Object of Preposition - Learn all about it

The object of a preposition is basically a noun, noun phrase, pronoun or clause which is placed after the preposition in objective case. As objects of prepositions are commonly encountered and used in both writing and speaking, mastering objects of preposition is essential for any learner of English. Go through the entire article to learn all about objects of preposition definition, types, rules and examples in simple language. 

This article covers:

• What is an Object of a Preposition?
• Object of Preposition Definition 
• Object of a Preposition Examples
• Object of Preposition Types 
• Rules of Object of Preposition
• Object of Preposition Exercises 
• FAQs - Object of Preposition

What is an Object of a Preposition?

An object of a preposition, also known as prepositional object, is usually a noun, noun phrase, pronoun or a clause that is used after the preposition in objective case-either in form as is the case with pronouns or in place which is considered to be that of an objective case. Have a close look at below-given examples.

1. He sat on the chair.
2. The bird flew away from the tree trunk.
3. She is interested in him.
4. I'm not curious about what you're saying.

Explanation: Example 1 uses the preposition "on" after which the noun "the chair" is used; example 2 uses the preposition "from" after which the noun phrase "the tree trunk" is used; example 3 uses the preposition "in" which comes before the pronoun "him" and example 4 uses the preposition "about" which comes before a clause "what you're saying". All the nouns, noun phrases, pronouns and clauses which come after prepositions are called prepositional objects.

Object of Preposition Definition in Points

Object of preposition definition is given in points below which makes it extremely to understand what exactly an object of preposition is. An object of preposition, as we have seen above, is usually:

1. A noun as in "A dog is sleeping under the tree."

2. A noun phrase as in "He is in love with your most beloved daughter."

3. A pronoun as in "She is not interested in me."

4. A clause as in "I'm afraid of what you're saying."

5. A gerund (verb + ing) or gerund phrase as in "What do you say about watching a movie now."

6. An infinitive (usually, to + verb) as in "We couldn't do anything but to wait."

Object of a Preposition Examples

Here are few examples of object of preposition which show that a noun, noun phrase, pronoun, clause, gerund and infinitive become the objects of prepositions. 

Examples:

a. The dog barked at John.

b. The cat is sleeping under your round table. 

c. Don't shout at me. 

d. Don't listen to what he says. 

e. You can't move without telling the truth. 

f. I'm just about to go. 

Object of Preposition Types 

Here are 6 common types of object of preposition:

1. Noun as Object of Preposition: when a noun is used after a preposition, it's called noun as object of preposition as in "I looked at John."

2. Noun Phrase as Object of Preposition: when a noun phrase is used after a preposition, it's known as noun phrase as object of preposition as in "He knocked at my front door."

3. Pronoun as Object of Preposition: when a pronoun is used after a preposition, it's called preposition as object of preposition as in "He is superior to me."

4. Clause as Object of Preposition: when a clause (part of a sentence containing a subject and predicate) is used after a preposition, it's known as clause as object of preposition as in "Pay attention to what he says."

5. Gerund as Object of Preposition: when a gerund (verb + ing) is used after a preposition, it's called as gerund as object of preposition as in "After saying this, it is no use of your words."

6. Infinitive as Object of Preposition: when an infinitive is used after a preposition, it's infinitive as object of preposition as in "I was about to tell you the truth."

Rules of Object of Preposition

There are some basic observations when using prepositions and their objects in English grammar. You need to make sure that you use prepositions and their objects carefully.

• A preposition, as the name suggests, is a part of speech that goes before a noun or pronoun. So, you're required to make sure that you place the objects of prepositions after them.
• When using a pronoun after a preposition, make sure that you use the pronoun in objective case. 

Object of Preposition Exercises 

Question 1: Select the appropriate objects of the prepositions used in the below-given sentences.

a. Who will go after.....?(I, my, me)

b. Can you tell my name without.....me? (see, seeing, to see)

c. He's about.....to the market. (going, go, to go)

d. Listen to.....(him, he, his)

e. When.....it, you must be very careful. (do, doing, to do)

Question 2: Tell which of the following statement about the object of preposition is true and which one is false.

a. An adverb can be an object of preposition.

b. A noun phrase can be an object of preposition.

c. Pronoun cannot be an object of preposition.

d. A singly used adjective can be used as an object of preposition.

e. A clause can be used as an object of preposition.