object of a preposition
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: The noun phrase or pronoun that follows a preposition and completes its meaning. It is the entity that is positioned, located, directed, or related in some way as specified by the preposition.
Usage
The object of a preposition is a core grammatical element in a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase has the structure: Preposition + Object of the Preposition. This object answers questions like "what?" or "whom?" after the preposition.
Examples
- The book is on the table. (The noun phrase "" is the object of the preposition "".)
- She gave the letter to him. (The pronoun "" is the object of the preposition "".)
- We walked through the beautiful park. (The noun phrase "" is the object of the preposition "".)
- I am thinking about your proposal. (The noun phrase "" is the object of the preposition "".)
Advanced Usage
- The object can be a gerund (a verb form ending in that functions as a noun).
- He is afraid of flying. (The gerund "flying" is the object of the preposition "of".)
- In formal English, when the object is an interrogative pronoun, it can appear at the beginning of a question, but it remains grammatically the object of the preposition.
- To whom did you speak? (The pronoun "whom" is the object of the preposition "to".)
Variants and Related Words
- Prepositional Object: A synonymous term.
- Prepositional Phrase: The full unit containing the preposition, its object, and any modifiers.
- Object of a Verb: The noun or pronoun that receives the action of a verb (e.g., "She read ."). This is distinct from the object of a preposition.
Synonyms
- Prepositional complement (a more technical linguistic term).
Notes on Different Meanings
This term has a single, specific meaning in English grammar. It does not have other common definitions outside of this syntactic context.
Noun
- the object governed by a preposition