1. Prepositional, Verbal, and Appositive Phrases

2. 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.
Example: could have been
No subject
Example: instead of Debra and him
No subject or verb

3. What is a Phrase?
A group of words that has both a verb and its subject is not a phrase.
We found your pen
We is the subject of found.
if she will go
She is the subject of will go.
If a group of words contains both a verb and its subject, it is called a clause.

4. Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase includes a preposition, the object of the preposition, and any modifiers of that object.
to the pool at the Jacksons’ house
instead of them
Objects of prepositions may be compound.
A prepositional phrase can modify the object of another prepositional phrase.
A prepositional phrase may contain another prepositional phrase.

5. Prepositions: The Adjective Phrase
A prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun is called an adjective phrase.
The members of the club want sweatshirts with the club emblem.
The prepositional phrase of the club is used as an adjective to modify the noun members. With the club emblem is used as an adjective to modify the noun sweatshirts.

6. Prepositions: The Adjective Phrase
Unlike a one-word adjective, which usually precedes the word it modifies, an adjective phrase almost always follows the noun or pronoun it modifies.
ADJECTIVE: Amy closed the cellar door.
ADJECTIVE PHRASE: Amy closed the door to the cellar.

7. Prepositions: The Adverb Phrase
A prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or an adverb is called an adverb phrase.
An adverb phrase tells how, when, where, why, or to what extent.
Britney answered with a smile.
They sailed across the lake yesterday.
By Wednesday Christopher will be finished.
The calculations erred by more than two inches.

8. Verbals and Verbal Phrases
Verbals are formed from verbs.
Like verbs, they may have modifiers and complements.
However, verbals are used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, not as verbs.
The three kinds of verbs are:
Participles
Gerunds
Infinitives

9. Verbals – The Participle
A participle is a verb form that can be used as an adjective.
We saw the raccoon escaping through the back door.
The participle escaping, formed from the verb escape, modifies the noun raccoon.
Waxed floors can be dangerously slippery.
The participle Waxed, formed from the verb wax, modifies the noun floors.

10. Verbals – The Participle
Two kinds of participles are present participles and past participles.
Present participles end in –ing.
We ran inside to get out of the pouring rain.
Past participles usually end in –d or –ed. Other past participles are formed irregularly.
A peeled and sliced cucumber can be added to a garden salad.

11. Verbals – The Participial Phrase
A participial phrase is used as an adjective and consists of a participle and any complements or modifiers the participle has.
Seeing the cat, the dog barked loudly.
The cat hissed at the dog barking in the yard next door.
The dog noisily barking at the cat had to be brought in.

12. Verbals – The Gerund
A gerund is a verb form ending in –ing that is used as a noun.
Like other nouns, gerunds are used as subjects, predicate nominatives, direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions.

13. Verbals – The Gerund The dancing was fun. – subject
My favorite part of the show was his juggling. – predicate nominative
Shauna tried climbing faster. – direct object
Give winning the game your best. – indirect object
We worked better after resting. – object of a preposition

14. Verbals – The Gerund
Like other nouns, gerunds may be modified by adjective and adjective phrases.
We listened to the beautiful singing of the famous soprano.
The Mallorys enjoy talking about their vacation.
The harsh clacking of the tappets alerted us to a serious problem in the car’s engine.

15. Verbals – The Gerund
Like verbs, gerunds may also be modified by adverbs and adverb phrases.
Reading widely is one way to acquire judgment, maturity, and a good education.
Floating lazily in the pool is my favorite summer pastime.
Brandywine likes galloping briskly on a cold morning.

16. Verbals – The Gerund
Gerunds, like present participles, end in –ing. To be a gerund, a verbal must be used as a noun. In the following sentence, three words end in –ing but only one of them is a gerund.
Circling the runway, the pilot was preparing for landing.
Which one is the gerund?

17. Verbals – The Gerund Phrase
A gerund phrase consists of a gerund and any modifiers or complements the gerund has. The entire phrase is used as a noun.
The gentle pattering of the rain was a welcome sound.
I feared skiing down the mountain alone.
My dog’s favorite game is bringing me the newspaper.
Evelyn Ashford won a gold medal for running the 100-meter dash.

18. Verbals – The Infinitive
An infinitive is a verb form that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Most infinities begin with to.
To fly is glorious.
Brandon wanted to work on the play.
The place to visit is Williamsburg.
That record was the one to beat.
Sabina jumped to shoot.
Ready to go, we soon loaded the car.

19. Verbals – The Infinitive
Sometimes the sign of the infinite, to, is omitted in a sentence.
She’s done all her chores except feed the cat.
I’ll help you pack.
The dogs like to roam in the field and chase rabbits.
Fuel injection helps cars run better and last longer.

20. GERUNDS PARTICIPLES INFINITIVES LOOK like verbs Function As Examples
Parts of Speech
Function As
Examples
Phrase
(verbal + its modifiers)
Watch Out For

21. Appositives and Appositive Phrases
An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it.
The sculptor Isamu Noguchi has designed sculpture gardens.
Eric, a talented musician, plans to study in Europe.
Those, the ones on the right, are on sale.

22. Appositives and Appositive Phrases
An appositive phrase consists of an appositive and any modifiers it has.
Lucy Sanchez, my longtime friend from my old neighborhood, has a new Scottish terrier.
Dr. Jackson has a degree in entomology, the scientific study of insects.
The terror of our block, little Anthony was on the warpath.

23. Appositives and Appositive Phrases
Appositives and appositive phrases that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence are set off by commas. If the appositive is essential to the meaning, it is generally not set off by commas.
My teacher, Mr. Byrd, trains parrots.
My teacher Mr. Byrd trains parrots.

24. Appositives and Appositive Phrases
Commas are generally used with appositives that refer to proper nouns.
Linda, the editor, assigned the story.
However, a word or phrase that is commonly accepted as part of a person’s name or title is not set off by a comma.
The Roman Army defeated Attila the Hun in A.D. 451.