This document discusses prepositions and prepositional phrases. It defines prepositions as words that stand before nouns or pronouns to form prepositional phrases. Prepositional phrases typically describe other nouns or verbs in the sentence. The document lists many common prepositions and provides examples of prepositional phrases from scripture, explaining their adjectival or adverbial functions. It cautions that some words can function as either prepositions or other parts of speech depending on context.

1. Prepositions

2. Prepositions
 Prepositions stand before a noun or pronoun (and its
descriptors) to create a prepositional phrase.
 The entire prepositional phrase will describe some other
noun or pronoun in the sentence (acting adjectivally) or the
verb in the clause to which it is related (acting adverbially).

3. Prepositions (2)
 Some common prepositions in prepositional phrases (from
Mt 3:1-12):
 in the wilderness
 from the coming wrath
 to yourselves
 at the root
 of the trees
 into the granary
 with unquenchable fire

4. Common Prepositions
 About, above, according to, across, after, against, along, alongside
[of], among, around, at, because of, before, behind, below,
beneath, beside(s), between, beyond, by, concerning, despite,
down, during, except, for, from, in, inside, instead of, into, like,
near, of, off, on, out of, over, past, since, through, throughout, to,
together with, toward, under, underneath, until, unto, up, upon,
up to, with, within, without

5. Prepositions (3)
 “I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to
Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree
therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the
fire.” (Mt 3:9-10 NRSV)
 Adverbial prepositional phrases:
 “from these stones” (giving information about the “raising”)
 “to Abraham” (ditto)
 “at the root” (where is the ax lying?)
 “into the fire” (where is it being thrown?)
 Adjectival prepositional phrase”
 “of the trees” (giving information about what root)

6. Prepositions (4a)
 “Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne
a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with
seven seals….And no one in heaven or on earth or under the
earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.” (Rev 5:1,
3 NRSV)

7. Prepositions (4b)
 “Then I saw in the right hand [adv.: where saw?] of the one [adj.:
describes what hand] seated on the throne [adv.: where seated?] a
scroll written on the inside [adv.: how or where written?] and on the
back [adv.], sealed with seven seals [adv.: sealed by what means or
how?]….And no one in heaven [adj.: describes “one”] or on earth
[adj.] or under the earth [adj.] was able to open the scroll or to
look into it [adv.: look where?].” (Rev 5:1, 3 NRSV)

8. Caution
 Many words that can function as prepositions can also function as
other parts of speech!
 “Since” can be a preposition, conjunction, or adverb
 “To” can be a preposition (“to the river”), or it can be part of an
infinitive (“to come,” “to sing,” “to look”)
 FUNCTION determines what a word is in a given context