Prepositions and Phrases — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. In the passage 'The fox darted through the woods at dawn,' how many prepositional phrases appear?
A) Two
B) One
C) Three
D) Four
Through the woods and at dawn are the two prepositional phrases in this sentence.
2. Which is a prepositional phrase, NOT a clause?
A) When the sun rose
B) After breakfast
C) Because she was tired
D) While we waited
After breakfast has no subject or verb; it is a phrase, while the others are clauses.
3. Which sentence uses the MOST prepositional phrases for rich description?
A) The cat slept.
B) The cat slept on the rug.
C) The cat slept on the rug by the fireplace.
D) The cat slept on the rug by the fireplace under the warm blanket.
Option C has three phrases: on the rug, by the fireplace, and under the blanket included.
4. Which sentence avoids a stranded preposition for formal writing?
A) What are you looking at?
B) Who did you go with?
C) Where is the meeting at?
D) About what are you writing?
Option D keeps about with what at the start, avoiding a stranded preposition formally.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A group of words with a subject and verb is a clause, not a phrase.
Clauses contain a subject and a verb; phrases like prepositional phrases do not have both.
2. Underline the prepositional phrase: 'The kite soared above the rooftops.' Answer: above the rooftops.
Above starts the prepositional phrase above the rooftops, telling where the kite went.
3. In formal writing, avoid leaving a preposition stranded at the end of a question.
Stranded means stuck alone; formal writing keeps the preposition next to its object word.
4. Write a rich sentence with two phrases: The puppy played in the yard during the morning.
In the yard tells where; during the morning tells when, giving two phrases together.
5. A prepositional phrase has a preposition plus an object but no verb.
Phrases lack a verb of their own; clauses include both a subject and a working verb.