help me out with this doubt in basic grammar

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The confusion is with introductory prepositional phrases. Are they always act as a adverbial phrase or ,sometimes ,as adjectival phrases also?

hv a look on following egs.

1. after lunch, they swam for two hours in the pool.

here : after lunch is prepositional adverbial phrase modifying the action in the main clause.

2. They swam for two hours in the pool after lunch.

here it seems to be correct also.

3. They swam for two hours in the pool ,after lunch. A comma before the prepositional phrase.

Is it a correct sentence....or is this sentence is as same as the first sentence.????


see another eg:

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has clearly won, by a 3.48 percentage margin, Ukraine's presidential election held recently.

here:prepositional phrase is set off by pair of commas .....why this is so?....beause is it non essential phrase or something else?

Also, what role does this prepositional phrase play --- adjectival or adverbial? I suppose that it plays an adverbial role as it answers the question "HOW"...

Now lets see this eg....

By a 3.48 percentage margin,Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has clearly won Ukraine's presidential election held recently.

here also does this prepositional phrase play the same role/???.....i think that it plays the same role..as it plays in the first sentence..

Introductory prepositional phrases always set up the ground for the action in the main clause...aint it??

So it always plays an adverbial role...aint it??

See another eg:

Like reta, sita enjoys playing cricket.
But here : introductory preposional phrase, like reta, modifies the noun...., sita

hence it is adjectivial phrase rather than a adverbial..aint it??

this , again , can be written as.....
Sita , like reta, enjoys playing cricket. Here " like reta: is non essential phrase ...aint it??


See another eg;;

Of all the countries contiguous to china, USSR has strongly defended borders.(Correct sentence)

here the introductory prepositional phrase is adjectival or adverbial phrase???

USSR , of all the countries contiguous to China, has strongly defended borders. Is the sentence correct??



Confusion #2
some times prepositional phrase come after the comma in the main clause...

For eg: Eco efficiency has become a goal for companies worldwide, with many realizing significant cost savings from such innovations.

Why the prepositional phrase starts with a comma and what role does it play?

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by harsh.champ » Sun Feb 21, 2010 11:10 am
Rajat Khandelwal wrote:The confusion is with introductory prepositional phrases. Are they always act as a adverbial phrase or ,sometimes ,as adjectival phrases also?

hv a look on following egs.

1. after lunch, they swam for two hours in the pool.

here : after lunch is prepositional adverbial phrase modifying the action in the main clause.

2. They swam for two hours in the pool after lunch.

here it seems to be correct also.

3. They swam for two hours in the pool ,after lunch. A comma before the prepositional phrase.

Is it a correct sentence....or is this sentence is as same as the first sentence.????


see another eg:

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has clearly won, by a 3.48 percentage margin, Ukraine's presidential election held recently.

here:prepositional phrase is set off by pair of commas .....why this is so?....beause is it non essential phrase or something else?

Also, what role does this prepositional phrase play --- adjectival or adverbial? I suppose that it plays an adverbial role as it answers the question "HOW"...

Now lets see this eg....

By a 3.48 percentage margin,Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has clearly won Ukraine's presidential election held recently.

here also does this prepositional phrase play the same role/???.....i think that it plays the same role..as it plays in the first sentence..

Introductory prepositional phrases always set up the ground for the action in the main clause...aint it??

So it always plays an adverbial role...aint it??

See another eg:

Like reta, sita enjoys playing cricket.
But here : introductory preposional phrase, like reta, modifies the noun...., sita

hence it is adjectivial phrase rather than a adverbial..aint it??

this , again , can be written as.....
Sita , like reta, enjoys playing cricket. Here " like reta: is non essential phrase ...aint it??


See another eg;;

Of all the countries contiguous to china, USSR has strongly defended borders.(Correct sentence)

here the introductory prepositional phrase is adjectival or adverbial phrase???

USSR , of all the countries contiguous to China, has strongly defended borders. Is the sentence correct??



Confusion #2
some times prepositional phrase come after the comma in the main clause...

For eg: Eco efficiency has become a goal for companies worldwide, with many realizing significant cost savings from such innovations.

Why the prepositional phrase starts with a comma and what role does it play?

Hey rajat,
THe post looks very cluttered.
It could have been better if you had posted different examples in the subsequent threads.
Kindly do so from the next posts.
The explanation would be easy to comprehend for you also.
It takes time and effort to explain, so if my comment helped you please press Thanks button :)



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by Rajat Khandelwal » Sun Feb 21, 2010 11:13 am
it's a fundamental only...

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by harsh.champ » Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:08 pm
3. They swam for two hours in the pool ,after lunch. A comma before the prepositional phrase.

Is it a correct sentence....or is this sentence is as same as the first sentence.????
I dont think this is a correct sentence.
comma shouldn't be used before "after".
Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has clearly won, by a 3.48 percentage margin, Ukraine's presidential election held recently.

here:prepositional phrase is set off by pair of commas .....why this is so?....beause is it non essential phrase or something else?
In this case the sentences before the comma and after the comma are connected.
Thats why use is appropriate.
Confusion #2
some times prepositional phrase come after the comma in the main clause...

For eg: Eco efficiency has become a goal for companies worldwide, with many realizing significant cost savings from such innovations.

Why the prepositional phrase starts with a comma and what role does it play?
Over here it is playing hte role of putting emphasis on the specific part.

Hope it is clear now.
It takes time and effort to explain, so if my comment helped you please press Thanks button :)



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by money9111 » Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:30 pm
i dont even think a comma is needed in that sentence re: after
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by shashank.ism » Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:41 pm
harsh.champ wrote:
Rajat Khandelwal wrote:The confusion is with introductory prepositional phrases. Are they always act as a adverbial phrase or ,sometimes ,as adjectival phrases also?

.
where have you seen a comma before starting a clause ,sometimes ,as adjectival phrases. A comma is always placed at the end of a clause and not before as shown..
Don't u think some new look is in sentence..it should be like
always act as a adverbial phrase or, sometimes, as adjctival phrases also
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by Rajat Khandelwal » Mon Feb 22, 2010 4:54 am
To Money 9111

I have a doubt--- Does the prepositional introductory phrase always act as Adverbial Phrase? I think it always should because it makes the following main clause or sentence precise.

Look following examples...

Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has clearly won, by a 3.48 percentage margin, Ukraine’s presidential election held recently.

Is the prepositional phrase in bold letters act as a adverbial phrase?



Is the following sentence is as same as the previous one.


By a 3.48 percentage margin, Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych has clearly wonUkraine’s presidential election held recently.
Here, the introductory phrase also acts as an adverbial phrase?


prepositional phrase come after the comma in the main clause as just look the following example.

For eg: Eco efficiency has become a goal for companies worldwide, with many realizing significant cost savings from such innovations.

Why the prepositional phrase(beginning with "WITH") starts with a comma and what role does it play?