The Phrase

What is a Phrase?  A group of words that does NOT contain a subject and verb  Types of phrases:  Prepositional  Adjective  Adverb  Participle  Infinitive  Gerund  Appositive Verbal Phrases

Adjective Phrase PPrepositional phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun TTells what kind, which one, how many, or how much Adjective: The museum exhibit was very interesting. Adjective Phrase: The exhibit in the museum was very interesting. Examples The voyage across the seas was very dangerous. The captain of the ship watched the birds in the air.

More Examples of Adjective Phrases Many of the students attended homecoming. The exhibit was for all teenagers. His photographs are examples of twentieth-century art.

Adverb Phrase PPrepositional phrase that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb TTells where, when, how, to what extent, and why Examples I walked toward the house. After the presentations, we had some free time. Maria studied for her English test with great diligence

The Participle VVerb form used as an adjective CCan end in –ing (present) or –ed (past) SSome past participles are irregular Examples I ran toward the barking dog. (present) The dog barking at the mailman belongs to me. (present) Angered by the insult, Jonas walked away from the potential fight. (past)

Participle Phrase UUsed as an adjective CConsists of a participle and any modifiers or complements the participles has Examples Spinning out of control, the car crashed into a nearby barn. That Christmas song, written by Mariah Carey, is one of my favorites. The horses eating the carrots were enjoying their morning breakfast.

The Gerund UUsed as a noun EEnds in -ing Examples Swimming can be good exercise. (subject) Jake enjoys riding his bike. (DO) You should give knitting a try. (IO) Raeshaun’s favorite hobby is playing football. (PN) I hesitated before jumping over the puddle. (OP)

Gerund Phrase UUsed as an noun CConsists of a gerund and any modifiers or complements the gerund has Examples Michael Phelps clearly enjoyed swimming at the Olympics. Working out can build muscular strength. Their problem was arguing among themselves. We listened to the peaceful warbling of the birds. Here, the adjectives “the” and “peaceful” describe the gerund “warbling” and are thus a part of the gerund phrase.

The Infinitive UUsed as a noun, adjective, or adverb MMost infinitives begin with “to” Examples Katherine likes to swim. (DO) Her dream is to audition for a Broadway musical. (PN) To draw the mural took four hours. (Subj) The best beaches to visit are off the coast of Florida. (adj) The conductor stood to begin the performance.(adv)

The Infinitive Phrase UUsed as a noun, adjective, or adverb MMost infinitives begin with “to” CConsists of an infinitive and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has Examples Her dream is to audition for a ballet troupe. To practice my part only took thirty minutes The conductor stood to begin the performance.

The Appositive NNoun or pronoun PPlaced beside another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it. CCommas are generally used with appositives that refer to proper nouns Examples Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was an influential political leader. Mr. Hall asked one student, Jonathan, to lead line. The first American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, has released four CDs.

The Appositive Phrase CConsists of an appositive and its modifiers. CCommas are generally used with appositives that refer to proper nouns Examples Tim Tebow, the Florida Gator’s quarterback, is a Heisman Trophy winner. Chantel’s purchase, a bag with matching shoes, was on sale. Please bring me exact change, three dollars and ten cents.

Appositives & Commas WWhen do you use a comma? CComma = phrase is not essential to meaning of sentence NNO comma = phrase is essential Examples My brother, John, plays guitar in a band. (The writer has only one brother. Thus, The appositive here is not essential to identify the brother. Info is not essential.) My brother John plays guitar in a band. (The writer has more than one brother. Thus, the appositive is necessary to tell which brother is meant. Info is essential.)