1. Practice and Answers to homework
Phrase Types
Practice and Answers to homework

2. Identifying Phrase Types
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This powerpoint is designed to give you extra practice in identifying phrase types AFTER you have studied the notes on your Identifying Phrase Types worksheet and answered the questions on the back.
Identifying Phrase Types can be very tricky, so practice with this Powerpoint as much as you need to until you feel confident.
If you have questions, we’ll talk about them in class next time.
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Once you’ve answered the question aloud or in your head, click the right arrow and the answer will pop up.

3. What is the definition of an absolute phrase?
A phrase that is set off from the rest of the sentence with a comma. It starts with a noun and has a verb ending in “ing” or “ed.”

4. Which one of these is an absolute phrase?
A. Heart pounding hard in her chest
B. To become the President of the United States
C. Swimming across the river
D. The never-ending story of the dog
The answer is A.
WHY? Because heart is a noun and pounding is a verb with “ing.”
You could set it off with a comma like this: Heart pounding hard in her chest, Cynthia walked onto the stage to perform.

5. What is the definition of an infinitive phrase?
A phrase that starts with “to” followed by a verb in its simplest form.

6. Which one of these is an infinitive phrase?
A. Pumping her legs furiously
B. To become the President of the United States
C. Fist raised high in the air
D. The never-ending story of the dog
The answer is B.
WHY? Because it starts with “to” followed by the verb “become”
You could put it in a sentence like this: To become the President of the United States would be her crowning achievement in life.

7. What is the definition of a nominal phrase?
A phrase that includes a noun and any word that modifies it.

8. Which one of these is a nominal phrase?
A. To give them another homework assignment
B. Around the other side of town
C. Sleeping soundly in her bed
D. Every 10th grade student in Ms. Christensen’s English class
The answer is D.
WHY? Because the phrase centers around the main noun “student.” All the other words just further modify (explain) the noun “student.”
You could use it in a sentence like this: Every 10th grade student in Ms. Christensen’s English class is going to ace this test on phrase types.

9. What is the definition of a prepositional phrase?
A phrase that starts with a preposition and ends with the object of the preposition (a noun).

10. Which one of these is a prepositional phrase?
A. Winning every game this season
B. That fuzzy striped sweater
C. With her posse
D. To end the term with a good grade
The answer is C.
WHY? Because “with” is a preposition and ”posse” is the object of the preposition
You could use it in a sentence like this: She walked into the dance with her posse trailing behind her.

11. What is the definition of a participle phrase?
A phrase that starts with a participle (ing, ed, or en) and functions as an adjective.

12. Which one of these is a participle phrase?
A. Over on Mulberry Lane
B. Whipping her hair back and forth
C. At her favorite spot
D. Eyes squinting in the direction of the Sun
The answer is B.
WHY? Because ”whipping” is a participle
You could use it in a sentence as an adjective like this: Whipping her hair back and forth, the girl sang into the microphone.

13. What is the definition of a gerund phrase?
A phrase that begins with a gerund (a verb that has “ing” attached) and functions as a noun.

14. Which one of these is a gerund phrase?
A. Creating an alternate identity
B. Nose lifted straight in the air
C. This tiny little creature in the sand
D. To learn in school
The answer is A.
WHY? Because “creating” is a gerund and it can function as a noun
You could use it in a sentence as a noun like this: Creating an alternate identity was the only way Superman could survive.

15. Participle vs. Gerund
Because they can both start with an “ing” word, telling the differentce between a participle and a gerund can be very difficult.
The difference is that a gerund works as a noun while a participle works as an adjective. Here is an example:
The phrase from #6 on your homework worksheet could be both a participle and a gerund.
It depends on if it’s functioning as a noun or adjective.
Wasting time doing nothing was never fun. =Noun, so it’s a gerund
Wasting time doing nothing, he slept with his head on the desk. = Adjective, so it’s a participle

16. Answers to Identifying Phrase Types Worksheet
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. A