PHRASES AND CLAUSES

PHRASE – A phrase is a group of words not containing a verb and its subject that is used as a
single part of speech.

Phrases can broadly be placed into two groups, namely: (1) Edge or Peripheral phrases, and (2)
Main phrases.

1. EDGE OR PERIPHERAL PHRASES

These are phrases which actually exist but their grammatical functions are subsumed (covered)
by the main phrases. These include: Gerund phrases, Participial phrases, Infinitive phrases,
Appositive phrases and Prepositional phrases.

A. GERUND PHRASES

A GERUND is a verb form ending in –ing that is used as a noun.

e.g. Travelling is an adventure.

[Travelling is formed from the verb ‘travel’ and, as the subject of the sentence, is used as a
noun].

A gerund is a verbal noun which may be used in any way a noun may be used.

GERUND PHRASE

A Gerund phrase is a group of words that includes a gerund and other words that complete its
meaning.

e.g. Exercising on a bike is good for health.

G.N. = Noun phrase

G.F. = It is the subject of the sentence.

e.g. Good writing comes from much practice.

G.N. = Noun phrase (i.e. a gerund used as subject)

 G.F. = It is the subject of the sentence.

A gerund phrase, then, is a phrase consisting of a gerund and any complements or modifiers it
may have.

B. PARTICIPIAL PHRASE

A PARTICIPLE is a verb form that can act as the main verb in a verb phrase or as an adjective to
modify a noun or a pronoun.

e.g. John has PLAYED several games. [main verb]

e.g. Her PLAYING skill improves daily. [adjective]

The rapidly DEVELOPING storm kept small boats in port.

DEVELOPING rapidly, the storm kept small boats in port.

The storm, DEVELOPING rapidly, kept small boats in port.

In the last three sentences above, DEVELOPING, which is formed from the verb DEVELOP, is
used as an adjective, modifying the noun storm.

PARTICIPIAL PHRASE

This is a phrase containing a participle and any complements or modifiers it may have.

e.g. Removing his coat, Abdul rushed to the river bank.

[The participial phrase here is made up of the participle “removing” and the complement “coat”,
which is the direct object of removing. Like verbs, participles may take an object.]

e.g. Hesitating there for a moment, he quickly grasped the situation.

[The participial phrase is made up of the participle “hesitating” plus its modifier – the adverb
‘there’ and the adverb phrase ‘for a moment’.

Note that the participle normally introduces the phrase, and the entire phrase acts as an adjective
to modify a noun or pronoun.
e.g. (a) Alusine Roberts, playing with skill won the match.

e.g. (b) Getting up at six, we got an early start

e.g. (c) Destroying by fire, the church was never rebuilt.

In (a) the adjectival phrase is modifying the noun Alusine Roberts.

In (b) the adjectival phrase is modifying the pronoun we and

In (c) the adjectival phrase is modifying the noun church.

C. INFINITIVE PHRASE
An INFINITIVE is a verb form usually preceded by ‘To\, that is used as a noun or a
modifier – to go , to eat, to be, to write, etc.
An infinitive is generally used as a noun, but it may also be used as an adjective or an
adverb

INFINITIVE USED AS A NOUN:

e.g.
i. ‘To wait’ for the bus is tiresome. [infinitive as subject]
ii. Everyone wants ‘to eat’. [infinitive as object of the verb]
iii. Her ambition is ‘to go’. [infinitive as predicate nominative]

INFINITIVE USED AS AN ADJECTIVE:

e.g. He lacks the energy ‘to fight’. [infinitive modifies energy]

INFINITIVE USED AS ADVERB

e.g. They study ‘to learn’. [infinitive modifies the verb study]

NOTE:

Do not confuse the infinitive, a verbal of which ‘to’ is a part, with a prepositional
phrase beginning with ‘to’, which consists of ‘to’ plus a noun or pronoun, such as
follows:
INFINITIVE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
To fly To her
To draw To school
The word ‘to’, called the sign of the infinitive, is sometimes omitted.

e.g. She made me (to) leave.

Help me (to) do my assignment.

INFINITIVE PHRASE

An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and any complements or modifiers it may have.

e.g. They wish to leave early.

[Early is an adverb modifying the infinitive to leave]

e.g. I have a notice to read before class. [Before class modifies to read]

e.g. No one wants to help us. [Us is the object of to help]

Note that like infinitives alone, infinitive phrases can be used as nouns or as modifiers.

e.g. To save money became our obsession, [To save money is the subject of the sentence]

e.g. Her aim is to go to college next year, [The infinitive phrase is a predicate nominative,
referring back to plan]

e.g. There should be a means to solve the problem. [The infinitive phrase modifies the
noun means]

e,g. I was too lazy to wake up that morning for prayer. [The infinitive phrase modifies the
adjective lazy]

e.g. She and Julie tried to be patient with them. [The infinitive phrase to be patient with
them is the object of the verb tried]
 D. APPOSITIVE PHRASE
An APPOSITIVE is a noun or pronoun – often with modifiers – set beside another noun
or pronoun to explain or identify it.
e.g. Your class mate Yeama is in school.
e.g. The lawyer, your friend, won the case.

APPOSITIVE PHRASE

An appositive phrase is a phrase consisting of an appositive and its modifier. It usually

follows the word it explains or modifies, but it may precede it.

e.g. A handsome celebrity, Timaya was my favorite actor.

e.g. My friend’s taxi cab, a Mercedes Benz with three doors and bucket seats, is the envy
of Joe’s friend.

E. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE

A prepositional phrase is a group of words beginning with a preposition and usually ending with
a noun or pronoun.

e.g. after the test before the exam

for Paul and you to bed

The noun or pronoun that ends the prepositional phrase is the object of the preposition that
begins or opens the phrase.

Prepositional phrases are usually used as modifiers – as ADJECTIVES or ADVERBS.

Occasionally, a prepositional phrase is used as a noun:

e.g. After breakfast will be too early. [The prepositional phrase is the subject of the
sentence: it is used as a noun.]

e.g. Hang the painting inside the rest room. [The prepositional phrase here acts as an
adverb by modifying the verb ‘hang’.]
 e.g. The painting inside my room was done by me. [The prepositional phrase here acts as
an adjective by modifying the noun painting].

From the above phrases and their analysis, it can be realized that GERUND PHRASES,
PARTICIPIAL PHRASES, INFINITIVE PHRASES, APPOSITIVE PHRASES AND
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES exist but in grammatical analysis, their respective functions are
subsumed (i.e. carried out by the ‘Main phrases’. In essence, there are only FOUR kinds of
phrases, called MAIN phrases that actually exist in English. These are as follows: verb, Adverb,
Adjective and Noun phrases.

VERB PHRASE

A verb phrase consists of one or more helping verbs followed by a main verb. It usually has this
structure:

VP – {Aux 4 + (not) + MV}

Where VP = verb phrase

Aux = auxiliary or helping verb

MV = main or action verb

Example:

a. They may have come home.

b. You should not be seen there.
c. He must have been beaten.
d. The man may have been beaten.

G.N = All the underlined structures in a, b, c and d above are verb phrases.

G.F = All the underlined structures in a, b, c and d above are the verbs of the respective
sentences.
ADVERB PHRASE

An adverb phrase is a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

Example 1

The server dresses like a theatre attendant. [‘how’ he/she dresses

She practices with diligence. [‘how’ she practices]

He trains before a concert tour. [‘when’ he trains]

They study in their classroom. [‘where’ they study]

John reads for weeks. [‘to what extent’ John reads]

She practices for her own good. [‘why she practices’]

G.N’s = All the underlined structures are ADVERB/ADVERBIAL phrases

G.F’s = All the underlined structures are modifying verbs in each case.

EXAMPLE 2

 The restaurant is popular with old people. [Adverb phrase modifying the adjective
popular]
 We are happy because of the show. [Adverb phrase modifying the adjective happy]
 The two friends are quiet today for fear of reprisal. [Adverb phrase modifying the
adjective quiet]

EXAMPLE 3

 The tournament begins early in the morning. [Adverb phrase modifying the adverb
‘early’.]
 They woke up very late last night. [Adverb phrase modifying the adverb ‘woke up’].
 Tom and Bill woke up late in the night. [Adverb phrase modifying the adverb ‘late’]
ADJECTIVE PHRASE

An adjective phrase is a prepositional phrase or a participial phrase that modifies a noun or a

pronoun.

EXAMPLE

 The servers at the restaurant are courteous. [prepositional phrase modifying the noun
‘servers’]
 The musician seated at the piano is Prince Cole. [participial phrase modifying musician, a
noun]
 Tourists from the West visit the Sierra Leone museum in the city. [prepositional phrases
modifying the nouns tourists, and museum in the sentence respectively]

NOUN PHRASE

The main word in a Noun Phrase is a noun or a pronoun. The structure of the typical noun phrase
may be represented schematically in the following way, where the parentheses indicate elements
of the structure that may be absent:

NP – {(determiners) + (pre-modifiers) + Noun + (post – modifiers)}

 Determiners include {Articles” (the, a, an); Demonstrative Pronouns: (this, that, those,
these); Indefinite pronouns: (some, several etc.)
 Pre – modifiers such as: {(Adjectives 4) / and / or (not)}
 Post modification/modifiers entail: {(prepositional phrase); (relative clause); (an
appositive clause)}

Note that a noun phrase may have more than one pre – modifier or post – modifier:

e.g A nasty gash on his chin which needed medical attention.

art . adj . n pp relative clause

The following is a brief list of the possible grammatical functions of noun phrases, with
examples:
1. As subject
e.g. The people in the bus escaped through the emergency exit.

2. As direct object
e.g. They are testing some new equipment.

3. As indirect object
e.g. The bank gave David a loan

4. As subject complement
e.g. The performance was a test of their physical endurance.

5. As subject complement
e.g. Many of us consider her the best candidate.

6. As complement of a preposition
e.g. The box of clothes is intended for your daughter.

7. As pre – modifier of a noun or noun phrase

e.g. Food production is down this year.
e.g. She suffers from back problems.
e.g. The matter has been referred to the Academic Council Executive body.

8. As adverbial
e.g. The term finishes next week.
e.g. You will not succeed that way.