Here's a breakdown:
* Preposition: A word that shows the relationship between its object and another word in the sentence. Common prepositions include: on, in, at, to, from, for, with, by, about, etc.
* Object of the preposition: The noun or pronoun that follows the preposition.
Here are some examples of prepositional phrases:
* On the table: "On" is the preposition, and "the table" is the object.
* In the garden: "In" is the preposition, and "the garden" is the object.
* With a smile: "With" is the preposition, and "a smile" is the object.
* To the store: "To" is the preposition, and "the store" is the object.
* From my friend: "From" is the preposition, and "my friend" is the object.
How prepositional phrases function in sentences:
* They act as adjectives, modifying nouns or pronouns: "The book on the table is mine."
* They act as adverbs, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs: "He walked to the store."
* They can provide additional information about a noun or pronoun: "The woman with the red hat is my sister."
Remember: Prepositional phrases can be short or long, and they can have multiple words within them. The key is that they always start with a preposition and have an object.