Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

What is "of concern to the staff" an example of?

1. A noun phrase

2. A prepositional phrase

3. An adjective phrase

4. A compound sentence

The correct answer is: A prepositional phrase

The phrase "of concern to the staff" serves as a prepositional phrase because it begins with the preposition "of" and includes a noun ("concern") that acts as the object of the preposition. Prepositional phrases typically provide additional information about time, location, or relationship and often answer questions such as "what," "where," or "to whom." In this case, the phrase indicates a concern that is related to the staff, thus illustrating its function and usage clearly. Other options do not accurately describe this phrase; for instance, a noun phrase would be a phrase that serves as a noun (such as "the staff"), while an adjective phrase would modify a noun rather than functioning as a preposition with its object. A compound sentence involves two independent clauses connected by a conjunction, which does not apply here.