In the sentence "Put the painting over the mantle," what part of speech is "over"?

In the sentence "Put the painting over the mantle," the word "over" functions as a preposition. Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other elements in a sentence, often indicating location, direction, or time. In this case, "over" describes the spatial relationship between "the painting" and "the mantle," indicating where the painting should be placed.

The use of "over" in this context demonstrates how it connects the painting and the mantle, giving the reader a clear understanding of the intended action. Prepositions are often followed by a noun or noun phrase (the object of the preposition), which, in this case, is "the mantle." This further reinforces "over" as a preposition, as it needs that noun to complete its meaning and indicate the position of the painting relative to the mantle.