HOW TO IDENTIFY THE FUNCTION OF PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE IN A SENTENCE

Transcription

1 HOW TO IDENTIFY THE FUNCTION OF PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE IN A SENTENCE Oleh : Sri Haryanti ABSTRAK Frasa preposisi merupakan sebuah frasa yang dimulai dengan preposisi dan diakhiri dengan kata ganti benda, kata benda, atau gerund. Frasa ini banyak digunakan dalam kalimat-kalimat di dalam suatu teks. Kadangkadang pembaca menemui kesulitan ketika diminta menunjukkan fungsi dari frasa tersebut. Pada umumnya frasa ini berfungsi sebagai keterangan atau adverbia seperti dalam kalimat The people are gathering in the stadium. In the stadium sebagai frasa preposisi yang menerangkan kata kerja are gathering. Disamping itu, frasa ini bisa berfungsi sebagai ajektiva dan nomina. Permasalahan yang dibahas dalam paper ini adalah bagaimana pembaca mengidentifikasi fungsi frasa preposisi dalam sebuah kalimat. Untuk mengetahui perbedaan ketiga fungsi tersebut, pembaca dapat mengenali posisi frasa tersebut disamping maknanya. Posisi tersebut diantaranya: frasa preposisi yang berfungsi sebagai ajektiva selalu diletakkan sesudah kata benda atau nomina yang diterangkan, misalnya The boys in this village like playing football., frasa in this village menerangkan kata benda boys; frasa preposisi yang berfungsi sebagai adverbial dapat diletakkan sesudah kata kerja sebagai predikat (We usually eat at home)atau sesudah kata benda sebagai objek (We always eat rice in the afternoon)(di akhir kalimat) maupun di awal kalimat (Before going to campus, Arina usually eats breakfast); frasa preposisi yang berfungsi sebagai kata benda dapat diletakkan di awal kalimat sebagai subjek (After lunch is the appropriate time to have a rest), sesudah linking verb dan frasa tersebut sebagai pelengkap subjek (The appropriate time to have a rest is after lunch), sesudah kata benda sebagai objek sehingga frasa preposisi ini sebagai pelengkap objek (I found my wallet in a wet condition) atau sesudah preposisi sehingga frasa preposisi ini sebagai objek dari preposisi (He will wait for until dark). Kata-kata Kunci: Frasa Preposisi, Mengidentifikasi, Fungsi Frasa Preposisi. INTRODUCTION Preposition has a very important role in making sentences. It seems that preposition is just a simple word because it can be one word, two words, or more. However, when the speaker or writer does not pay attention to it, he or she will make an incorrect sentence. When preposition is followed by the other words, that is noun, it is called prepositional phrase. The preposition is classified as a part of speech in traditional grammar. However, prepositions as well as conjunctions differ from other parts of speech in that (1) each composed of a small class of words that have no formal characteristic endings; (2) each signals syntatic structures that function as one of the other parts of speech. For these reasons modern linguists prefer to classify prepositions as structure words rather than as parts of speech. Sri Haryanti : adalah dosen Progdi Pend. Bhs. Inggris, UNWIDHA Klaten 50 Magistra No. 78 Th. XXIII Desember 2011

2 Prepositions range in meaning from such definite semantic notions as time, place, etc., to such purely structural meaning as those shaped by the subject-verb-complement relationship (The murder of all prisoners by their captors). A preposition signals that a noun or a noun structure follows it; the preposition + noun combination constitutes a prepositional phrase (He walked into the house). A prepositional phrase may function as an adverb, adjective or noun. Since the preposition is an integral part of the prepositional phrase, both prepositions and prepositional phrase will be presented in this paper. Based on the explanation above, the writer would like to formulate the problem as follows: How do we know that prepositional phrase functions as adjective, adverb or noun in a sentence? After learning this material, the readers are expected to possess the knowledge of prepositional phrases, to identify the uses of prepositional phrase in the sentence, to use the meaning categories of prepositional phrase in the sentence and to identify position of prepositional phrase and its functions; REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. The Notion of Prepositional Phrase Prepositional Phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun (Pratt, 1993:48). Examples: (1) He is a student of Widya Dharma University. (2) She did the assignment by herself. (3) The letter might be among those papers. (4) These references are for making paper. Noun, pronoun or gerund, here become objects of preposition, therefore, their forms are also in objects (them, him, her, me, us, you, it). One prepositional phrase can contain two or more objects of one preposition, example: for students and faculty, except lettuce, cheese, and pickles, by noon or evening, without money, health, or companionship, toward either Tim or Rick, with neither the ability nor the ambition, by both the mayor and the council, concerning not only his work but also his leisure (Pratt, 1993:53-54). Words that connect two objects of one preposition are called conjunctions. The words in italic in the examples above are conjunctions. Prepositions which are always followed by nouns or pronouns are connected words that show the relationship between the nouns following them and one of the basic sentence element: subject, verb, object, or complement. They usually indicate relationships, such as position, place, direction, time, manner, agent, possession, and condition, between their objects and other parts of the sentence. B. Use of the Prepositional Phrase in the Sentence Many prepositional phrases seem adverbial in meaning, in that they often indicate time, place, manner or degree, as adverbs do. However, the same prepositional phrase may be used as : 1. an adverb Example: (1) I can see you at noon. (2) Put the flowers in the vase. (3) He was walking with his friend. (4) The delegates went for a swim before breakfast. Magistra No. 78 Th. XXIII Desember

3 Prepositional phrase used as adverbs usually follows the verb, though like adverbs, they can be moved to other positions in the sentence. Example: (1) For the boosters the first half of the game had been great. (2) After the game the team drove without delay to Akron. (3) In haste he ran to the desk of the night editor. (4) With my loyal and resourceful comrade, I conquered them. (5) On the side of her car, the students had attached a message. When a long adverb phrase or two short phrases begin a sentence, they are followed by a comma, like in the examples (4) and (5) above. Besides, prepositional phrase as adverb can be in mid position, such as in the sentence The new student,because of his aggressiveness, could not make many friends. 2. an adjective Prepositional phrase used as adjectives usually follow the nouns, they modify. Example: (1) A swim before breakfast is better than one after dinner. (2) One girl in the show was very talented. (3) Many of the exhibits at the fair were excellent. (4) Neither the ones in first grade nor those in the second seemed sufficiently coordinated. (5) Either the brooch with the ruby, the ring in platinum, or the pendant with the three diamonds would be appropriate for the lady. (6) All of the bridesmaids were beautiful. 3. a noun Prepositional phrase used as nouns will be subjects, objects, or complements in the sentence. Example: (1) Before breakfast is a good time to swim. (as subject) (2) We found her in tears. (as objective complement) (3) I cannot see you until after the Christmas holidays. (as object of preposition) (4) The dog emerged from under the porch. (as object of preposition) (5) She was in tears. (as subjective complement) (6) That case is out of our jurisdiction. (as subjective complement) C. Meaning Category The following list illustrates the use of prepositional phrases to convey specific kinds of information. 1. Place, position Across Her house is across the street. after The first street after the bridge is State Street. against His bicycle was leaning against the fence. 52 Magistra No. 78 Th. XXIII Desember 2011

4 around The shop is just around the 2. Direction corner. across I am going across the street to at He used to be a student at a see my cousin. North American University. at The child threw a stone at the before I have your letter before me now. bear. behind The garage is behind the house. into I saw her going into the theatre below They live in the apartment a few minutes ago. below ours. to She went to the grocery store. between His shop is between the bank through The bird flew through the open and the post office. window. by That house by the lake is my up The salmon were swimming dream house. up the river. in in front of inside near on on top of opposite outside over to under She was dozing in an armchair when he got there The ball stopped in front of the bus. Come in. It is warmer inside the house. You shouldn t smoke near gasoline. He found the book on the table. I want whipped cream on top of my strawberries. The school is opposite the church. There s a bird nest outside window. The window is over the radiator Attach the rope to the bumper of the car The book was under the desk. 3. Time after Would you please call after eight? at I told her to meet us at six o clock sharp. before Take this medicine before mealtime. during During the winter, I think I ll go to Florida. in I ll meet you in an hour. 4. Purpose, reason for Take this medicine for your headache. 5. Possession Of The leader of the scouts has not arrived yet. 6. Manner, instrument By I enjoy going there by train. In You can t go to that restaurant in jeans. Like That clown walks like a duck. With She writes with a pen. Magistra No. 78 Th. XXIII Desember

5 7. Identification In the vicinity of At The shop at the corner sells stamps. People have reported seeing a stranger around the store. By That book by Hemingway is a masterpiece. In The man in the dark suit is my neighbour. With People with law degrees often go into politics. 8. Distance for We walked for miles and miles. 9. Agent by This film was directed by a Czech director. 10. Material with I must fill my pen with ink. 11. Quantity by Meat is sold by pound or by kilo. D. Prepositions with Multiple Meanings Some prepositions are used to express variety of meanings. These may present difficulties. Some of them common prepositions with their various meanings and their most common uses are summarized as follows for reference purpose. 1. Around At approximately The police believe the man died around six o clock. 2. At With a street address if the house number is given. She lives at 18 Magnolia Street. With points in time He arrived at With prices I can t afford to buy them at that price. 3. By Alone (with a reflexive pronoun) He lives by himself. Past Several buses go by our house. At the latest (with a maximum time limit) He will be here by five o clock. 4. For To indicate duration of time. She played the piano for two hours. In exchange for I bought this book for two dollars. With the beneficiary of an action Shall I open the window for you? instead of, in place of When he was away, his neighbour did the work for him. With the subject of an infinitive It is important for them to arrive early. The temperature has been around 32 C all day. 54 Magistra No. 78 Th. XXIII Desember 2011

6 5. In With cities, states, countries, continents. He lives in Cairo. With periods of time. I saw him in January. With lengths of time He will come in an hour. With languages That opera was originally written in Italian. 6. On To indicate contact with a surface The book is on the table. With days of the week and dates Summer begins on June 21. With the name of a street I live on McKinley Street. 7. With To indicate association I will stay with the car while you go for help. 8. Without To indicate the absence of something Nothing can live without water. E. Prepositions that are often confusing In, on and at, discussed previously, are probably the most often confusing English prepositions. Following are some others. 1. Above, over Above refers to a place higher than a certain point. Over refers to a place directly above a certain point. The temperature is well above freezing. He held an umbrella over his head. Over also means more than and in the course of a period time. He is over eighty years old. Over the years, he has proven to be a true friend. 2. Below, under Below refers to a place lower than a certain point. Under refers to a place directly below a certain point. That valley is below sea level. His shoes are under the bed. Under also means less than and under the supervision of. The children in this class are under six years of age. She works under the managing editor. 3. Beneath, underneath Beneath and underneath mean almost the same thing in many uses. Generally, both indicate a position lower than a given point when the meanings diverge. Underneath convey more specifically the meaning of one object being covered up by another, and beneath may be used in a figurative sense. It may be useful to associate underneath with under and beneath with below. Two hundred feet beneath (below) the surface of the earth, solid rock was found. The shoes were found underneath a pile of clothes in the closet. Magistra No. 78 Th. XXIII Desember

7 4. To, toward To is used with verbs of motion and definite destinations. Toward means in the general direction. We walked to the station. All mosques face toward Mecca. 5. Beside, besides Beside means next to. Besides means in addition to He is sitting beside his brother. Two others won prizes besides us. 6. In, into In is used with locations or conditions. Into is used with verbs that show motion (real or metaphorical) from one place or state to another. The child is in the pool. The child jumped into the pool. The patient is in a coma. The patient slipped into a coma. 7. Past, beyond Past is used with verbs of motion to indicate approaching, then passing by a certain point. Beyond refers to a location further away than some specified concrete or abstract point. The car went past the monument at He lives beyond the post office. 8. Between, among Between refers to position in relation to two persons or things. Among refers to position in relation three or more persons or things. I want to put the table between those two windows. I found your letter among my school papers. 9. Through, throughout Through refers to motion first into then out of something. Throughout is used with something that is distributed in every part of something. Let s walk through the park. The news spread throughout the country. F. Position of Prepositional Phrases and Its Functions 1. In adjective function One or more prepositional phrases may follow the noun head, with no commas between them. a. These prepositional phrases may all modify the noun head The meeting of all members In July 16 In Paris This example above is succession of prepositional phrase modifying the noun head. b. These prepositional phrases may successively modify the noun in the preceding phrase. The honey from from the bees In the the northern northern of part of the country the bees part the country c. These prepositional phrases may be a combination of (a) and (b) successively modify the noun in the preceding The meeting of the of members the of the ofclub on on July 16 of that that year members the July 16 year 56 Magistra No. 78 Th. XXIII Desember 2011

8 2. In adverbial function Adverbial prepositional phrases maybe used in three positions: Initial position Because of his aggressiveness, the new student could not make many friends. Mid-position The new student, because of his aggressiveness, could not make many friends. Prepositional phrase functioning as adjective is always placed after the noun modified. Prepositional phrase functioning as adverb can be after the predicate, direct object, after the subject which is written between commas, or before the subject. Whereas, Prepositional phrase functioning as noun can be in subject position or in initial position, after linking verb, after object, or after preposition itself. Final Position The new student could not make many friends because of his aggressiveness. REFERENCES Frank, Marcella Modern English A Practical Reference Guide. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. CONCLUSION Here is the conclusion of the discussion that the writer can state. The readers can identify the functions of prepositional phrases by seeing their position in the sentence and their meaning. Before coming to the main conclusion the writer gives the two statements as follows: First, Prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with preposition and ends with noun, pronoun, or gerund. A prepositional phrase may function as an adverb, an adjective, or noun. Since the preposition is an integral part of the prepositional phrase, both preposition and prepositional phrases can not be separated in a sentence. Pratt, Lorraine Nichols Grammar Step-By- Step. Volume 1. Jakarta: Binarupa Aksara Grammar Step-By-Step. Volume 2. Jakarta: Binarupa Aksara. Quirk, Randolph and Sidney Greenbaum A University Grammar of English. England: Longman Group, Ltd. Thomson, A.J. and A.V. Martinet A Practical English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Second, The use of prepositional phrase also conveys specific kinds of information as position, place, direction, time, purpose, reason, etc. Even, prepositions have multiple meanings. These may present difficulties because we face it by supplying deep knowledge. Magistra No. 78 Th. XXIII Desember