prepositiephrase

A prepositional phrase, or preposition phrase, is a syntactic unit headed by a preposition and followed by its complement, typically a noun phrase. The preposition introduces a relation—such as location, time, direction, or manner—and the object of the preposition provides the concrete content of that relation. Common examples include in the park, on the table, after the meeting, and with great care.

The core structure of a prepositional phrase is preposition plus its complement, usually a noun phrase (NP). The NP can include determiners, adjectives, and other modifiers. In many languages, a PP can nest within another phrase, yielding combinations like in the house on the hill. Although English relies on prepositions, some languages use postpositions with similar function. PPs frequently serve two broad roles: they function as adverbial modifiers of verbs, supplying information about place, time, direction, or manner; and they may modify nouns within noun phrases, as in the book on the shelf.

Syntactic behavior varies across languages. In English, PPs have relatively fixed positions and can be pronominalized (think of it, put it there). They can also complement certain verbs (depend on, rely on) or adjectives. PPs contribute to argument structure and discourse by specifying relations between entities or events. Despite cross-linguistic differences, the basic idea remains: a PP expresses a relation through a preposition and an object, forming a versatile and widespread element in sentence syntax.