PHRASES REVIEW

Rules for the Review1. Identify the underlined phrase (then click for

the answer)

2. Depending on the type of phrase, answer the questions (listed on the next slide)

3. Each time you click the mouse the answer to the question will appear.

4. Rinse and repeat.

Questions for the Phrases Prepositional

Phrase What is it

modifying? How is it acting?

Appositive Phrase What is it

renaming? Participle Phrase

What is it modifying?

Gerund Phrase How is the noun

acting? Infinitive Phrase

Noun? How is the noun

acting? Adverb?

What is it modifying?

Adjective? What is it

modifying?

This is a story about my cat Spot.

Appositive Renames “cat”

To understand this story better, I need to provide some background information.

Infinitive Acting as an adverb (you can move it)

The adverb is modifying the word “need”

Defining my cat is no easy task, you see.

Gerund Acting as the subject of the sentence

Spot is actually, secretly, by the glow of the moon, Darth Kitty.

Prepositional Modifying the word “glow”

Acting as an adjective

Darth Kitty did not start his life with me in Iowa…

Prepositional Modifying the words “did start”

Acting as an adverb

…it had been the family’s job to keep the lighthouse working…

Infinitive Acting as adjective

Modifying the word “job”

Now, in this family was a little girl, Suzie, and Spot (as he was originally known)

belonged to her.

Appositive Renaming the word “girl”

…Timmy was a jerk who loved tormenting Suzie.

Gerund Acting as a direct object

…when Timmy got bored he would make fun of Suzie playing with Spot.

Participle Modifying the word “Suzie”

But Timmy’s favorite trick was to tell Suzie that Spot had seen a huge fish out in the

lake…

Infinitive Acting as a noun

The noun is acting as a predicate nominative

Falling for such tricks every time, Suzie would cry and cry over poor lost Spot.

Participle Modifying the word “Suzie”

…Spot, the cat, would always be found to have just been sitting in the woods by the

pile of brush…

Appositive Renaming the word “Spot”

…Suzie’s brother, Timmy, would always burn with anger…

Appositive Renaming the word “brother”

…Timmy needed to do something drastic, something real.

Infinitive Acting as a noun

The noun is acting as a direct object

Suzie was looking for pebbles to add to her collection…,

Infinitive Acting as an adjective

The adjective is modifying the word “pebbles”

“…I have something to show you, kitty.”

Infinitive Acting as an adjective

The adjective is modifying the word “something”

Tilting his head in a curious kitty kind of way, Spot decided that this new boy was

more interesting than the mice…

Participle Modifying the word “Spot”

…Suzie was down by the water…

Prepositional Acting as an adverb

Modifying the word “down”

Putting on his best look of feigned horror, Timmy ran down to the shore…

Participle Modifying the word “Timmy”

“…I tried to help him, but…”

Infinitive Acting as a noun

The noun is acting as a direct object

Realizing this in an instant, Suzie’s doubt rushed away to be replaced with utter

horror…

Participle Modifying the word “Suzie”

… he had never tried to get under her skin…

Infinitive Acting as a noun

The noun is acting as a direct object

Suzie dropped her pebbles at her feet and started to run…

Prepositional Acting as an adverb

The adverb is modifying the word “dropped”

She knew exactly where to look because Spot always sat at the same stack of

sticks…

Infinitive Acting as an adjective

The adjective is modifying the word “where”

…she couldn’t stop the tears from coming any longer…

Gerund The noun is acting like an object of the

preposition

Punching Timmy in the face was new for Suzie, but it felt so good…

Gerund The noun is acting as the subject of the

sentence

…once Betty and Gradon, Timmy and Suzies’s mother and father, found out

about Spot…

Appositive Renaming the words “Betty and Gradon”

Not having any friends to play with while growing up is hard on little boys and little

girls…

Gerund The noun is acting like the subject of the

sentence

…then Timmy would get flogged for acting so stupidly all the times…

Gerund The noun is acting as an object of the

preposition

“I want to bury Spot at sea, like a sailor…”

Infinitive Acting as a noun

The noun is acting as a direct object

…he’d rather play his favorite game, Cowboys and Indians.

Appositive Renaming the word “game”

Singing had always been one of Suzie’s favorite things…

Gerund Acting as the subject of the sentence

…Timmy began to plot once more…

Infinitive Acting like a noun

The noun is acting like a direct object

Fuming over his mother and father’s doting, Timmy wanted to do something…

Participle Modifying the word “Timmy”

…his brain was filled with thoughts of singing to kitties…

Gerund The noun is acting as an object of the

preposition

Jumping up out of bed, he ran down the hall way and stood at Suzie’s door…

Participle Modifying the word “he”

The smoldering coals sat for a moment, and then jumped into tiny little flames.

Participle Modifying the word “coals”

Running down the stairs, his father saw his son in the room surrounded by fire…

Participle Modifying the word “father” 

Turning around revealed Suzie was not behind her…

Gerund The noun is acting as the subject of the

sentence

…the fire spread quickly and soon the whole house started to burn.

Infinitive Acting as an adverb

Modifying the word “started”

Waking up coughing, Suzie could smell the smoke and feel heat…

Participle Modifying the word “Suzie”

…as she started to black out, all she could think of was her little kitty…

Infinitive Acting as an adverb

The adverb is modifying the word “started”

Expecting to die is a horrible thing to experience, but surviving is even better…

Gerund Noun is acting as the subject of the

sentence

Crying and crying was her little kitty Spot when Suzie opened her eyes.

Gerund The noun is acting as the subject of the

sentence

Looking just as he had before Timmy had gotten a hold of him, Spot was purring and

nuzzling the top of his head into her mouth.

Participle Modifying the word “Spot”

Then she realized that everywhere her cat Spot stepped Spot left a wet mark on the

floor…

Appositive Renaming the word “cat”

Staggering to her feet was hard for Suzie…

Gerund The noun is acting as the subject of the

sentence

“Spot move!” she shouted suddenly feeling the fiery walls close in about her.

Participle Modifying the word “she”

…she stooped to pick him up and the smell of a burning house filled her nose.

Infinitive Acting as an adverb

The adverb is modifying the word “stooped”

Stiffening up her courage, Suzie staggered forward…

Participle Modifying the word “Suzie”

…only a few feet stood between her and the door and even though the way was filled with more fire than anywhere else,

she closed her eyes and ran forward.

Prepositional Modifying the word “stood”

Acting as an adverb

Her first thought was to not crush her newly returned pet…

Participle Modifying the word “pet”

She turned to see her family, mother and father clutching each other, and brother,

Timmy, trying to hide a smirk.

Appositive Renaming the word “brother”

…it smelled like iron and salt, and fish washed up on the shore…

Participle Modifying the word “fish”

…he didn’t stop until he was covered by the freezing waves and the dark of the waters that holds so many of the dead.

Prepositional Modifying the word “dark”

Acting as an adjective