THE PHRASE PHASE

9th grade EnglishMrs. Catherine Jones

This week’s topic…phrases!

•Prepositional phrases

•Verbal phrases

•Appositives

What is a phrase?

A phrase is a group of related words that lacks either a subject or a predicate or both.

•amazing triumphs of technology (lacks a predicate)•can be found (lacks a subject)•in ancient civilizations (lacks a subject and predicate)

Amazing triumphs of technology can be found inancient civilizations.

Prepositional phrases

•Consist of a preposition and an object •Function as an adjective or adverb•Used to show relationship•Can be added or deleted without affecting the

meaning or structure of the sentence

Life on a raft was an opportunity for adventure.adj. adj.

Huck Finn rode the raft down the river by choice.adv. adv.

With his companion, Jim, Huck met many types of people.adv. adj.

Test your skill!!Adjective or Adverb

phrase?

The girl with green eyes is my sister.

ANSWER

ADJECTIVE

Test your skill!!Adjective or Adverb

phrase?

The car raced down the street.

ANSWER

ADVERB

Verbals•A verbal is a word that is derived from a verb, has the power of averb, but acts as another part of speech. •Like a verb, a verbal may take an object, a modifier (adj/adv), and sometimes a subject; however, unlike a verb, a verbal functions as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. •Also, a verbal cannot serve as a verb.

Three types of verbals:

•Infinitive•Gerund•Participial

Infinitives

•An infinitive is a verb form that is usually introduced by the word to.

•An infinitive may be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

“To be or not to be, that is the question.”

EXAMPLES

• To succeed is not easy. (noun subject)

• Students are wise to work hard. (adverb)

• The quiet environment of the library encourages the desire to study. (adjective)

Preposition or Infinitive?

• Be sure not to confuse an infinitive--a verbal consisting of to plus a verb--with a prepositional phrase beginning with to, which consists of to plus a noun or pronoun and any modifiers.

Test your skill!!Preposition or Infinitive

phrase?

to fly, to draw, to become, to enter, to stand, to catch, to belong

ANSWER

INFINITIVE

Test your skill!!Preposition or Infinitive

phrase?

to him, to the committee, to my house, to the mountains, to us, to this address

ANSWER

Prepositions

Punctuating the Infinitive

• If the infinitive is used as an adverb and is the beginning phrase in a sentence, it should be set off with a

comma; otherwise, no punctuation is needed for an infinitive phrase.

–To buy a basket of flowers, John had to spend his last dollar.

–To improve your writing, you must consider your purpose and audience.

POINTS TO REMEMBER1.An infinitive is a verbal consisting

of the word to plus a verb; it may be

used as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

2. An infinitive phrase consists of an

infinitive plus modifier(s), object(s), complement(s), and/or actor(s).

3. An infinitive phrase requires a comma

only if it is used as an adverb at the

beginning of a sentence.

“To be or not to be, that is the question.”

Gerunds: A gerund is NOT a gerbil!

A gerund is a verbal that ends in ing

and is used as a noun.

• Therefore, a gerund will occupy some positions in a sentence that a noun ordinarily would, for example: subject, direct object, subject complement, and object of preposition.

Gerund Examples:

• Getting up each morning is the first challenge. (subject)

• Start moving around seven o’clock. (direct object)

• I work at jump-starting my weary system. (object of prep)

• Like Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of life is

showing up.” (predicate noun)

Points to Remember!

1. A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing that is used as a noun.

2. A gerund phrase consists of a gerund plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).

3. Gerunds and gerund phrases virtually never require punctuation.

Participles

•A Participle is not a

Partysicle

Participles

A participle is a verbal ending in ing or ed.•A participle functions as an adjective.

Examples:•The students listening to this lecture are definitely interested.•The prospects of aced tests and improved assignments must be appealing.

WARNING

Your participle is dangling!

A dangling participle (or modifier) does not sensibly modify anything in its sentence.

Test your skill!!Correct or Incorrect?

Walking down the crowded street, the traffic light turned red.

ANSWER

INCORRECT!

Correct: Walking down the crowded street, I noticed the traffic light turning red.

POINTS TO REMEMBER• A participle is a verbal ending in -ing

(present) or -ed, -en, -d, -t, or -n (past) that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun.

• 2. A participial phrase consists of a participle plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).

POINTS TO REMEMBER3. Participles and participial phrases must be

placed as close to the nouns or pronouns they modify as possible, and those nouns or pronouns must be clearly stated.

4. A participial phrase is set off with commas when it: a) comes at the beginning of a sentence, b) interrupts a sentence as a nonessential element, or c) comes at the end of a sentence and is separated from the word it modifies.

Other phrases: APPOSITIVES Appositive does not mean “I am certain!”

Ugh yea. I’m appositive!

Do you know the answer?

Appositive phrases•An appositive is usually a noun that renames another noun; it also adds new information about the noun it follows.•An appositive phrase also includes modifiers.•Appositives and appositive phrases sometimes begin with:

that is, such as, for example, or in other words.

Appositive phrases: Examples

Examples:•Mrs. Jones, my English teacher, is a bibliophile.

•Books, for example Ulysses and Paradise Lost, inspire her.

EXAMPLES

POINTS to REMEMBER!

• An Appositive can be essential or non-essential. Commas are used to set off non-essential appositives.

• EX:

Enough about phrases!

HOMEWORK:You guessed it…

1. Study for your test 2. Check my web-page!

I will upload a list of funny misplaced modifiers and this PowerPoint!