ENGLISH LANGUAGE

GRAMMAR
Lesson Nine

PHRASES
 OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
 identify a phrase.
 identify the different types of phrases and their uses.
 use them correctly in speech and in writing.
.
 PHRASES
A phrase is a group of related words that does not include a subject and
verb (predicate) and therefore can not stand alone as an independent
unit. For example,
 She is laughing at the joker.
 Our teacher was rushed to the hospital at 12 midnight.
 The students are shouting through the window.
The underlined parts of the above sentences are phrases
(If the group of related words does contain a subject and verb, it is
considered a phrase.) There are several different kinds of phrases.
Understanding how they are constructed and how they function within a
sentence can bolster a writer's confidence in writing sentences that are
sound in structure and various in form.
A phrase functions as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective or preposition in a
sentence. The function of a phrase depends on its construction (words
it contains). On the basis of their functions and constructions, phrases
are divided into various types i.e. noun, verb, adverb, adjective,
appositive, infinite, participle and gerund phrases.
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Noun Phrase
A noun phrase consists of a noun and other related words (usually
modifiers and determiners) which modify the noun. It functions like a
noun in a sentence.
A noun phrase consists of a noun as the head word and other words
(usually modifiers and determiners) which come after or before the
noun. The whole phrase works as a noun in a sentence.
Noun Phrase = noun + modifiers (the modifiers can be after or
before noun)
A modifier is a word or group of words that describes or limits other
words.
Examples.
 He is wearing a nice red shirt. (as noun/object)
 A man on the roof was shouting. (as noun/subject)
A sentence can also contain more noun phrases.
For example. The girl with blue eyes bought a beautiful chair.
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Prepositional phrase.
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, object of
preposition(noun or pronoun) and may also consist of other modifiers
of the object. EXAMPLES
 Has anyone seen our suitcase with the broken handle? [Handle is
the object of the preposition with, and broken modifies handle.]
 During the early morning, a train usually rumbles past the school
[Morning is the object of the preposition During, early modifies
morning, and school is the object of the preposition past.]
A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and mostly ends with a
noun or pronoun. Whatever prepositional phrase ends with is called
object of preposition. A prepositional phrase functions as an adjective
or adverb in a sentence. Examples.
 A boy on the roof is singing a song. (As adjective)
 He always behaves in a good manner. (As adverb)
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Adjective Phrase.
An adjective phrase is a group of words that functions like an adjective
in a sentence. It consists of adjectives, modifier and any word that
modifies a noun or pronoun.
An adjective phrase functions like an adjective to modify (or tell about)
a noun or a pronoun in a sentence.

Examples.
 He is wearing a nice red shirt. (modifies shirt)
 The girl with brown hair is singing a song. (modifies girl)
 He gave me a glass full of water. (modifies glass)
 A boy from America won the race. (modifies boy)

Prepositional phrases and participle phrases also function as

adjectives so we can also call them adjective phrases when they
function as adjective. In the above sentence “The girl with brown hair is
singing a song”, the phrase “with brown hair” is a prepositional phrase
but it functions as an adjective.
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Adverb Phrase
An adverb phrase is a group of words that functions as an adverb in a
sentence. It consists of adverbs or other words (preposition, noun,
verb, modifiers) that make a group which works like an adverb in a
sentence.
An adverb phrase functions like an adverb to modify a verb, an
adjective or another adverb.
Examples
 He always behaves in a good manner. (modifies verb behave)
 They were shouting in a loud voice. (modifies verb shout)
 She always drives with care. (modifies verb drive)
 He sat in a corner of the room. (modifies verb sit)
A prepositional phrase can also act as an adverb phrase. For example
in above sentence “He always behaves in a good manner”, the
phrase “in a good manner” is a prepositional phrase but it acts as
adverb phrase here.
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Verb Phrase
A verb phrase is a combination of main verb and its auxiliaries (helping
verbs) in a sentence.
Examples.
 He is eating an apple.
 She has finished her work.
 You should study for the exam.
 She has been sleeping for two hours.

According to generative grammar, a verb phrase can consist of main

verb, its auxiliaries, its complements and other modifiers. Hence it
can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence.
Example.
 You should study for the exam.
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Infinitive Phrase
An infinitive phrase consist of an infinitive(to + simple form of verb)
and modifiers or other words associated to the infinitive or
complements the infinitive has. An infinitive phrase always functions
as an adjective, adverb or a noun in a sentence.
NOUN. To drive well was one of her goals. [The infinitive To drive acts
as the subject of the sentence and is modified by the adverb well.]
Does he like to write short stories or to read them? [The infinitive to
write acts as a direct object of the verb Does like and has its own
direct object, short stories. The infinitive to read also acts as a direct
object of Does like and has its own direct object, them.]
ADJECTIVE. Sylvia still has a few letters to write before noon. [To
write modifies the word letters and is modified by the prepositional
phrase before noon.]
ADVERB. E-mail is easy to send to friends. [To send modifies the
word easy and is modified by the prepositional phrase to friends.]
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Infinitive Phrase
NOTE
The word to may begin either infinitive or prepositional phrases. In
general, when a noun or pronoun follows to, the word group is a
prepositional phrase, and when a verb form follows to, the word
group is an infinitive.
Infinitive Phrase. The dog sniffed to find its toy. [To is followed by the
verb form find. To find is an infinitive used as an adverb explaining
why the dog sniffed.]
Prepositional Phrase. The dog trotted to its toy. [To is followed by the
object of the prepositional phrase, toy, and the modifier of toy, its. To
its toy is an adverb phrase explaining where the dog trotted.]
An appositive phrase consists of an appositive and any modifiers it
has.
An appositive phrase usually follows the noun or pronoun it identifies or
describes.
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Sometimes, though, an appositive phrase precedes the noun or
pronoun.
EXAMPLES Ms. Ruby, a local storyteller, will be visiting the library on
Thursday. [The appositive phrase identifying Ms. Ruby includes the
article a, the adjective local, and the noun storyteller.]
A wonderful storyteller, Ms. Ruby usually entertains dozens of
listeners.
[The appositive phrase includes the article A, the adjective wonderful,
and the noun storyteller, and the phrase precedes the noun it
identifies.]
Appositives and appositive phrases that are not essential to the
meaning of a sentence are set off with commas. An appositive that is
essential to the meaning of the sentence, identifying which one of
two or more items, should not be set off with commas.
ESSENTIAL. Yoel’s sister Lisette is visiting this weekend. [The
appositive is essential to understanding which sister, so it is not set
off with commas.]
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NONESSENTIAL. Lisette, one of Yoel’s sisters, is visiting this
weekend. [Because the appositive is not necessary to the meaning
of the sentence, it is set off with commas.]
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Gerund Phrase
A gerund phrase consists of a gerund(verb + ing) and modifiers or other
words associated with the gerund. A gerund phrase acts as a noun in a
sentence.
Examples
 Searching for fossils is one of his hobbies. (As subject)
 Part of his routine on hikes is searching carefully. (As predicate
nominative)
 He’s even tried searching in urban areas. (As direct object)
 Before searching in creek beds, he packs a snakebite kit.(As object of
a preposition)
 I like writing good essays. (As noun/object)
 She started thinking about the problem. (As noun/object)
 Sleeping late in night is not a good habit. (As noun/subject)
 Weeping of a baby woke him up. (As noun/subject)
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Participle Phrase
A participle phrase consists of a present participle (verb + ing), a past
participle (verb ending in -ed or other form in case of irregular verbs)
and modifiers or other associate words. A participle phrase is
separated by commas. It always acts as an adjective in a sentence.
EXAMPLES
 Dr. Adama’s lecture covering the Constitution and the Bill of
Rights intrigued Dennis. [The participle covering has a complement,
the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The entire phrase modifies the
noun lecture.]
 Wondering about her ideas, Dennis asked her a few questions.
[The participle Wondering is modified by the adverb phrase about
her ideas. The participial phrase modifies the noun Dennis.]
 The kids, making a noise, need food. (modifies kids)
 I received a letter, mentioning about my exam. (modifies letter)
 The table, made of steel, is too expensive. (modifies table)
 We saw a car, damaged in an accident. (modifies car)
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Absolute Phrase
Absolute phrase (also called nominative phrase) is a group of words
including a noun or pronoun and a participle as well as any
associated modifiers. Absolute phrase modifies (give information
about) the entire sentence. It resembles a clause but it lack a true
finite verb. It is separated by a comma or pairs of commas from the
rest of the sentence.

Examples
 He looks sad, his face expressing worry.
 She was waiting for her friend, her eyes on the clock.
 John is painting a wall, his shirt dirty with paint.
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EXERCISE A Draw a line under the prepositional phrases in each of
the following sentences. Then, bold each object of a preposition.
Hint: Some sentences contain more than one prepositional phrase.
Example i. Can I buy the outfit that’s inside the glass case next to the
front door? [Case is the object of the preposition inside, and glass is
an adjective modifying case. Door is the object of the preposition
next to, and front is an adjective modifying door.]
1. According to the study, a traffic signal should be installed next to the
hospital. [Have you underlined two prepositional phrases and their
objects?]
2. Set the orange cones along the edge of the field beside the track.
3. After the trip, were the beach towels covered in sand and
sunscreen?
4. Electric current, during this experiment, will flow around a closed
circuit.
5. Jessica is riding a blue skateboard with long, red flames painted on
its top.
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EXERCISE B Draw a line under the adjective phrases in each of the
following sentences. Then, italicize the noun or pronoun that each
adjective phrase modifies. Hint: Some sentences contain more than
one adjective phrase.
Examples i. This is a program with many options. [This adjective
phrase tells what kind of program.]
ii. The house on the hill has a better view. [This adjective phrase tells
which house.]
6. Save our neighbors some of our apples and pears. [Which word
group modifies an indefinite
pronoun?]
7. The flags in the stadium fluttered as the breeze picked up. [Which
word group modifies a plural
noun?]
8. Everyone except Clara and me will be there.
9. People in the audience laughed when the comedians began
dancing.
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.10. Bring me the notepad on the counter, please.
11. Ants are amazing insects with clear divisions of labor.
12. The benches near the bus stop are usually empty.
13. It is the one with the gold label.
14. Are you sure that this is the right park on Fourth Street?
15. Mateo carefully vacuumed the edge of the carpet along the
baseboards.
EXERCISE A Underline each adverb phrase in the following
sentences.
Example i. During the previews and the movie, they sat silently. [The
adverb phrase During the previews and the movie modifies the verb
sat by telling when they sat.]
1. Hey, your little brother plays baseball well for a third-grader. [Which
word group modifies an adverb by telling how?]
2. Without a diagram, we knew where the battery was located.
3. Five quarters are lying in front of that grate.
4. The car is pretty dusty from that last sandstorm.
5. Why don’t you sit next to me and Yoko?
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EXERCISE B Underline the adverb phrase in each of the following
sentences. Then, bold the verb, adverb, or adjective that the adverb
phrase modifies.
Examples i. The car stopped with a screech. [The adverb phrase with
a screech modifies the verb stopped by telling how the car stopped.]
ii. Before the fifth grade, didn’t Jody like broccoli? [The adverb phrase
Before the fifth grade modifies the verb did like by telling when Jody
liked broccoli.]
6. The cattle wandered beyond the gate. [Have you drawn a line under
the adverb phrase telling where about a verb? Have you drawn two
lines under the verb that the phrase modifies?]
7. Shouldn’t we return the toaster because of the scratch? [Have you
drawn a line under the adverb phrase telling why about a verb? Have
you drawn two lines under the verb that the phrase modifies?]
8. My little sister sits between our parents on long rides.
9. The swim team won the second freestyle race by one-quarter
second.
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10. Along the pond’s edges, silvery minnows darted.
11. Under the sofa we found my library book.
12. The holiday decorations are in the storage room.
13. Calm for such a young dog, Max watched us play catch.
14. For luck, Chen kept the rusted horseshoe he found.
15. Green against the plant’s leaves, the lizard cautiously waited.
EXERCISE A Underline any participles used as adjectives in the
following sentences. Hint: Sentences may have more than one
participle.
Example i. The faded photograph reminded Ms. Caroline of her
thrilling past. [The past participle faded modifies photograph, and the
present participle thrilling modifies past.]
1. The smell of baking bread filled the house. [Which word helps to
describe a noun in this sentence?]
2. The hiking group rested under a blazing sun.
3. Should we add two beaten eggs to the simmering mixture?
 PHRASES. QUIZ
4. The purring cat sat lazily watching the lit candle.
5. A budding friendship may be lost over a broken promise or betrayed
confidence.
EXERCISE B Underline each participial phrase in the following
sentences. Then, bold the noun or pronoun that the participial
phrase modifies.
Examples 1. The cat, adopted by a friendly family, had been at the
shelter for more than a month. [The past participle adopted and the
prepositional phrase by a friendly family together form a participial
phrase that modifies the noun cat.]
2. Building quickly, the clouds towered overhead. [The present
participle Building and its modifier quickly form a participial phrase
that modifies the noun clouds.]
6. Most courses are open to anyone registered at our school. [Have
you underlined the past participle and prepositional phrase that
together form a participial phrase in this sentence? Have you drawn
two lines under the pronoun modified by the phrase?]
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7. Following quietly, the wolf watched her cubs as they played. [Have
you underlined the present participle and adverb that together form a
participial phrase in this sentence? Have you drawn two lines under
the noun modified by the phrase?]
8. Won’t the person programming the video game have to work
carefully with the artists?
9. Because of a defect, CDs bearing this imprint must be sent back to
the manufacturer.
10. The newspaper received a number of letters from readers
concerned about the issue.
11. Celebrated on January 6, Three Kings’ Day means presents to the
children of Puerto Rico.
12. Do you know anyone acquainted with this neighborhood?
13. Beside a stream filled with salmon, the bears took up their
positions.
14. Someone watching for the guest of honor’s arrival was at the door.
15. The director’s experimental version of Romeo and Juliet will be
staged on a set resembling a space station near Jupiter.
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EXERCISE A Underline each gerund in the following sentences.
Examples 1. Do you like dancing? [The gerund dancing functions as
the direct object of the verb Do like.]
2. Sleeping occupies a lot of Tani’s time. [The gerund Sleeping is the
subject of the verb occupies.]
1. Give baby-sitting your full attention. [Which word functions as the
indirect object of the verb Give?]
2. How easy diving looks! [Which word functions as the subject of this
sentence?]
3. The field is so muddy that the halfbacks will have to really watch out
for slipping.
4. Cooking has become a popular activity around our house.
5. When is Lio going to finish her exploring?
6. The helicopter’s pilot wants to continue flying.
7. On our scavenger hunt, what great scrounging we did!
8. Soon after he took up the sport, his main interest became riding.
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EXERCISE B Underline each gerund phrase in the following
sentences.
Examples 1. Navigating by the stars can be an exciting activity for a
mariner or pilot. [The gerund phrase acts as the sentence’s subject.]
2. Megan started collecting stamps a long time ago. [The gerund
phrase acts as the direct object of the verb started.]
11. Training your puppy may result in a better-behaved adult dog.
[Which group of words acts as the subject of this sentence?]
12. By telling a mysterious tale, the librarian kept his visitors interested.
[Which group of words acts as the object of a preposition in this
sentence?]
13. Alexis is going to give listening to classical music another chance.
14. Briefly, Stacy found herself disturbed by shouting from the stands.
15. Maisie said, “I enjoyed talking to you and Mr. Wells.”
16. Running for political office can be expensive.
17. One bond between Mom and Chad has always been watching
hockey games together.
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18. Now the mouse seems to be giving darting across the room a try.
19. The frog outside my window enjoys croaking during the early evening.
20. Isn’t your hobby trading baseball cards?
EXERCISE B Underline each infinitive phrase in the following sentences.
Hint: A sentence may have more than one infinitive phrase.
Examples 1. To confirm our reservations, should we dial the number to the
hotel? [The infinitive phrase acts as an adverb explaining why we should
call the number. To, in the phrase to the hotel, is a preposition and not
part of an infinitive.]
2. On the table are the papers to file before five. [The infinitive phrase
includes the prepositional phrase before five.]
1. To discover such a thing must be wonderful! [Have you underlined the
infinitive and its direct object?]
2. The alternator belt has started to whine during acceleration. [Have you
underlined the infinitive and the prepositional phrase that modifies it?]
3. I just called to say hello.
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4. Do you want to play the inning or watch from the bench?
5. Was this essay written to persuade readers, to entertain them, or to
describe an event?
6. The buds on these trees look ready to sprout into leaves.
7. The children laughed to see the baby goats’ antics.
8. It was easy to find the problem’s solution.
9. My aunt always tells me, “It is better to begin the journey than put it off.”
10. The water has begun to boil vigorously, so it’s time to start the
spaghetti.
EXERCISE B Underline the appositive phrase in each of the following
sentences.
Examples 1. A bold painter with a fondness for color, she rocketed to fame.
[The appositive
phrase precedes the pronoun it identifies and includes the article A, the
noun painter, the adjective bold, and the adjective phrase with a
fondness for color.]
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2. I live on Fifty-seventh Street, the greatest place in the world. [The
appositive phrase includes the article the, the noun place, the adjective
greatest, and the prepositional phrase in the world.]
11. Hiram R. Revels, the first African American senator, took Jefferson
Davis’s former seat in the Senate. [What phrase helps to identify the
sentence’s subject, Hiram R.Revels?]
12. Doesn’t Sonia Quintana, photographer for the yearbook, have a home
darkroom? [What word group identifies Sonia Quintana?]
13. The restaurant serves a daily special, a vegetable medley with ranch
dip.
14. Right away, we fell in love with the house, a three-story fixer-upper with
a wooden frame and gingerbread trim.
15. The dormitory room was furnished with two chairs, both from a local
flea market.
16. She was Juana Inés de la Cruz, a woman of letters and a student of
science in the 1600s.
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17. A gift from my grandmother, the Chinese vase is several hundred years
old.
18. The arctic region from Siberia to Greenland, the longest piece of land in
the world with one language and culture, is unique.
19. The song was written by my brother, a student of Irish folk music.
20. Anew perspective, a bird’s-eye view of the situation, might help.