Prepositions: dipper

The Grammar Bit!

Read the three sentences opposite. They each contain a preposition (bold). Prepositions are special words (or phrases) that show relationships between things, people or events.

In the first sentence, the preposition ‘behind’ tells us where the dippers built their nest in relation to the waterfall. Other place prepositions include among, beneath, in front of, inside, below and above.

The second sentence uses the preposition ‘after’ to tell us the time relationship between the female dipper bobbing up and down and waterproofing her feathers. Other prepositions for time include during, in, at and before.

The final sentence includes the preposition ‘towards’ to tell us the direction the male dipper flew in relation to his chicks. Around, through, and between are other direction prepositions.

With your talk partner, see if you can say each sentence aloud with a different preposition from the lists above.