English grammar is frustrating. The language was developed out of the joining of many, a product of repeated cultural conquest in several different nations across generations, culminating in something simultaneously straightforward and nonsensical. Understanding its rules is not sufficient to master its usage, riddled as they are with exceptions with and without explanation. Even with historical evolution aside, its status as one of the most widely used languages in the modern world means it is in constant fluctuation, having to regularly account for fresh jargon and social slang. Amidst the various forms of confusion to be found therein, my personal difficulties with English grammar can be summed up in the lone concept of the “prepositional phrase.”
What is a prepositional phrase? Well, usually it’s a phrase consisting of a preposition and its object. If that material definition seems insufficient, it’s likely due to lacking familiarity with the parts of speech being referenced therein; clarifying it will require further defining those terms. A phrase is a subordinate sentence fragment, a group of words that fail to convey meaning on their own (but so is a subordinate clause?). Different forms of phrases are denoted by the kinds of words involved; in this case, the preposition is the focus (but the object is equally important?).
What is a preposition? “Where a mouse goes” is a common simplification utilized in lower-level education. At mid-level, you may get a list of words as a definition by example. I might describe them as words designating transitive status. Somehow, the simplest explanation seems to remain the clearest; if the mouse’s journey experiences specified modifiers, those are prepositions (this is, however, distinct from describing the qualities of the mouse’s journey, which would be done in adverbs).
What is an object? In general, they are merely nouns performing various roles, wherein something else is transferring properties to them. Different kinds of objects are denoted in different ways, one of which is the kinds of words performing the transitive role upon them; ergo, “object of preposition.” (Other objects are labeled according to the manner in which properties are transferred to them, as in their most common application of the “direct object,” but this isn’t technically relevant to the current discussion). As a final note, it ought to be clarified that included articles are often grouped together with the objects of preposition, instead of being recognized as a unique component.
Has the reader followed this explanation and achieved understanding by it? If so, they have done better than I; however familiar I may be with the explanations, it is another matter to comprehend them. My frustration lies in the contradictions and needless overlap between concepts, which often seem to serve more toward increasing confusion rather than lessening it. But for all that, I recognize a benefit to grappling with the subject, for thereby I am forcing myself to be more attentive in my expression. The more I understand my own language, the more effectively I may communicate, and the more productive I become in relevant endeavors. Perhaps some day I will have a clearer understanding of these concepts of grammar, and be able to finally appreciate their intricacies. In the meantime, I will be thankful that I can exercise the principles without necessarily comprehending them.
Be wise. TTT