CHAPTER 3 PHRASES

Objectives:
 Identify the different kinds of phrases and their functions in sentences.
 Distinguish the types of phrases in every sentence.
 Form relevant sentences using different kinds of phrases.
Pre-activities:
Identify each highlighted group of words by writing one of these labels: participial phrase, infinitive
phrase, gerund phrase, appositive phrase, absolute phrase, prepositional phrase.
1. Emily Dickinson wrote about deep personal feelings.
2. One flower, a giant water lily, has leaves large enough to support a
child.
3. Lacking wheels, the car sat in the side yard.
4. The crew’s mission is to go boldly where no one has gone before.
5. I feel a strong need to work in the garden for a while.
6. A typical tree receives ten percent of its nutrition from the soil.
7. It can be difficult to forgive cruel people.
8. Finn, standing in the cold stream, didn’t catch one fish.
9. My head swimming, I got groggily to my feet and brushed off my
pants.
10. I hate feeling lost.

3.1 PHRASE

A phrase is a group of words that stands together as a single grammatical unit, typically as part of a
clause or a sentence.
A phrase does not contain a subject and verb and, consequently, cannot convey a complete thought.
A phrase contrasts with a clause. A clause does contain a subject and verb, and it can convey a
complete idea.
A phrase is a group of words that express a concept and is used as a unit within a sentence.

Examples of Phrases
Let's start with a sentence that has no phrases and then build some in.
1. Janet eats cakes daily.
(This sentence has no phrase. All of the parts of the sentence are single words.)
2. My cousin Janet eats cakes daily.
(Now we have a phrase. It's a three-word phrase functioning as the subject of this sentence. Note
that the phrase itself does not contain its own subject and verb.)
3. My cousin Janet eats cakes during the week.
(We've added another phrase. This one also has three words, but it is functioning as an adverb.)
4. My cousin Janet was eating cakes during the week.
(We've added another phrase. This one has two words. It is a multi-word verb.)
5. My cousin Janet was eating cream cakes from the bakery during the week.
(We've added another phrase. This one has five words. It is functioning as a direct object in this
sentence.)

The examples above prove that phrases function as one single unit within a sentence. But, let's look a little
closer. The term "cream cakes from the bakery" has its own embedded phrase ("from the bakery"). This is
a prepositional phrase describing the "cream cakes." So, it's possible to have a phrase within a phrase. It's
common in fact. There's more. The words "was eating cream cakes from the bakery during the week" is
also classified a phrase. It's called a verb phrase. (A verb phrase consists of a verb and all its modifiers.
Those modifiers could also be phrases, as they are in this example.)
 Eight common types of phrases are: noun phrase, verb phrase, gerund, infinitive phrase, participial
phrase, appositive phrase, prepositional phrase, and absolute phrase. 

3.2 NOUN PHRASE

A noun phrase consists of a noun and all its modifiers. Noun phrases are groups of words that function like
a noun. Typically, they act as subjects, objects, or prepositional objects in a sentence. While that might
seem tricky to grasp, the best way to understand these useful phrases is to see them in action. Let's take a
closer look at the foundation of these phrases and nouns, and explore the different ways noun phrases can
be used.
Examples:
1. The spotted puppy is up for adoption.
(Noun phrase as a subject)
2. The bohemian house was brightly decorated for the holidays.
(Noun phrase as a subject)
3. At the zoo, I saw a striped zebra.
(Noun phrase as an object to the verb "saw")
4. I want a cute puppy for Christmas.
(Noun phrase as an object to the verb "want")
5. Mary lives in an eclectic household.
(Noun phrase as a prepositional object; preposition = "in")

3.3 VERB PHRASE

A verb phrase consists of an auxiliary or helping verb and a main verb. The helping verb always precedes
the main verb.
A helping verb includes forms of be, such as am, is, are, was, were, being, and been; forms of have, such
as has and had; forms of do, such as does and did; forms of can, could, will, would, and shall should; and
forms of  may,  might, and must.
Examples:
1. Despite our reservations, we did go out in the snowstorm.
(Did go is the verb phrase. Did is the helping verb, and go is the main verb.)
2. Uma is coming with us to the movie.
(Is coming is the verb phrase. Is is the helping verb, and coming is the main verb.)
3. We will distribute pamphlets as part of our presentation.
(Will distribute is the verb phrase. Will is the helping verb, and distribute is the main verb.)
4. Ethan should take his watch to get repaired.
(Should take is the verb phrase. Should is the helping verb, and take is the main verb.)
5. We have gotten a lot of rainfall lately.
(Have gotten is the verb phrase. Have is the helping verb, and gotten is the main verb.)

3.4 VERBAL PHRASE

Verb phrases can only be used as verbs in a sentence. This might be confusing when you see verbal
phrases, which are phrases that use verbs and the words that follow them as nouns, adverbs and
adjectives. These verbal phrases do not show the action of the verb; that’s the verb phrase’s job.
A verbal is a verb from that functions in a sentence as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
A verbal phrase is a verbal plus any complements and modifiers.
Verbal phrases include infinitive phrases, participial phrases and gerund phrases. Don’t be fooled by these
tricky verbals. Just because they use verbs doesn’t mean they are verb phrases. Understanding the
difference between verb phrases and verbal phrases is especially helpful when diagramming sentences or
proofreading writing.
Verbal are participles, gerunds, and infinitives. Each of these can be expanded into phrases.
PARTICIPLES AND PARTICIPIAL PHRASES

A participle is a verb form that can function as an adjective. A participle has two kinds: present
participle and past participle.
Past participles likely end in -ed, -en, or –t, whereas present participles always ends in -ing.

A past participle is something like "baked," "forgotten," or "burnt." In a sentence, a past participle
would read, "I have baked chocolate chip cookies all my life."

A present participle is something like "walking," "reading," or "sipping." In a sentence, a present

participle would read, "I am reading a book."

The difficulty arises when we try to pinpoint irregular past participles. These contain irregular verbs that
don't adhere to the -ed rule. Examples include "eaten" (instead of "eated") or "ran" (instead of
"runned"). In a sentence, an irregular past participle would read, "I have eaten tamales all my life."

Examples:
1. The baseball team is on a losing streak.
[present participle as an adjective]
2. The winded runner stopped to rest.
[past participle as an adjective]
3. The fallen trees were remnants of a devastating storm.
[irregular past participle and present participle as adjectives]

With a firm grasp on participles, let's take a look at an amplified version: participial phrases.

A participial phrase starts with a participle and includes other modifiers and direct objects (or subject
complements). The good news is participial phrases only have one function: they act as adjectives. And
adjectives only modify nouns or pronouns.

The formula for a participial phrase goes something like this: participle + modifiers + direct object (or
subject complement).

Let's break down our first example:

Cooking her own dinners for a year, Medusa managed to save over $500.

In this sentence, Medusa is the subject. It's all about her. Typically, subjects are the first thing we see in
a sentence. However, participial phrases spice things up a bit, offering unique details even before we
meet the subject. Note that it's best to place the participial phrase close to the word it's modifying.
Now, we already know a little bit about Medusa. She cooked her own dinners for an entire year. Then,
the sentence completes itself with the infinitive verb "to save" and closes off with the direct object, $500.
Nice and easy, right?

Of course, participial phrases don't have to appear at the start of the sentence. The point is that
they always modify nouns or pronouns and like to stick close to the noun/pronoun. Here are four more
examples:

1. Brewing a lovely pot of tea, Grace also decided to indulge in two butter cookies.
(describing the subject, Grace)
2. Rocky Balboa, beaten within an inch of his life, stood up and kept fighting.
(describing the subject, Rocky Balboa)
3. I closed the curtains after I spotted the trees dancing in the shadows
(describing the noun trees)
4. Played by millions, soccer is popular all around the world.
(describing the subject, soccer)
.
GERUND AND GERUND PHRASES

Gerunds are the elusive shape shifters of the English language. They are created out of verbs, but
function as nouns. For example: "Do you mind my borrowing these supplies?" At a quick
glance, borrowing could easily be labelled as a verb. However, when working as a gerund, borrowing is
now a noun.

One way to spot a gerund is to notice that they always end in -ing. Just remember they're not the only
players in the game ending in -ing. Present participles (verbs indicating continuous activity) also end in
-ing. For example: "I was sitting there." Sitting looks like and acts like a verb in this instance.

Gerunds can function as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of prepositions, and predicate
nouns.

Let's take a look at some examples which will clarify these unique members of the English language.
Remember, in every instance below, the gerund is working as a noun.
Gerunds as subjects:
 Reading is relaxing.
 Writing is an exchange of ideas.
Gerunds as direct objects:
 I love reading. (verb = love; love what? reading)
 Patrick likes photographing nature. (verb = likes; likes what? photographing)
Gerunds as indirect objects:
 I never gave reading enough of a chance. (verb = gave; gave chance to what? reading)
 Last week, I made studying my priority. (verb = made; made priority to what? studying)
Gerunds as objects of prepositions:
 My love for reading was immediate. (preposition = for)
 By reading, we can explore new worlds. (preposition = by)
Gerunds as predicate nouns:
 Dawn's favorite activity is reading. (Reading is identifying the noun "activity.")
 Her occupation is writing. (Writing is identifying the noun "occupation.")

A gerund phrase starts with a gerund which typically ends in -ing, and always functions as a noun.
Although both gerund and a present participle end in in –ing, they function as different parts of speech.
A gerund is used as a noun, whereas a present participle is used as a part of a verb phrase or as an
adjective.

Let's take a look at a sample of each:

 The baby panda bear enjoys somersaulting through the leaves. (gerund phrase)

In this example, "somersaulting through the trees" is the direct object of the action verb "enjoys." Direct
objects are always nouns, as they're the person, place, thing, or idea receiving the action of the verb.

 Somersaulting through the leaves, the baby panda bear exhibited pure bliss. (participial
phrase)

In this example, "somersaulting through the trees" is providing added detail about the subject of the
sentence: the baby panda bear.

Now, consider this variation:

 "I smiled when I saw the baby panda bear somersaulting through the leaves."
Still, we're looking at a participial phrase because "somersaulting through the leaves" is telling us more
about the noun, the baby panda bear.

INFINITIVES AND INFINITIVE PHRASES

An infinitive is essentially the base form of a verb with the word "to" in front of it. When you use an
infinitive verb, the "to" is a part of the verb. It is not acting as a preposition in this case.

Infinitives are never conjugated with -ed or -ing at the end because they are not used as verbs in a
sentence. They’re one of the three types of verbals, which are verbs used as an adjective, noun or
adverb. 

Infinitives include the basic (unconjugated) form of a verb, but they don’t function the same way. The
most basic form of a verb is the base form. The base form is just the verb, without the "to." You’ll see
verbs in their basic forms in the dictionary, but not in written sentences that require conjugation. 

When you use the word “to” before the base form of a verb, to is not a preposition but part of
the infinitive form of the verb.

You can use infinitives in several ways. Because they function as nouns, adjectives and adverbs, they
can appear almost anywhere.

Examples:

 To volunteer is rewarding. [infinitive as subject]

 No one wants to leave. [infinitive as direct object]
 Their decision was to merge. [infinitive as predicate nominative]
 I felt the need to call. [infinitive as adjective]
 Everyone was prepared to sacrifice. [infinitive as adverb]

Infinitive phrase contains an infinitive plus any complements and modifiers.

Examples:
 Would you prefer to sleep until noon?
 To speak slowly and clearly is important.
 We plan to work safely and effectively.

Occasionally, an infinitive phrase may have its own subject.

Examples:
 Our neighbor encourages the dog to bark.
[Dog is the subject of the infinitive to bark. The entire infinitive phrase the dog to bark act as the
direct object of the sentence.]
 The teacher asked Maria to give a speech.
[Maria is the subject of the infinitive to give. The entire infinitive phrase Maria to give a speech
acts as the direct object of the sentence.]
Note that the subject of the infinitive phrase comes between the main verb and the infinitive. The
subject of an infinitive phrase always follows an action verb.
Sometimes the word “to” is dropped before an infinitive.
Examples:
 Let me [to] do the dishes.
 We could have heard a pin [to] drop.
3.5 PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE

A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or a
pronoun which is called the object of the preposition. Prepositional phrases modify nouns and verbs
while indicating various relationships between subjects and verbs. They are used to color and inform
sentences in powerful ways.

Examples are:
 The book was on the table.
 We camped by the brook.
 He knew it was over the rainbow.
 She was lost in the dark of night.
 He was between a rock and a hard place.
Keep reading to learn more about prepositional phrases and how they function in a sentence.
Prepositions are indeclinable words, or words that have only one possible form, that establish the
relationship between words in a sentence. For example, after is a preposition, but afters or aftering are
not possible forms of after.
The noun phrase or pronoun that follows the preposition is called the object of the preposition. For
example, “behind the couch” is a prepositional phrase where behind is the preposition and the noun
phrase the couch acts as the object of the preposition. Sometimes adjectives modify the object of the
preposition, as in “behind the big old smelly green couch.”
Examples of the object of a preposition include:
 about my homework
 across the river
 around the corner
 before March
 by myself
 like your brother
 near the grocery store
 of milk and honey
 out the door
 through thick and thin
 to Grandma’s house
The prepositions establish relationships between these objects and other words. For example, in the
sentence “I had a question about my homework,” the preposition “about” connects the words “question”
and “homework.” The whole prepositional phrase modifies “question.”
Prepositions perform three formal functions in sentences. They can act as an adjective modifying a
noun or a pronoun, as an adverb modifying a verb, or as a nominal when used in conjunction with the
verb form to be.
Prepositions Functioning as Adjectives
In the following sentences, prepositional phrases perform the function of modifying the
nouns boat, pen and truck:
 Look at the boat with the blue sail. 
 Please hand me the pen next to the telephone. 
 Have him move the truck with the trailer.

Prepositions Functioning as Adverbs

Adverbs modify verbs by explaining when, where, how, and to what extent something is occurring. In
these examples, notice how the prepositional phrases perform adverbial functions by modifying the
verbs runs, stalled and won.
 The coyote runs after the rabbit. 
  The car stalled despite the tune-up. 
 The team won without the starting quarterback.

Prepositions Functioning as Nominals

In English, sometimes words function as nouns but aren't themselves nouns. These words are called
nominals. Nominals can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a sentence, or the predicate
nominative, which follows a linking verb and explains what the subject is. Nominals are used to give
more specifics than a simple noun. Prepositional phrases sometimes perform this important function in
sentences when they are used in conjunction with the verb to be.
 Next to the hospital is the park.
 The student is between an A and a B. 
 The fight scene is before the second act.
In semantic terms, the function of prepositional phrases is to illustrate a particular relationship between
words. These relationships include spatial, logical or temporal relationships between the object of the
prepositional phrase and the other components of the sentence. 
Spatial Relationships
Spatial relationships tell where something is located relative to another noun.
Consider the following examples:
 The dog is asleep on his bed.
 The dog is asleep under the bed. 
 The dog is asleep next to the bed.
Changing the preposition in each prepositional phrase creates an entirely different sentence. Spatial
relationships work with prepositions that show location such as on, under, next to, behind, above,
out, and between.
Temporal Relationships
Prepositional phrases can establish time relationships, known as temporal relationships, between
nouns. They’re important when clarifying the time period in which an event occurred.
For example:
 The town changed a lot after the war.
 The town changed a lot during the war.
 The town changed a lot before the war.
When you change the preposition, the time period changes as well. Using the correct temporal
preposition, such as after, during, before, since, and while, helps readers understand when your
sentence takes place.
Logical Relationships
If relationships aren’t spatial or temporal, they’re logical. These relationships represent a connection
between two objects that isn’t found in space or time. Prepositions that create logical relationships
including along, as, because of, despite, unlike, except, and from.
For example:
 I graduated high school because of my math teacher.
 I graduated high school despite my math teacher.
 I graduated high school unlike my math teacher.

These prepositional phrases start with prepositions that link “graduated” and “my math teacher.”
However, each sentence makes a completely different connection between them, establishing different
ideas.

Prepositional phrases are wonderful additions to sentences – when used responsibly. There are
no grammar rules that limit how many prepositional phrases one can add to a sentence. Often writers
employ prepositional phrases excessively, creating an almost comical effect in an attempt at over
clarification. The following sentence implements a string of prepositional phrases to modify the
verb stood.

The old farmhouse stood for years, after the revolution, by the fork in the road, beyond the
orange grove, over the wooden bridge, at the farthest edge of the family's land , toward the
 great basin, down in the valley, under the old mining town, outside the city's limits, past the
end of the county maintained road, despite the many storms over the years.

This sentence is grammatically correct, but almost unreadable. It’s important for writers to understand
the forms and functions of prepositional phrases so they can make appropriate stylistic choices.

3.6 APPOSITIVE AND APPOSITIVE PHRASE

An appositive is a noun or a pronoun that is placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify it or give
additional information about it.

Examples:
My sister Jodi works at the hospital.
[The appositive “Jodi” identifies the noun sister.]

Her brother Mark was my childhood friend.

[The appositive “Mark” identifies the noun brother.]

An appositive phrase is an appositive plus any words that modify the appositive.

Examples:
She works with Dr. Martin, an award-winning pediatrician.
[The appositive phrase “an award-winning pediatrician” identifies Dr. Martin.]

Her horse, an Arabian, was her pride and joy.

[The appositive phrase “an Arabian” identifies the noun horse.]

A cheetah, the fastest land animal, can run 70 miles an hour.

[The appositive phrase “the fastest land animal” restates the noun cheetah.]
Use commas to set off any appositive or appositive phrase that is not essential to the meaning of the
sentence.

Examples:
Jodi’s coworker Emma has five children.
[The appositive “Emma” is essential because Jodi has more than one coworker.]

Emma’s husband, Phil, is a carpenter.

[The appositive “Phil” is not essential because Emma has only one husband.]
Usually an appositive or an appositive phrase follows the noun or pronoun it identifies or explains.
Occasionally an appositive phrase precedes the noun or pronoun it identifies.
Example:
A compassionate person, Jodi helps many patients.
An enormous man with great strength, Henry was able to carry the entire pallet of bricks.

3.7 ABSOLUTE PHRASES

An absolute phrase, also known as a nominative absolute, consists of a noun or a pronoun that is
modified by a participle or a participial phrase. An absolute phrase has no grammatical relation to the
rest of the sentence.

An absolute phrase belongs neither to the complete subject nor to the complete predicate of a
sentence. It stands absolutely by itself in relation to the rest of the sentence.

Examples:
We finished our very first yoga class, our souls replenished.
We departed on schedule, the weather being perfect.
 Absolute phrases don't attach themselves to a sentence with a conjunction, all that's needed is a
comma. Typically, these phrases consist of a noun and a modifier. Referring back to our example
above, you'll see there was no conjunction such as "and" before the phrase. Also, there were nouns
(souls and weather) and modifiers (replenished and perfect).

More examples:
Lacy, heart pounding, stepped into his embrace.
Rain pouring against the window, they floated through the night sky.
PHRASES
CHAPTER 3
Worksheet No. 10

Name: Score:
Course & Year: Instructor:

IDENTIFYING PHRASES

Identify each underlined word or group of words in the paragraph by writing one of these labels: participial
phrase, gerund phrase, infinitive phrase, appositive phrase, absolute phrase, prepositional phrase, noun
phrase, or verb phrase.

1. Emily Dickinson wrote about deep personal feelings.

2. One flower, a giant water lily, has leaves large enough to support a
child.
3. Lacking wheels, the car sat in the side yard.
4. The crew’s mission is to go boldly where no one has gone before.
5. I feel a strong need to work in the garden for a while.
6. A typical tree receives ten percent of its nutrition from the soil.
7. It can be difficult to forgive cruel people.
8. Finn, standing in the cold stream, didn’t catch one fish.
9. My head swimming, I got groggily to my feet and brushed off my
pants.
10. I hate feeling lost.
11. George Washington, first president of the United States, is known to
have had false teeth.
12. Myths about presidents being common, many people have said that
Washington’s teeth were made of wood.
13. It was a story as old as time.
14. The lake, frozen over all winter, was finally thawing.
15. He was waiting for the rain to stop.
16. Picnic basket in hand, she set off for her date
17. He won the challenge against all odds.
18. You might enjoy a massage.
19. Strolling along a beach at sunset is romantic.
20. Saturday became a cool, wet afternoon.

Note: This activity will be posted as an assignment in the Edmodo app. Your answers shall be
turned in on the said app only.