7 Classes of Phrases

By Mark Nichol

Phrase is such a banal term for two or more words that convey an idea that it may surprise you that
there are seven types of phrases, with variations. Here, with pertinent phrases in sample sentences
formatted in boldface, is a rundown of the categories:
1. Absolute Phrase

An absolute phrase is a modifying parenthetical or subordinate phrase of a root sentence that

includes a subject but does not have an acting verb so cannot stand on its own as sentence: “Their
effort to regain the lead successful, the team continued to score until they pulled ahead by a wide
margin.”

2. Appositive Phrase

An appositive phrase is one that restates a preceding term, or expands or explains it, in a
parenthetical statement. There are three variations of appositive phrases: “Her dog, a bull mastiff,
looks ridiculous with a pink bow stuck to her head” features a noun phrase. “His favorite
hobby, knitting, is rather unusual for a man” includes a gerund phrase. “The Tahitian’s ambition, to
become an ice skater, is unexpected” has an infinitive phrase.
Note that these three types of phrases are explained below; the distinction in the phrase types as
applied above, as opposed to the types described below, is that each type serves as the basis for an
appositive phrase; on their own, they need not be appositive, or set off.

3. Gerund Phrase

A gerund phrase includes a verbal, a hybrid that functions as a noun (or adjective). There are three
distinct functions: “Juggling knives is not recommended as a relaxation technique” includes a
gerund phase as the subject of the sentence. “I’m going for a long walk off a short pier” features a
gerund phrase as the sentence’s object. “She’s saving up for a vacation in Antarctica” has a
gerund phrase as the object of a preposition.
4. Infinitive Phrase

An infinitive phrase includes the word to and a verb as the basis of a modification of a root sentence:
“His effort to pass the bill doomed his political ambitions” includes an infinitive phrase that functions
as an adjective modifying the previous noun. “He plans to see the movie” features an infinitive
phrase that functions as the sentence’s object. “To write of the experience is to dredge up
unpleasant memories” has an infinitive phrase that functions as the sentence’s subject. “To say as
much is to admit guilt” includes an infinitive phrase that serves as predicate nominative, or a
substitute subject. “I went to the store to buy some ice cream” features an infinitive phrase that
stands as an adverb (modifying the verb went).
5. Noun Phrase
A noun phrase consists of a person, place, or thing and any modifiers: “This is a grammar lesson.” It
may include one or more adjectives (as grammar modifies lesson here). It might include a noun and
a modifying clause: “This is a lesson that explains the various types of phrases.” It might take the
form of one of three other types of phrase: infinitive, participial, and prepositional. (The infinitive
phrase is discussed above, and the latter two types are described below.)
Many noun phrases are continuous; they consist of words in sequence. However, a noun phrase
may be discontinuous, meaning that it is broken up into more than one element: “This lesson is
one that explains the various types of phrases.”
6. Participial Phrase

A participial phrase consists of verbals ending in -ing or -ed, or another irregular form of a verb, and
serves as an adjective: The participial phrase in “Having been lied to before, I was wary” modifies
the word I. The phrase may be parenthetical within a sentence, too: In “You, knowing what you
now know, are in a better position to judge,” the participial phrase modifies the word you.
7. Prepositional Phrase

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and a noun or pronoun that serves as the
preposition’s object, and often one or more adjectives: “I went for a walk in the dark woods.”
Prepositional phrases are often located at the head of a sentence. “When the sun went down, I
hurried back.”
English Grammar: Types of Phrases
Got grammar? See Everything You Need to Improve Your English Grammar.

A phrase is a group of words without both a subject and predicate. Phrases combine
words into a larger unit that can function as a sentence element. For example, a
participial phrase can include adjectives, nouns, prepositions and adverbs; as a single
unit, however, it functions as one big adjective modifying a noun (or noun phrase). See
this overview of phrases for more.

 Noun Phrase - "The crazy old lady in the park feeds the pigeons every day." A noun
phrase consists of anoun and all of its modifiers, which can include other phrases (like
the prepositional phrase in the park).More examples.
o Appositive Phrase - "Bob, my best friend, works here" or "My best
friend Bob works here." An appositive (single word, phrase, or
clause) renames another noun, not technically modifying it. See this page from
the Armchair Grammarian for everything you ever wanted to know about
appositives.
o Gerund Phrase - "I love baking cakes." A gerund phrase is just a noun phrase
with a gerund as itshead.
o Infinitive Phrase - "I love to bake cakes." An infinitive phrase is a noun phrase
with an infinitive as its head. Unlike the other noun phrases, however, an
infinitive phrase can also function as an adjective or an adverb. More examples.
 Verb Phrase - The verb phrase can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence (I was
watching my favorite show yesterday) or just the verb or verb group (was watching).

 Adverbial Phrase - The adverbial phrase also has two definitions; some say it's a group
of adverbs (very quickly), while others say it's any phrase (usually a prepositional
phrase) that acts as an adverb -- see thissecond definition.

 Adjectival Phrase - As with adverbial phrases, adjectival phrases can either refer to a
group of adjectives(full of toys) or any phrase (like a participial or prepositional phrase)
that acts as an adjective -- see thissecond definition.

 Participial Phrase - "Crushed to pieces by a sledgehammer, the computer no longer

worked" or "I think the guy sitting over there likes you." A participial phrase has a past
or present participle as its head. Participial phrases always function as adjectives.

 Prepositional Phrase - "The food on the table looked delicious." A prepositional

phrase, which has apreposition as its head, can function as an adjective, adverb, or even
as a noun.

 Absolute Phrase - "My cake finally baking in the oven, I was free to rest for thirty
minutes." Unlike participial phrases, absolute phrases have subjects and modify the
entire sentence, not one noun. Almost aclause, the absolute phrase can include every
sentence element except a finite verb. For example, "My cake finally baking in the oven"
would be its own sentence if you just added one finite verb: "My cake was finally baking
in the oven." See Absolute Phrase for more