Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

What type of phrase provides additional information about a noun in a sentence?

1. Adverbial phrase

2. Prepositional phrase

3. Verb phrase

4. Conjunction phrase

The correct answer is: Prepositional phrase

A prepositional phrase offers additional information about a noun by indicating relationships such as location, direction, time, or manner. It typically begins with a preposition and concludes with a noun or pronoun, which can function as the object of the preposition. For example, in the phrase "the book on the table," "on the table" functions as a prepositional phrase that provides context about the location of "the book." This helps to understand more about the noun by specifying which book is being referred to. In contrast, an adverbial phrase modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, providing information such as how, when, or where an action occurs. A verb phrase consists primarily of the main verb and any auxiliary verbs, focusing on the action being performed rather than describing nouns. Conjunction phrases, while they are important for connecting clauses or sentences, do not inherently provide additional information about a noun. Therefore, prepositional phrases are specifically designed to enhance or clarify the meaning of nouns in sentences.