Reading & WritingStandard English ConventionsMedium frequency
SAT Reading & Writing: Placement of Prepositional Phrases
21+ practice questions in Praczo
What you need to know
The concept, explained
- 1
Prepositional phrases (e.g., "on the table," "with great speed") act as modifiers. They must be placed as close as possible to the noun or verb they modify.
- 2
Misplaced prepositional phrase: "She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates." (Implies the children were on the plates).
- 3
Corrected: "She served sandwiches on paper plates to the children."
Common mistakes
- ✗ Allowing an intervening noun to hijack the prepositional phrase, altering the sentence's logical meaning.
Try a sample question
SAT-style practice
The manager yelled at the employee _____
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