4th grade identifying prepositions worksheets
A preposition starts a prepositional phrase: through the tunnel, before the storm, against the wall. Fourth graders identify the preposition and the phrase it begins, and use those phrases to add detail to their own writing.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.4.1.e.
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The kind of sentences you'll get
Underline every preposition in each sentence.
-
The veteran goalkeeper stayed confident despite the penalty.
Answer: despite
- Ancient sailors steered their wooden ships by the bright stars.
- Grandma Rosa tells lively stories about her childhood on a sugarcane farm.
Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Identify. Underline every preposition in each sentence. 12 questions per page.
- Multiple choice. Circle the letter of the word that is a preposition. 10 questions per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
At this level the phrase is the point. Ask students to find the preposition, mark the phrase, and then say what question it answers: where, when, or how. Sentences with two phrases ("After the game, we walked along the river") are worth extra practice, and they preview how prepositional phrases will show up in writing instruction.
Watch for: Many prepositions are tiny words (in, on, at, of), so students read past them. Small doesn't mean unimportant. A preposition always has a partner noun after it: under the porch, with my friend. If there's no partner, it's working as a different part of speech.
Common questions about identifying prepositions
- What does the 4th grade standard ask about prepositions?
- Common Core L.4.1.e asks students to form and use prepositional phrases, not just spot single words. That's why our 4th grade sheets use longer sentences with fuller phrases: the goal is recognizing "through the crowded hallway" as one unit of meaning.
- Can a sentence have more than one prepositional phrase?
- Constantly. "Before school, Marcus waited by the gate with his cousin" has three. Fourth graders should find them all, which is exactly the kind of full-sentence sweep these generated worksheets are built for.
Related worksheets
- 1st grade identifying prepositions A step easier, same skill
- 2nd grade identifying prepositions A step easier, same skill
- 3rd grade identifying prepositions A step easier, same skill
- 4th grade adverbs of how, when, and where Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade commonly confused words Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade comparative and superlative adjectives Same grade, nearby skill
- Identifying prepositions, all grades The full progression
- All 4th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 4th grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core L.4.1.e. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.
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