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

1. the object governed by a preposition