Definition

1. Noun:
   • The object governed by a preposition: In grammar, a 'prepositional object' is the noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that follows a preposition and completes its meaning. It is the receiver of the preposition's action or relationship.

Usage

• The 'prepositional object' is a core element of a prepositional phrase. The structure is: Preposition + Prepositional Object.
• It answers questions like "what?" or "whom?" after the preposition.
• Example: In the phrase "on the table," "the table" is the prepositional object of the preposition "on."

Examples

• Noun:
  • In "She is waiting for the bus," the word "bus" is the prepositional object of the preposition "for."
  • The sentence "They talked about the project" has "the project" as the prepositional object of "about."
  • "Give it to him." Here, "him" is the prepositional object of the preposition "to."

Advanced Usage

• Complex Prepositional Objects: The object can be a gerund (verb+ing form used as a noun) or a clause.

  • She is interested in learning languages. (Gerund phrase as prepositional object)
  • It depends on what you decide. (Noun clause as prepositional object)

• Distinction from Direct Object: A direct object receives the action of a verb directly (e.g., "She read the book."). A prepositional object is always linked by a preposition (e.g., "She read from the book.").

Variants and Related Words

• Preposition (n): A word (e.g., in, on, at, for, with) used before a noun or pronoun to show place, time, direction, etc.
• Prepositional Phrase (n): A phrase consisting of a preposition and its object, along with any modifiers (e.g., "in the big city").
• Object of a Preposition: A synonymous term for 'prepositional object'.

Synonyms

• Object of a preposition: The grammatical element that completes a prepositional phrase.

Related Grammatical Concepts

• Indirect Object: A noun or pronoun indicating to/for whom or what the action of the verb is done. It often appears without a preposition (e.g., "She gave me a book."). Compare with: "She gave a book to me," where "me" is the prepositional object of "to."

Noun

1. the object governed by a preposition