CELSA Prepositional Phrase Usage 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence shows a prepositional phrase functioning as an object complement?
- She put the files in the drawer.
- He considered her out of his league. (Correct answer)
- They walked across the bridge.
- We sat beside the fountain.
Correct answer: He considered her out of his league.
'Out of his league' complements the object 'her,' describing its condition as perceived by the subject.
Question 2: In the sentence 'The results were beyond our expectations,' which word is the preposition?
- results
- were
- beyond (Correct answer)
- expectations
Correct answer: beyond
'Beyond' is the preposition that introduces the prepositional phrase 'beyond our expectations.'
Question 3: Which option correctly replaces the underlined prepositional phrase? 'She responded [with great enthusiasm].'
- enthusiastically (Correct answer)
- enthusiastic
- enthusiasm
- more enthusiastic
Correct answer: enthusiastically
The adverbial prepositional phrase 'with great enthusiasm' can be replaced by the adverb 'enthusiastically.'
Question 4: Identify the error: 'He is known of his generosity in the community.'
- 'in' should be 'within'
- 'of' should be 'for' (Correct answer)
- 'his' should be 'her'
- No error exists
Correct answer: 'of' should be 'for'
The correct collocation is 'known for,' not 'known of'; prepositions in set phrases must be memorized.
Question 5: What is the object of the preposition in 'She was pleased with his steady progress'?
- pleased
- his
- progress (Correct answer)
- steady
Correct answer: progress
The object of the preposition 'with' is the noun 'progress,' with 'his steady' as its modifiers.
Question 6: Which sentence uses 'between' and 'among' correctly?
- Divide the candy between the five children.
- The secret stayed between the three of us. (Correct answer)
- She chose among the two options.
- There was agreement among the two partners.
Correct answer: The secret stayed between the three of us.
'Between' is traditionally used for exactly two parties, and 'among' for three or more, though 'between' can apply to three when each pair is distinct.
Question 7: Which prepositional phrase is redundant in the following sentence? 'Return back to your seat.'
- to your seat
- back to
- back to your seat (Correct answer)
- There is no redundancy
Correct answer: back to your seat
'Return' already implies going back, so 'back' creates a redundancy; the correct form is simply 'Return to your seat.'
CELSA Prepositional Phrase Usage 3
Which sentence shows a prepositional phrase functioning as an object complement?