Prepositional Phrase
Prepositional phrases, also called complex prepositions or compound prepositions, are a group of words including at least one preposition and a noun, a verb or an adverb. They act as a single preposition. They link elements of a sentence together and often end with the preposition de or à.
- Some are followed by a noun:
à la fin de - at the end of
par rapport à - in relation to / compared to
en accord avec - as agreed with
- Some are followed by verbs:
afin de - in order to
avant de - before -ING
de façon à - so that
- Prepositional phrases can be followed with a noun or a pronoun:
Marc habite près de son bureau - Marc lives close to his work
C'est auprès d'eux - It is with them that I got a loan
Sophie s’est fait mal lors du marathon - Sophie hurt herself during the marathon
Ton chien est plus grand par rapport au mien - Your dog is taller compared to mine
On loue un appartement au coin de la rue des Lys - We rent a flat at the corner of rue des Lys
Grâce à la mère de Paul, tu as trouvé un emploi - Thanks to Paul's mother, you found a job
La peinture est accrochée au-dessus des étagères - The painting is hanging above the shelves
Quant aux problèmes de ton frère, je ne veux pas en entendre parler - as for your brother's problems, I don't want to hear about it
C’est un film au début duquel il y a une explosion - it is a film at the beginning of which there is an explosion.
Les arbres, au-dessous desquels tu te trouves, sont très hauts - The trees, under which you are, are very tall.
Notice how de or à change form and agree when the preposition is followed by a definte article, a possessive adjective or the pronoun lequel etc.
- Prepositional phrases can also be followed by an infinitive:
Je pars au marché afin de faire les courses - I go to the market in order to do the food shopping
Avant d'aller chez le docteur, prends un rendez-vous - Before going to the doctor's, make an appointment
Les résultats sont en gras de façon à les mettre en avant - the results are presented so that they are highlighted
