Grammar and Language Workbook

Unit 7, Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections 157

Copyright © by Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

Grammar

Lesson 45

Telling Prepositions and Adverbs Apart

Some words can be used as either prepositions or adverbs. For a word to be a

preposition, it must be part of a prepositional phrase. A preposition never stands

alone in a sentence. If the word has an object, it is probably a preposition. If the

word is not followed closely by a noun or a pronoun that could be an object, it is

probably an adverb.

Anastasia is riding her bike around the neighborhood.(preposition)

Anastasia is riding her bike around. (adverb)

WORDS THAT CAN BE USED AS PREPOSITIONS OR ADVERBS

about before down near out through

above behind in off outside up

around below inside on over

Exercise 1 Write adv. in the blank if the word in italics is an adverb and prep. if it is a

preposition.

adv. Everyone, please sit down.

prep. 1. I will leave the package outside my front door.

adv. 2. Kyla had a feeling that she had been here before.

prep. 3. Can we hang this picture on the wall above my bed?

adv. 4. Stay with the group. Don’t fall behind.

adv. 5. The yacht’s entire crew just went below.

prep. 6. Is Stephanie in third grade or fourth grade now?

adv. 7. This book is so good that I can’t put it down.

prep. 8. Valerie made a perfect swan dive off the ten-foot board.

prep. 9. Let’s put the small box inside the larger box.

adv. 10. Won’t you please come in and talk?

adv. 11. Would the children like to come inside for a snack?

adv. 12. I don’t see Amanda, but I’m sure she is near.

adv. 13. We’ve put this off long enough.