced it out.

Also, while AS is oftentimes a preposition, in this case it is a  subordinator, preceding a clause and marking it as a subordinate clause From the records, we learn that a certain young English nobleman was commissioned to make an inquiry.

1. Preposition from + nominal phrase the records = prepositional phrase. It is functioning adverbially to modify the whole sentence.

Introductory phrases, prepositional phrases or non-finite verb  phrases, are most often adverbial. That placement in a sentence is a KEY MARKER. Finally, you should be able to distinguish between the preposition TO and the infinitive marker TO:  Jane ran to first base.Jane tried to run towards first base. Don’t confuse an infinitive with a prepositional phrase beginning with to:Infinitives (TO + VERB in its base form):

• to laugh
• to smile
• to think
• to ponder
• to run
• etc.

Prepositional Phrases (TO + NOMINAL):

• to her
• to the student
• to my room
• to the mountains
• etc.

Because some words can by used as either nouns or verbs, you may encounter ambiguous constructions: Mom leaves estate to murder defendant. You should be able to analyze the above headline and describe all the ambiguities, especially the problem of to as an infinitive or to as a preposition.

Previous Page

Table of Contents

Next Page