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Phrases & Clauses

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46 views34 pages

Phrases & Clauses

Uploaded by

jpgalgamuwa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Phrases

Phrases
A phrase is a group of words that work
together as a single unit within a sentence.
A phrase does not contain both a subject and
a verb, which means it doesn’t stand alone as
a complete sentence. Instead, it acts as a
part of a sentence.

There are different types of phrases, each


with its own function in a sentence.
1. Noun Phrase (NP)

2. Verb Phrase (VP)

3. Adjective Phrase (AdjP)

4. Adverbial Phrase (AdvP)

5. Prepositional Phrase (PP)

6. Genitive Phrases
1. Noun Phrase (NP)

A noun phrase consists of a noun and its modifiers


(adjectives, determiners, etc.). It acts as a noun
within a sentence.

Example:

The big, brown dog barked loudly.

"The big, brown dog" is the noun phrase. The noun


is "dog," and "the," "big," and "brown" are the
modifiers.
More Examples:

A beautiful garden is behind the house.


My favorite book is on the shelf.
2. Verb Phrase (VP)

A verb phrase consists of a verb and its modifiers


(adverbs, objects, etc.). It functions as the action or
state of being in the sentence.

Example:
The dog was barking loudly.

"Was barking loudly" is the verb phrase. "Was


barking" is the verb, and "loudly" is the adverb
modifying the verb.
More Examples:

She is reading a book.


They have been waiting for hours.
3. Adjective Phrase (AdjP)

An adjective phrase is a group of words that


function
3 as an adjective, modifying a noun or
pronoun.

Example:
The book was very interesting.

"Very interesting" is the adjective phrase. The


adjective is "interesting," and "very" is the
intensifier.

More Examples:
The house was extremely beautiful.
He is quite tall for his age.
. Adverbial Phrase (AdvP)

An adverbial
4 phrase is a group of words that
function as an adverb, modifying a verb, adjective,
or other adverb. These phrases explain "how,"
"when," "where," or "to what extent."

Example:
She spoke with great enthusiasm.

"With great enthusiasm" is an adverbial phrase. It


modifies the verb "spoke.“

More Examples:
He ran as fast as he could.
They arrived after the party.
5. Prepositional Phrase (PP)

A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition


and includes the object of the preposition (a noun
or pronoun) and any modifiers. It functions as an
adjective or adverb.

Example:
The cat is on the table.

"On the table" is the prepositional phrase. "On" is


the preposition, and "the table" is its object.

More Examples:
She walked through the park.
The book is under the bed.
6. Genitive Phrases

A genitive phrase is a type of grammatical structure that shows possession


or a relationship between nouns. In English, we often use an apostrophe
followed by an "s" (’s) to indicate the genitive case or possession. The
genitive phrase typically consists of a possessor (the owner) and a
possessed item (the thing being owned).
Key Characteristics:
Possessor (Owner): The noun or pronoun showing ownership.
Possessed Item: The thing or person being owned or associated with the
possessor.
Apostrophe and "s" (’s): Used to indicate possession.
Examples of Genitive Phrases:
The girl's bike

"The girl" is the possessor, and "bike" is the possessed item.


This means the bike belongs to the girl.
John's car

"John" is the possessor, and "car" is the possessed item.


The teacher’s desk

"The teacher" is the possessor, and "desk" is the possessed item.


Plural Genitive Phrases:
If the possessor is plural and ends in "s," the apostrophe is placed after the "s" to
indicate possession.
Examples:
The students' books (the books belong to the students)
The teachers' meeting (the meeting is for the teachers)
Other Forms of Genitive:
Of-phrase: In English, possession can also be shown using the preposition "of,"
especially with inanimate objects or abstract concepts.
The roof of the house (instead of "the house's roof")
The color of the sky (instead of "the sky's color")
Uses of the Genitive Phrase:
Ownership: "Sarah's phone" (The phone belongs to Sarah).
Relationships: "The dog's owner" (The owner has a relationship with the dog).
Descriptions: "A day's work" (Work that lasts for a day).
Part-whole relationships: "The book's cover" (The cover is part of the book).
Key Point:
A genitive phrase is essential for showing possession, relationships, or associations
between two nouns in English, whether through the use of "’s" or "of."
7. Infinitive Phrase

An infinitive phrase includes the infinitive


form of a verb ("to" + base form of the verb)
and its complements or modifiers. It can act
as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Example:
He likes to play the guitar.

"To play the guitar" is the infinitive phrase.


"To play" is the infinitive verb, and "the
guitar" is its complement.

More Examples:
She came here to learn English.
His goal is to become a doctor.
. Gerund Phrase

A gerund phrase consists of a gerund (a verb


ending in -ing that functions as a noun) and any
modifiers or objects it may have. It acts as a noun
in the sentence.

Example:
Running in the park is my favorite activity.

"Running in the park" is the gerund phrase.


"Running" is the gerund, and "in the park" is its
modifier.

More Examples:
Reading books is enjoyable.
She enjoys swimming in the pool.
8. Participle Phrase

A participle phrase includes a participle (a


verb form used as an adjective) and its
modifiers or objects. It functions as an
adjective, describing a noun.

Example:
Smiling brightly, she greeted the audience.

"Smiling brightly" is the participle phrase,


with "smiling" as the participle describing
"she.“

More Examples:
Broken by the storm, the tree fell down.
Having finished the exam, he relaxed.
Key Points to Remember:

Phrases do not have both a subject and a verb, so


they are not complete sentences.

They can serve various roles in a sentence, such as


acting as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.

Modifiers within a phrase provide additional


information about the main word (noun, verb, etc.)
in the phrase.
Clauses
Clauses
A clause is a group of words that contains both a
subject and a verb. Unlike a phrase, which does
not have both of these elements, a clause can
sometimes stand alone as a complete sentence.

There are two main types of clauses: independent


clauses and dependent (subordinate) clauses. Let’s
break them down with examples.
1. Independent Clause
1.Independent Clause
An independent clause (also called a main clause)
can stand alone as a complete sentence because it
expresses a complete thought. It contains a
subject and a verb.

Example:
She reads books.

"She" is the subject, and "reads" is the verb. This


clause expresses a complete idea and can stand
alone.

More Examples:
I like ice cream.
They are playing football.
2.Dependent Clause (Subordinate
Clause)
A dependent clause cannot stand alone as a
complete sentence because it does not express a
complete thought. It also contains a subject and a
verb, but it relies on an independent clause to
make sense.

Dependent clauses often begin with words like


because, although, if, when, that, which, etc.
These are called subordinating conjunctions or
relative pronouns.

Example:
Because she reads books, she is very
knowledgeable.

"Because she reads books" is a dependent clause.


It has a subject ("she") and a verb ("reads"), but it
doesn’t form a complete sentence by itself. It
needs the independent clause, "she is very
knowledgeable.“
1.Adverbial Clause
An adverbial clause functions as an adverb in the
sentence. It modifies the verb by explaining when,
why, how, or under what conditions something
happens.

Example:
When the rain stopped, we went outside.

"When the rain stopped" is an adverbial clause


modifying the verb "went" by telling us when the
action happened.

More Examples:
Because he was late, he missed the bus.
Although it was raining, they played the match.
2)Adjective Clause (Relative
Clause)
An adjective clause functions as an adjective and
modifies a noun or pronoun in the sentence. It
often begins with relative pronouns like who,
whom, whose, which, or that.

Example:
The book that you gave me is very interesting.

"That you gave me" is an adjective clause


modifying the noun "book.“

More Examples:
The girl who won the prize is my sister.
This is the movie that I told you about.
3. Noun Clause
A noun clause functions as a noun within a
sentence. It can act as the subject, object, or
complement in a sentence. Noun clauses often
begin with words like that, what, whatever, who,
whom, whomever, whether, etc.

Example:
What he said surprised everyone.

"What he said" is a noun clause acting as the


subject of the sentence.

More Examples:
I don’t know where she is.
The teacher believes that you can succeed.

Combining Independent and Dependent Clauses


When combining an independent clause with a
dependent clause, you need to use proper
punctuation. This is especially important when the
dependent clause comes first in the sentence.
1. Dependent Clause + Independent Clause

When a dependent clause comes before the


independent clause, a comma is usually used to
separate them.

Example:
Because she was tired, she went to bed early.
2. Independent Clause + Dependent Clause

When an independent clause comes first, no


comma is needed (in most cases).

Example:
She went to bed early because she was tired.

Types of Sentences Based on Clauses


Depending on the number and types of clauses in
a sentence, we can classify sentences into four
types:
1. Simple Sentence

A simple sentence has only one independent


clause.

Example:
She runs every morning.

This is one independent clause, so it’s a simple


sentence.
2. Compound Sentence

A compound sentence has two or more


independent clauses joined by a coordinating
conjunction (and, but, or, so, yet, for, nor) or a
semicolon.

Example:
She runs every morning, and she swims every
afternoon.

Two independent clauses: "She runs every


morning" and "She swims every afternoon" joined
by "and."
3. Complex Sentence

A complex sentence has one independent clause


and at least one dependent clause.

Example:
She runs every morning because she enjoys it.

Independent clause: "She runs every morning."


Dependent clause: "because she enjoys it."
4. Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence has at least two


independent clauses and one or more dependent
clauses.

Example:
She runs every morning because she enjoys it, and
she swims every afternoon when the pool is open.

Independent clauses: "She runs every morning"


and "She swims every afternoon."
Dependent clauses: "because she enjoys it" and
"when the pool is open."
Key Points to Remember:

• Independent clauses express a complete


thought and can stand alone as sentences.

• Dependent clauses cannot stand alone and need


an independent clause to make sense.

• Clauses can act as adverbs, adjectives, or nouns


depending on their role in the sentence.

• Complex and compound-complex sentences


combine different clauses to add depth and
complexity to writing.

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