Kathleen in VA Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I found this example about what is and what is not a preposition at http://dailygrammarlessons.blogspot.com/. I'm not sure the conclusion that up is not a preposition is correct. Didn't the boy run up the street as well? Therefore up does have an object and is a preposition in this sentence. At least that's my first guess. Just wondering what the hive thinks. "Example: The boy stood up and ran down the street. Up what? There is no object; therefore up is not a preposition. Down what? Street answers the question; therefore, down is a preposition. Down the street is the prepositional phrase starting with the preposition down and ending with the object street with a modifier the in between." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmom3tn Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 As far as I know, up is a preposition if it is used as a preposition. In "the mouse ran up the clock" or "the boy ran up the street", up is a preposition. In the example that says "the boy stood up...", wouldn't up be an adverb in that sentence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Up does not refer to where the boy ran. It has no object. If the sentence said, "The boy ran up the street," then up would be a preposition in that sentence. But it says that the boy stood up. So in that usage, up is not a preposition. IMV, it is much easier to look for prepositional phrases than to look for prepositions. Lots of words are sometimes prepositions and sometimes not. Consider the word 'to' for example. To can be a preposition, the start of an infinitive phrase, or an adverb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Is it an adverb? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 Ah, yes, I see it now. Yes, I think it is an adverb here. Thanks, ladies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I don't know...personally, I think "up" in that sentence is redundant. How else would he stand? I would write "The boy stood and ran down the street." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Ah, yes, I see it now. Yes, I think it is an adverb here. Thanks, ladies! Yes, you are correct. There are actually many, many words that work this way. If they serve as objects in a prepositional phrase, they are prepositions in that sentence. If they're not in a prepositional phrase, and they answer "How?", "When?", "Where?", or To what extreme?, they are adverbs in that sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 'Stand up' is a phrasal verb (just like 'turn off', 'shut up', 'get off'...). "Up" is definitely still a preposition. You can read more about phrasal verbs - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrasal_verb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plimsoll Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Up is better than down. In both sentences (that one and this one), up and down are nouns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newlifemom Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 'Stand up' is a phrasal verb (just like 'turn off', 'shut up', 'get off'...). "Up" is definitely still a preposition. You can read more about phrasal verbs - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrasal_verb I was wondering about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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