Which term describes a phrase that is the combination of a preposition and a noun, such as 'on table'?

• A. Propositional phrase
• B. Prepositional phrase
• C. Infinitive
• D. Gerund

Answer: (A)

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that starts with a preposition and includes its object. In the example, the word on is the preposition and table is the noun that serves as the object of that preposition, so together they form a prepositional phrase. Note that this is usually written as on the table in standard grammar, with the article, but the concept remains the same: a preposition plus its object creates a prepositional phrase.

This is different from an infinitive, which is to plus a verb (like to run), and from a gerund, which is a verb ending in -ing acting as a noun (like Running is fun). Propositional (or propositional) phrase is a misspelling here; the correct term is prepositional phrase.