TinyProf's Guide to Line Breaking with Prepositions 📚

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1. What We're Solving

We need to determine the correct place to break a long title that contains the phrase "the revolts of landlords' peasants" — and specifically, whether the preposition "of" should stay on the first line or move to the second line.

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2. The Approach

This is a question about readability and linguistic logic. When we break text across lines, we want each line to feel like a natural, complete chunk of meaning. Think of it like breaking a sentence at a comfortable breath — you wouldn't want to gasp mid-thought! 🫁

The key principle is:

> Prepositions "belong to" what comes AFTER them, not what comes before.

A preposition like "of" introduces a phrase — it's like a door opener for the words that follow it.

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3. Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Understand what "of" is doing grammatically

In "revolts of landlords' peasants," the word "of" connects revolts to landlords' peasants. It introduces the phrase that follows it.

Step 2: Apply the "don't orphan the preposition" rule

In typography and academic writing, a preposition should NOT be left dangling alone at the end of a line. Leaving "of" stranded looks like this:

``` The revolts of landlords' peasants ``` ❌ This separates "of" from the phrase it introduces — awkward and confusing!

Step 3: Keep the preposition with what follows it

The correct break keeps "of" at the beginning of the new line with the phrase it introduces:

``` The revolts of landlords' peasants ``` ✅ Now "of landlords' peasants" reads as a complete prepositional phrase on one line!

Step 4: Double-check using the "meaning test"

Read each line independently:

• "The revolts" → Makes sense as a starting chunk ✅
• "of landlords' peasants" → Reads as a complete prepositional phrase ✅

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4. The Answer

Place "of" at the BEGINNING of the new line, keeping it together with the phrase it governs:

``` The revolts of landlords' peasants ```

This respects the grammatical bond between a preposition and its object, and makes the title easier to read at a glance.

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5. Memory Tip 🧠

Think of a preposition as a backpack — it always travels WITH what it's carrying (the noun phrase after it), never left behind! If you break a line, the backpack goes with the journey ahead, not stays behind with the departure point.

"Of" opens a door — keep it with the room it leads into!" 🚪