What is an adjectival phrase?

Grammar Toolkit

Adjectival phrases

Grammar Toolkit

Adjectival phrases

An adjectival phrase is a phrase that does the work of an adjective. It often follows the noun or pronoun

it describes and adds detail to a description. An adjectival phrase begins with a preposition, a participle

(present or past) or an infinitive (“to” form of the verb).

Jake is the guy in the cool cap.Jake, hoping for good weather, went to the skate ramp. He took his board to be repaired.

Grammar Toolkit

Adjectival phrases

What does each adjectival phrase begin with? What is the noun that the phrase describes?

The girl surfing that wave is our new world champion!

The soldiers, dressed in crisp uniforms, marched in rows.

We strolled along and kicked the leaves under our feet.

Wearing all his medals, the colonel stood to attention.

participle

participle

preposition

participle

Separate an introductory adjectival phrase from the noun it describes with a comma.

Grammar Toolkit

Adjectival phrases

• An adjective describes a noun or pronoun. A phrase is a group of words without a verb that is not a complete message by itself (e.g. in the cupboard).

• An adjectival phrase is a phrase that does the work of an adjective. It begins with a preposition, a participle (present or past) or an infinitive.

• In the following sentence, the adjectival phrase is red: George has the biggest smile of any dentist.

Grammar Toolkit

Adjectival phrases

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