The PhraseKinds of Phrases and Their Functions

What Is a Phrase?What Is a Phrase? A phrase is a group of related words that is

used as a single part of speech and that does not contain both a verb and its subject

Type of phrase

Example What’s missing

Verb phrase Has been invited

No subject

Prepositional phrase

After school No subject or verb

Infinitive phrase

To do homework

No subject or verb

A Phrase or a Clause?A Phrase or a Clause? A phrase is a group of related words

that is used as a single part of speech and that does not contain both a verb and its subject

A clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb: Independent clause: the field trip has

been canceled Dependent clause: before the party

started

PrepositionsPrepositions

A preposition shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun, called the object of the preposition, to another word.

Common PrepositionsCommon PrepositionsAbout Above Across After Against

Along Among Around As At

Before Behind Below Beneath Beside(s)

Between Beyond But (meaning “except”)

By Down

During Except For From In

Inside Into Like Near Of

Off On Out Outside Over

Past Since Through Throughout

To

Toward Under Underneath

Until Unto

Up Upon With Within Without

Compound Compound PrepositionsPrepositions

A preposition that consists of two or more words is a compound preposition. Examples:

According to

Along with

Apart from

Aside from

As of

Because of

By means of

In addition

toIn front of In place of

In spite of Instead of Next toOn

account of

Out of

Prepositional PhrasesPrepositional PhrasesPrepositional phrases are

good for adding descriptive information to writing.

A prepositional phrase includes a preposition, the object of the preposition,

the object may be compound any modifiers of that object.

Prepositional PhrasesPrepositional Phrases A prepositional phrase that modifies a noun

or a pronoun is called an adjective phrase. Tells what kind(s) or which one(s) Generally follows the word it modifies, which

may be the object of another preposition

A prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb is called an adverb phrase. Tells how, when, where, why, or to what extent

(how long or how far) Can come before or after the word it modifies

Prepositional Phrase or Prepositional Phrase or Compound Noun?Compound Noun?

If the adjective phrase is combined with a noun to form a compound noun, the entire group of words is considered a noun. Like these: Work of art Hole in one Board of education Habitat for Humanity Northern Valley Regional High School at Old

Tappan

Verbals and Verbal Verbals and Verbal PhrasesPhrases

Verbals are formed from verbs but are used as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

There are three kinds of verbals: Participle Gerund Infinitive

A verbal phrase is made up of a verbal + its modifiers and complements.

The ParticipleThe Participle Is a verb form that can be used as an adjective

Present participles end in –ing

Past participles end in –d or –ed, if they are not irregular

Be careful not to confuse a participle used as an adjective with one used as a part of a verb phrase. The Smithsonian Institute, located in Washington,

D.C., is the largest museum in the world. The Smithsonian Institute, which is located in

Washington, D.C., is the largest museum in the world.

The Participial PhraseThe Participial Phrase Is made up of a participle and any modifiers

or complements the participle has.

Is used as an adjective.

Should be as close to the word or words you intend to modify as possible. Climbing the hill, they were delighted to see a

field of daffodils. See how confusing it is if they are not together?

They were delighted to see a field of daffodils climbing up the hill. (What? Daffodils climbing? No!)

The Participial PhraseThe Participial Phrase The stone steps, having been worn

down by generations of students, needed to be replaced. [modifies "steps"]

Working around the clock, the firefighters finally put out the last of the California brush fires. [modifies "firefighters"]

The pond, frozen over since early December, is now safe for ice-skating. [modifies "pond"]

The Absolute PhraseThe Absolute Phrase The entire word group is used as an adverb

to modify an independent clause of a sentence.

Does not have a direct grammatical connection to any word in the independent clause it modifies, but modifies the entire clause by telling when, why, or how.

An absolute phrase consists of A participle or participle phrase, A noun or pronoun that the participle or

participle phrase modifies, and Any other modifiers of that noun or pronoun.

The Absolute PhraseThe Absolute Phrase They are always treated as parenthetical

elements and are set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma or a pair of commas (sometimes by a dash or a pair of dashes).

Their reputation as winners secured by victory, the New York Liberty charged into the semifinals.

The season nearly finished, Rebecca Lobo and Sophie Witherspoon emerged as true leaders.

The two superstars signed autographs into the night, their faces beaming happily.

The GerundThe Gerund A gerund is a verbal ending in –ing that is

used as a noun.

The term verbal indicates that a gerund, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being.

However, since a gerund functions as a noun, it occupies some positions in a sentence that a noun ordinarily would, for example: subject, direct object, subject complement, and object of preposition.

The GerundThe Gerund Gerund as subject:

Traveling might satisfy your desire for new experiences. (Traveling is the gerund.)

The study abroad program might satisfy your desire for new experiences. (The gerund has been removed.)

Gerund as direct object: They do not appreciate my singing. (The

gerund is singing.) They do not appreciate my assistance.

(The gerund has been removed)

The GerundThe Gerund

Gerund as subject complement: My cat's favorite activity is sleeping. (The

gerund is sleeping.) My cat's favorite food is salmon. (The

gerund has been removed.)

Gerund as object of preposition: The police arrested him for speeding. (The

gerund is speeding.) The police arrested him for criminal

activity. (The gerund has been removed.)

The Gerund PhraseThe Gerund Phrase These phrases function as units and can do

anything that a noun can do.

Notice that other phrases, especially prepositional phrases, are frequently part of the gerund phrase. Cramming for tests is not a good study

strategy. [gerund phrase as subject] John enjoyed swimming in the lake after

dark. [gerund phrase as object] I'm really not interested in studying

biochemistry for the rest of my life. [gerund phrase as object of the preposition in ]

The Gerund PhraseThe Gerund Phrase The gerund phrase functions as

the subject of the sentence. Finding a needle in a haystack

would be easier than what we're trying to do. Finding (gerund) a needle (direct object of action

expressed in gerund) in a haystack (prepositional phrase

as adverb)

The Gerund PhraseThe Gerund Phrase The gerund phrase functions as the

direct object of the verb appreciate.

I hope that you appreciate my offering you this opportunity. my (possessive pronoun adjective form,

modifying the gerund) offering (gerund) you (indirect object of action expressed in

gerund) this opportunity (direct object of action

expressed in gerund)

The Gerund PhraseThe Gerund Phrase

The gerund phrase functions as the subject complement.

Tom's favorite tactic has been jabbering away to his constituents. jabbering away to (gerund) his constituents (direct object of

action expressed in gerund)

The Gerund PhraseThe Gerund Phrase The gerund phrase functions as

the object of the preposition for.

You might get in trouble for faking an illness to avoid work. faking (gerund) an illness (direct object of action

expressed in gerund) to avoid work (infinitive phrase as

adverb)

The InfinitiveThe Infinitive Most infinitives begin with to.

An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus a verb (in its simplest "stem" form) and functioning as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Don’t confuse an infinitive with a prepositional phrase that begins with to.

InfinitivesInfinitives The term verbal indicates that an infinitive, like the other two

kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being.

However, the infinitive may function as a subject, direct object, subject complement, adjective, or adverb in a sentence.

Although an infinitive is easy to locate because of the to + verb form, deciding what function it has in a sentence can sometimes be confusing. To wait seemed foolish when decisive action was required. (subject) Everyone wanted to go. (direct object) His ambition is to fly. (subject complement) He lacked the strength to resist. (adjective) We must study to learn. (adverb)

The Infinitive PhraseThe Infinitive Phrase An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive — the

root of the verb preceded by to — and any modifiers or complements associated with it.

Infinitive phrases can act as adjectives, adverbs, and nouns. Her plan to subsidize child care won wide acceptance

among urban politicians. [modifies plan, functions as an adjective]

She wanted to raise taxes. [noun-object of the sentence]

To watch Uncle Billy tell this story is an eye-opening experience. [noun-subject of the sentence]

To know her is to love her. [noun, predicate nominative]

Juan went to college to study veterinary medicine. [tells us why he went, so it's an adverb]

AppositivesAppositives An appositive is a noun or pronoun

placed beside another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it. My sister, Christine, is my best friend. Our baseball team has won its first two

games, one by three runs and the other by six.

Greg, a cautious driver, has never had an accident.

Appositive PhrasesAppositive Phrases An appositive phrase consists of an

appositive and any modifiers it has.

An appositive phrase may contain a second phrase such as a prepositional phrase. The Millers live on Magnolia Lane, a wide

street lined with beech trees. Mount Kosciusko, a part of the Australian

Alps, is the highest peak in Australia. Diligent and quick-witted students,

Nicholas and Coco always get good grades.

Appositive PhrasesAppositive Phrases Appositives and appositive phrases that are

not essential to the meaning of the sentence are set off by commas. Does Mrs. Bieltz’s sister, Christine, also have

brown eyes? Not essential because I only have one sister.

An appositive that tells which one of two or more is essential to the meaning of the sentence and should not be set off by commas. Mike’s friend Tony is a manager. Mike’s friend Kevin is a police officer.

Essential because Mike has more than one friend.