Detailed Explanation of Prepositions and Their Objects 📚
Prepositions are important words in English that show the relationship between different parts of a sentence. For Year 6 students learning English in the UK, understanding prepositions and their objects helps to make sentences clearer and more interesting.
What Are Prepositions? 🤔
A preposition is a word that links a noun or pronoun (called the object of the preposition) to another word in the sentence. It often tells us about place, time, direction, or how things are related. Common prepositions include:
- at (place/time)
- in (place/time)
- on (place/time)
- under (place)
- behind (place)
- next to (place)
- before (time/order)
- after (time/order)
- during (time)
- between (place/order)
How to Identify the Object of a Preposition 🔍
The object of a preposition is usually a noun or pronoun that follows the preposition and completes its meaning. The preposition and its object together form a prepositional phrase.
Look at this sentence:
The cat is under the table.
- Here, under is the preposition.
- The noun table is the object of the preposition under.
- Together, under the table tells us where the cat is.
Try to find the object by asking, “What is the preposition showing?” or “What noun or pronoun comes after the preposition?“
Examples of Prepositions and Their Objects ✏️
- She sat on the chair.
– Preposition: on
– Object: chair - We walked through the park.
– Preposition: through
– Object: park - The book is behind the shelf.
– Preposition: behind
– Object: shelf
Tips to Remember 💡
- Prepositions always come before their objects.
- The object of a preposition can be a person, place, thing, or idea (noun or pronoun).
- Prepositional phrases often answer questions like where? or when?
Understanding prepositions and their objects will help you create clearer and more detailed sentences, which is really useful for your writing in Year 6 English.
10 Examination-Style 1-Mark Questions on Identifying Prepositions and Their Objects for Year 6 English 📝
- In the sentence “The cat sat under the table,” what is the preposition?
Answer: under - In the sentence “She walked to school,” what is the object of the preposition?
Answer: school - Identify the preposition in “The book is on the shelf.”
Answer: on - What is the object of the preposition in “He ran across the field”?
Answer: field - In “We stayed inside the house,” which word is the preposition?
Answer: inside - What is the object of the preposition in “The ball rolled behind the chair”?
Answer: chair - Find the preposition in “She sat next to her friend.” (One word only)
Answer: next - What is the object of the preposition in “The bird flew over the tree”?
Answer: tree - Identify the preposition in “He hid beneath the bed.”
Answer: beneath - What is the object of the preposition in “The keys are in the drawer”?
Answer: drawer
10 Examination-Style 2-Mark Questions on Prepositions and Their Objects for Year 6 English 🖋️
- Identify the preposition and its object in this sentence: “The cat slept under the table.”
Answer: The preposition is “under” and its object is “the table.” - Find the preposition and the object in the sentence: “She walked through the park.”
Answer: The preposition is “through” and the object is “the park.” - What is the preposition and its object in this sentence: “The book is on the shelf.”
Answer: The preposition is “on” and the object is “the shelf.” - Identify the preposition and its object: “He jumped over the fence.”
Answer: The preposition is “over” and the object is “the fence.” - In the sentence “They sat beside the fire,” what is the preposition and what is the object?
Answer: The preposition is “beside” and the object is “the fire.” - Find the preposition and its object in this sentence: “The bird flew above the trees.”
Answer: The preposition is “above” and the object is “the trees.” - What are the preposition and its object in this sentence: “She hid behind the curtain.”
Answer: The preposition is “behind” and the object is “the curtain.” - Identify the preposition and object: “The keys are inside the drawer.”
Answer: The preposition is “inside” and the object is “the drawer.” - Find the preposition and its object: “He ran across the field.”
Answer: The preposition is “across” and the object is “the field.” - What is the preposition and object in the sentence: “The picture hangs above the sofa.”
Answer: The preposition is “above” and the object is “the sofa.”
10 Examination-Style 4-Mark Questions on Identifying Prepositions and Their Objects for Year 6 English 🏅
- Question: Identify the preposition and its object in this sentence: “The cat jumped onto the sofa.”
Answer: The preposition in the sentence is “onto.” It shows the relationship between the cat and the sofa. The object of the preposition is “the sofa,” which is the thing the cat jumped on. Prepositions usually tell us where, when, or how something happens. Here, “onto” tells us the place where the cat landed. Knowing the preposition and its object helps us understand the sentence better. - Question: Find the preposition and its object in this sentence: “She walked through the park.”
Answer: The preposition is “through.” It describes how she walked, moving inside and across something. The object of the preposition is “the park,” which is the place she walked in. Prepositions connect nouns and pronouns to other words in a sentence. The phrase “through the park” shows the path of her walking. This is important because it gives more detail about the action. - Question: What is the preposition and its object in the sentence: “He sat beside his friend during lunch.”
Answer: The preposition is “beside,” which tells us where he sat in relation to his friend. The object of this preposition is “his friend,” which is the person he sits next to. There’s also another preposition “during,” which tells us when he sat. Its object is “lunch.” Prepositions usually come before their objects, which can be a noun or pronoun. Identifying them helps readers understand relationships in the sentence. - Question: Identify the preposition and object in this sentence: “The book is under the table.”
Answer: The preposition is “under,” which tells us the position of the book. The object of the preposition is “the table,” the place where the book is located. Prepositions like “under” show spatial relationships. This means they tell us where something is in relation to something else. Finding the preposition and object lets us picture the scene clearly. It helps understanding of location in the sentence. - Question: Find the preposition and its object in the sentence: “They arrived after the meeting ended.”
Answer: The preposition here is “after,” which shows something happens following an event. Its object is “the meeting,” the event that ended before they arrived. Prepositions can show time as well as place. In this sentence, “after the meeting” tells us when they arrived. Recognising these parts helps us understand the sequence of events. This is important for making sense of stories or instructions. - Question: What is the preposition and its object in this sentence: “The keys are inside the drawer.”
Answer: The preposition is “inside,” which indicates where the keys are. The object of the preposition is “the drawer,” the place containing the keys. Prepositions like “inside” show the position of objects. The phrase “inside the drawer” tells us exactly where to find the keys. This detail makes the sentence clearer. Understanding prepositions and their objects improves reading comprehension. - Question: Identify the preposition and its object in: “We sat around the campfire.”
Answer: The preposition is “around,” which shows the position of people in relation to the campfire. The object of the preposition is “the campfire,” the thing they sat near. Prepositions like “around” help us imagine where things or people are placed. The phrase “around the campfire” tells us how they were arranged. Knowing the object is important because it completes the meaning of the preposition. It helps readers picture the setting better. - Question: Find the preposition and the object in: “She placed the vase on the shelf.”
Answer: The preposition in this sentence is “on.” It tells us where the vase was placed. The object of the preposition is “the shelf,” which is the place the vase was put. Prepositions like “on” help us understand the relationship between objects in space. The phrase “on the shelf” gives us a clear image of the vase’s position. Recognising this helps in understanding detailed descriptions. - Question: What is the preposition and its object in: “The dog ran across the field quickly.”
Answer: The preposition is “across,” which shows the direction or path the dog ran. The object of the preposition is “the field,” the area the dog crossed. Prepositions provide important details about movement or position. The phrase “across the field” helps us see how the dog moved. Understanding this improves comprehension of action sentences. The preposition connects the dog’s action to the place. - Question: Identify the preposition and object in: “They hid behind the big tree during the game.”
Answer: There are two prepositions here: “behind” and “during.” “Behind” shows the place where they hid, with “the big tree” as its object. “During” tells us when they hid, and its object is “the game.” Prepositions help us understand location and time in sentences. The objects give us the full meaning of these prepositions. Knowing both helps us understand the story more clearly.
10 Examination-Style 6-Mark Questions on Prepositions and Their Objects for Year 6 📋
Question 1
Identify the prepositions and their objects in the sentence:
“The cat slept under the warm blanket beside the window.“
Answer:
In the sentence, the prepositions are “under” and “beside.” A preposition shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word. The object of the preposition follows the preposition and is usually a noun or pronoun. Here, the object of “under” is “blanket” because the cat is sleeping beneath it. The object of “beside” is “window” because the blanket is next to it. Together, “under the warm blanket” and “beside the window” tell us where the cat slept. Prepositions help make sentences clearer by showing location or position. The objects complete the phrase by naming the thing involved. This sentence has two prepositional phrases describing place.
Question 2
Find the prepositions and their objects in this sentence:
“The books are on the shelf behind the door.“
Answer:
The prepositions in this sentence are “on” and “behind.” Prepositions introduce a phrase that usually tells where or when something happens. The object of “on” is “shelf” because it tells us where the books are placed. The object of “behind” is “door” because it shows the location of the shelf. Both “on the shelf” and “behind the door” are prepositional phrases. The phrase “on the shelf” tells us the books’ position. The phrase “behind the door” tells us the position of the shelf. Each object follows its preposition, showing the relationship clearly. Prepositions and their objects help give readers a full picture.
Question 3
Underline the prepositions and circle their objects in the sentence below:
“Sarah walked through the park after the rain stopped.“
Answer:
The prepositions in this sentence are “through” and “after.” The object of “through” is “park” because Sarah is walking across it. The object of “after” is “rain” because the walking happened once the rain stopped. Prepositions link parts of the sentence and tell us about time and place. “Through the park” describes where Sarah walked. “After the rain stopped” tells us when she walked. The objects complete the prepositions by naming the noun they relate to. Identifying both prepositions and their objects helps to understand full meaning. Each preposition has one object here.
Question 4
List the prepositions and their objects found in the sentence:
“The teacher placed the homework inside the folder on the desk.“
Answer:
This sentence contains three prepositions: “inside,” “on,” and the phrase “on the desk.” The object of “inside” is “folder” because the homework was put into it. The object of the first “on” is “folder,” but actually it is part of the phrase describing location of the folder, so the preposition “on” has the object “desk.” “Inside the folder” shows where the homework was placed. “On the desk” shows where the folder was placed. The object always follows the preposition. These prepositional phrases explain place clearly. Knowing objects helps us understand where things are. Each prepositional phrase contains one object here.
Question 5
Explain the prepositions and their objects in this sentence:
“They sat near the fireplace during the cold winter evening.“
Answer:
In this sentence, the prepositions are “near” and “during.” The object of “near” is “fireplace” because it tells us where they sat. The object of “during” is “evening” because it shows when they sat there. Prepositions connect information in the sentence by showing position or time. “Near the fireplace” gives the location. “During the cold winter evening” tells the time frame. Objects are the nouns after the prepositions that complete the meaning. This sentence has two prepositional phrases explaining place and time. Prepositions and their objects add detail to the sentence and help picture the scene better.
Question 6
Identify the prepositions and their objects in the sentence:
“The children ran across the field before the school bell rang.“
Answer:
The prepositions here are “across” and “before.” The object of “across” is “field” because that is where the children ran. The object of “before” is “bell” because it tells us when they ran, prior to the bell ringing. Both prepositions introduce phrases describing movement and time. “Across the field” explains where the children ran. “Before the school bell rang” gives the time. Each object follows its preposition to complete the phrase. Knowing both prepositions and their objects helps understand the sentence fully. The sentence includes two prepositional phrases giving clear details about place and time.
Question 7
Underline all prepositions and circle their objects in this sentence:
“She found the keys beneath the cushions on the sofa.“
Answer:
The prepositions are “beneath” and “on.” The object of “beneath” is “cushions” because that is where the keys were found. The object of “on” is “sofa” because it tells where the cushions were. Each preposition links a noun that follows. “Beneath the cushions” describes the precise location of the keys. “On the sofa” tells where the cushions were situated. The objects come right after the prepositions and complete the phrase. Prepositions and their objects give detailed location information in this sentence, which helps readers understand exactly where things are.
Question 8
Find and name the prepositions and their objects in the sentence:
“The letter arrived from the post office in the morning.“
Answer:
The prepositions found are “from” and “in.” The object of “from” is “post office,” because it shows the origin of the letter. The object of “in” is “morning,” because it tells us the time the letter arrived. Prepositions connect the letter to its source and the time. “From the post office” explains where the letter came. “In the morning” tells when it arrived. The objects follow the prepositions and are nouns. These prepositional phrases help make sentences clearer by adding important information about place and time.
Question 9
Point out the prepositions and their objects in the sentence:
“The dog jumped over the fence near the garden gate.“
Answer:
The prepositions are “over” and “near.” The object of “over” is “fence,” because the dog jumped above it. The object of “near” is “garden gate,” because it shows the location close to the fence. Prepositions introduce phrases that explain movement and position. “Over the fence” describes how the dog jumped, while “near the garden gate” tells us where the fence is. Each preposition is followed by its object, which is a noun or noun phrase. Including these objects with prepositions helps create a clear picture in the reader’s mind. Prepositions are very important in giving information about location and direction.
Question 10
Underline the prepositions and circle their objects in this sentence:
“We walked along the river through the forest until sunset.“
Answer:
The prepositions here are “along,” “through,” and “until.” The object of “along” is “river,” describing the path walked. The object of “through” is “forest,” showing the area they walked within. The object of “until” is “sunset,” indicating the time they walked up to. Prepositional phrases provide details about direction, location, and time. Including the objects makes these phrases complete and meaningful. “Along the river” shows the route. “Through the forest” explains where the walking took place. “Until sunset” tells the duration. Understanding prepositions and their objects helps us follow the story in the sentence clearly.
