Question

Identify the prepositional phrase in the following sentence-
Under the canyon floor is a stream of water.
a) stream of water
b) is a stream
c) under the canyon floor
d) of water

Answer 1

Hint: A prepositional phrase includes a preposition and an object which acts as a compliment. Prepositional phrases can function like a noun, adjective or an adverb in a given sentence.

Complete answer:

Let’s look at the structure of a prepositional phrase-
Preposition + a modifier + noun or pronoun
In most prepositional phrases; we use a preposition and an object with a modifier that acts as an adjective and helps in describing or modifying the object.
Example- On the rough road. Here, ‘on’ is the preposition, ‘the rough’ is the modifier that describes the noun ‘road’ which is the object of the preposition.
In the given question- We can conclude that a stream of water flows under the canyon floor. Here, ‘under the canyon floor’ is a prepositional phrase as it includes a preposition ‘under’ and its object ‘the canyon floor’.
Now, let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘stream of water’ is not a prepositional phrase as it acts as a noun. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- ‘is a stream’ is not a prepositional phrase. It only contains an auxiliary verb and a noun. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘under the canyon floor’ is a prepositional phrase as it includes a preposition ‘under’ and its object ‘the canyon floor’. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option d- ‘of water’ is not a prepositional phrase. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
So, the correct answer is “Option c”.

Note: A prepositional phrase does not contain a subject or a verb but only the object that follows the preposition or the modifier.