Identifying phrases
| Site: | Plateforme pédagogique de l'Université Sétif2 |
| Cours: | WRITTEN EXPRESSION |
| Livre: | Identifying phrases |
| Imprimé par: | Visiteur anonyme |
| Date: | Wednesday 15 May 2024, 13:03 |
Description
We present the different types of phrases and their functions
1. the Phrase
Phrases
Grammatical phrases are groups of two or more words that work together to perform a single grammatical function in a sentence. Unlike clauses, phrases do not contain both a subject and a predicate (although they sometimes function as one or the other).
example, He is laughing at the joker
Types of phrases
A phrase functions as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective or preposition in a sentence. The function of a phrase depends on its construction (words it contains). On the basis of their functions and constructions, phrases are divided into various types i.e. noun phrase, verb phrase, adverb phrase, adjective phrase, appositive phrase, infinite phrase, participle phrase and gerund phrase
2. Noun phrase
A noun phrase consists of a noun plus any determiners or modifiers directly related to it. Noun phrases always have the grammatical function of nouns in a sentence.
exemples
|
Noun phrase examples |
How it appears in a sentence |
|
a book — determiner a + noun book |
“I found a book I'd like to read.” |
|
her sweetly smiling child — determiner her + adverb sweetly + adjective (present participle) smiling + noun child |
“She gazed lovingly at her sweetly smiling child.” |
|
the red car — determiner the + adjective red + noun car |
“The red car belongs to me.” |
He is wearing a nice red shirt. (as noun/object)
She brought a glass full of water. (as noun/object)
The boy with brown hair is laughing. (as noun/subject)
A man on the roof was shouting. (as noun/subject
3. Verb Phrase
A verb phrase can either be made up of an auxiliary verb and its main verb, or a verb plus any modifiers, objects, or complements.* Verb phrases are used to form perfect or continuous verb tenses, to express modality, or as part (or all) of the predicate.
Auxiliary Verb(s) + Main Verb + Verb Ending When Necessary
Exemples
|
Verb phrase examples |
How it appears in a sentence |
|
am running — auxiliary verb am + present participle running |
“I am running late.” (forms the present continuous tense) |
|
have completed — auxiliary verb have + past participle completed |
“They have completed work on the building.” (forms the present perfect tense) |
|
quickly ran to the bus — adverb quickly + verb ran + prepositional phrase to the bus |
“She quickly ran to the bus.” (forms the predicate) |
|
plays the trombone — verb plays + object the trombone |
“My brother plays the trombone.” (forms the predicate) |
4. Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases consist of a preposition and its object. They most commonly function as adverbs, but they can also be adjectival.
Preposition + Noun, Pronoun, Gerund
Preposition + Modifier(s) + Noun, Pronoun, Gerund
Examples.
A boy on the roof is singing a song. (As adjective)
The man in the room is our teacher. (As adjective)
She is shouting in a loud voice. (As adverb)
He always behaves in a good manner. (As adverb)
5. Verbal phrases
A verbal is a verb form that does not serve as a verb in the sentence. Instead, it functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb. There are three types of verbals: infinitive, participial, and gerund
Gerund Phrases
A gerund phrase is formed when a gerund (the “-ing” form of a verb used as a noun) is accompanied by any modifiers and/or objects. The entire phrase functions as a noun, meaning it can be the subject of a clause or an object of a verb or preposition.
Gerund + Object(s) and/or Modifier(s)
exemples
I like writing good essays. (As noun/object)
She started thinking about the problem. (As noun/object)
Sleeping late in night is not a good habit. (As noun/subject)
Weeping of a baby woke him up. (As noun/subject)
Infinitive Phrases
Infinitive phrases are composed of the infinitive of a verb (the base form + the particle to) along with any objects or modifiers associated with it. Infinitives and infinitive phrases can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence.
Infinitive + Object(s) and/or Modifier(s)
exemples
|
Infinitive phrase examples |
How it appears in a sentence |
|
to help one another — infinitive to help + object one another |
“We must all try to help one another.” (functions as a noun, the direct object of try) |
|
to stop for today — infinitive to stop + adverbial prepositional phrase for today |
“This is a good place to stop for today.” (functions as an adjective, modifying the noun place) |
|
to send my brother a letter — infinitive to send + indirect object my brother + direct object a letter |
“I'm going to the post office to send my brother a letter.” (functions as an adverb, modifying the verb going) |
Participle + Object(s) and/or modifier(s)
Like gerunds and infinitives, participles are formed from verbs, so participle phrases are created when participles are accompanied by any modifiers or objects. Past and present participles (without modifiers or objects) can be used to create different verb tenses, but they can also function as adjectives. Participle phrases, however, can only function as adjectives
examples
I received a letter, mentioning about my exam. (modifies letter)
The table, made of steel, is too expensive. (modifies table)
We saw a car, damaged in an accident. (modifies car)
6. Appositive phrase
An appositive phrase is a noun phrase that serves to describe or rename another noun that appears directly before it in a sentence. Appositive phrases are usually (but not always) non-restrictive, meaning they provide information that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence, and are separated from the rest of the sentence by one or two commas
For example:
- “The office, an old Georgian building, badly needed repairs.”
- “Janet Smith, a former student of mine, is joining the faculty next spring.”