The Phrase
A phrase is a group of related words. It does NOT create a
sentence.
I. Verb Phrase A. A group of words that creates a verb. B. Every word in a verb phrase is a verb C. Can you think of any examples?
is walking shall be talking may sit should have been studying
II. The Prepositional Phrase
Anatomy of a Prepositional Phrase
Preposition…[adv….adj]…noun/pronoun (obj)
A. The Adjective Phrase
Definition: A Prepositional phrase used as an adjective.
Examples: The boy with red hair is sitting next to
me. The girl sat next to the wall with
windows.
The truth about adjective phrases -- They… 1. answer the questions “which
one?” or “what kind?” 2. always come after the nouns
they modify 3. are ALWAYS adj. phrases after a
subject 4. never begin a sentence 5. never come right after a verb
Find the adjective phrases The man in the story had no friends. Scrooge was the man in the story. Scrooge was a friend to Marley. Scrooge hated charity of any kind. Marley became a ghost with
clanking chains. Marley frightened Scrooge when he
came to visit.
Find the adjective phrases The man in the story had no friends. Scrooge was the man in the story. Scrooge was a friend to Marley. Scrooge hated charity of any kind. Marley became a ghost with
clanking chains. Marley frightened Scrooge when he
came to visit.
More Practice finding Adjective Phrases
During the night, a fire truck came down my street.
A fire truck came down my street during the night.
Sid dropped his pencil on the sidewalk.
The cat in the tree suddenly meowed with all its might.
More Practice finding Adjective Phrases
During the night, a fire truck came down my street.
A fire truck came down my street during the night.
Sid dropped his pencil on the sidewalk.
The cat in the tree suddenly meowed with all its might.
More Practice finding Adjective Phrases Sandy didn’t know about the
computer experiment in the lab. In a flash, the twins were
transported to another world. The short man in the wilderness
seemed afraid of the twins at first. The twins sat down and wondered
where they were.
More Practice finding Adjective Phrases Sandy didn’t know about the
computer experiment in the lab. In a flash, the twins were
transported to another world. The small man in the wilderness
seemed afraid of the twins at first. The twins sat down and wondered
where they were.
B. The Adverb Phrase Definition: A Prepositional Phrase used
as an adverb Examples:
I sat with Sally at the seashore. We fished for hours. I dropped my coke can into the water. In the spring I go to the beach.
The truth about adverb phrases: They… 1. can begin a sentence 2. will not immediately follow the
subject 3. can follow VERBS, ADVERBS
and ADJECTIVES (and modify them) 4. answer questions like “when?”
“where?” “why?” “how?”
THINK LOGICALLY… There are only two kinds of
prepositional phrases – ADJECTIVE and ADVERB
If a phrase is not ADJECTIVE, then it must be ADVERB!
Find the adverb phrases For many years, Scrooge and Marley
were business partners. Scrooge ran his business in a miserly
way. Bob Cratchit worked for Scrooge. Bob had very little heat while he worked. Scrooge and Marley had been partners
for many years.
Find the adverb phrases For many years, Scrooge and Marley
were business partners. Scrooge ran his business in a miserly
way. Bob Cratchit worked for Scrooge. Bob had very little heat while he worked. Scrooge and Marley had been partners
for many years.
More Practice finding Prepositional Phrases
When my dad was young, he had a little transistor radio that he kept by his bed to listen to music.
“When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.”
More Practice finding Prepositional Phrases
When my dad was young, he had a little transistor radio that he kept by his bed to listen to music.
“When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true.”
More Practice finding Prepositional Phrases What’s the matter with my clothes? In the middle of the floor was a pile of
dirty clothes. While you clean up this mess, I will go
to the store and buy some new clothes. Since last May, you have worn those
same jeans for days and days. With a little bit of luck, you will get to go
to the mall.
More Practice finding Prepositional Phrases What’s the matter with my clothes? In the middle of the floor was a pile of
dirty clothes. While you clean up this mess, I will go
to the store and buy some new clothes. Since last May, you have worn those
same jeans for days and days. With a little bit of luck, you will get to go
to the mall.
III. The Appositive Phrase
A group of words containing a noun that renames another
noun in a sentence
The Appositive Phrase... A. is centered around a noun
Bob, a boy in my class, sits next to me. B. renames another noun in the
main sentence. Bob is renamed with boy.
C. can be removed from the sentence.
Bob sat next to me.
The Appositive Phrase... D. will be surrounded by commas
99% of the time. Bob, my friend, is nice. My friend Bob is nice.
E. Will MOST likely come AFTER the noun it renames. Bob, my best friend, is nice. A friend at all times, Bob is always there.
[Sometimes it comes before the noun]
The Appositive Phrase... F. will not begin with a
pronoun like “who,” “which,” “whose,” “that,” etc. The boy who sits next to me is Bob.
No appositive in the above sentence.
G. may have a pronoun + verb later in the phrase Bob, my friend who lives in LA, is nice.
The Appositive Phrase... H. will not begin with a verb
form. The boy calling out my name is Bob.
Find the appositive phrases My best friend Mona lives down the street. Jeremy, the boy next door, is moving to
Hawaii. The man who came to dinner is my uncle. Mary Jo, the girl who likes sushi, is sitting
over there. My brother, who eats all day, never gains
weight.
Find the appositive phrases My best friend Mona lives down the street. Jeremy, the boy next door, is moving to
Hawaii. The man who came to dinner is my uncle. Mary Jo, the girl who likes sushi, is sitting
over there. My brother, who eats all day, never gains
weight.
Practice with PREP And APP phrases 1. Excellent athletes, the WA 7th grade
boys and girls basketball teams both had winning seasons.
2. Before Monday, please type your English paper again.
3. Mrs. Barber, our seventh grade English teacher, is an avid reader.
4. Your next meeting will take place in Mr. Lee’s room.
5. We went to Charlotte last Christmas.
Practice with PREP And APP phrases 6. Mrs. Williams wants chocolate with
nuts and caramel tomorrow. 7. The purpose of the Valentine is to
show love. 8. Ms. Kramlich was careful to include
the entire class in the discussion. 9. C.S. Lewis, an English author, wrote
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 10. You should boil the water before
putting in the pasta.
Practice with APP phrases 1. Mack Sennett, the movie producer, gave
us the Keystone Kops. 2. He also introduced America to an
English film comic, Charlie Chaplin. 3. One of American’s best female comics,
Mae West made movies with W.C. Fields. 4. Buster Keaton, another silent movie
comedian, was called the Great Stoneface. 5. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, a famous
pair of fools, made many movies together. 6. Have you ever seen Richard Pryor, the
comedian and movie star?
Name the part of speech of each word: Light bark well lead
IV. Verbal Phrases A phrase that is centered around a
verb form. This verb form is NOT used as a
verb in the sentence It is used as a noun, adj. Or adv.
3 Kinds of Verbal Phrases Gerund Phrase Infinitive Phrase Participial Phrase
A. Gerund Phrase Centers around a verb form of -ING Is always used as a noun Is never surrounded by commas
except for appositives Caution: -ING verb forms can be
verbs or adjs (these are NOT gerunds)
Can be used in each of the 6 noun positions
Not all -ING words are Gerunds: Morning evening something nothing anything everything She is driving to school today.
Examples: Gerund Phrases Swimming the mile is my best event. I like swimming the mile. My best event is swimming the mile. I gave swimming the mile a try. He lectured us about swimming the
mile. My best event, swimming the mile,
was canceled.
Find the gerund phrase His sister was dancing in the show. I hate practicing the piano. I gave my mom’s cooking a perfect 10. Sitting by the pool is quite relaxing. Wishing upon a star, Sue made a wish. While I was walking on the beach, I
found a sand dollar.
Find the gerund phrase His sister was dancing in the show. I hate practicing the piano. I gave my mom’s cooking a perfect 10. Sitting by the pool is quite relaxing. Wishing upon a star, Sue made a wish. While I was walking on the beach, I
found a sand dollar.
Find the gerund phrase Becoming a doctor takes years of
serious study. Kino’s specialty is cooking mushrooms. The subtle squeaking of the door hinges
told Mira that her sister was home. Carla decided on writing about famous
women in history. Mr. Riley enjoys the crackling of a
campfire on a winter’s evening.
Find the gerund phrase Becoming a doctor takes years of
serious study. Kino’s specialty is cooking mushrooms. The subtle squeaking of the door hinges
told Mira that her sister was home. Carla decided on writing about famous
women in history. Mr. Riley enjoys the crackling of a
campfire on a winter’s evening.
Find the gerund phrase Traveling to new and interesting
places is fun. The smiling child amused his parents. Give playing golf another chance. Pam is studying for her French exam. Holding onto the kite, Jeremy received
a cut.
Find the gerund phrase Traveling to new and interesting
places is fun. The smiling child amused his parents. Give playing golf another chance. Pam is studying for her French exam. Holding onto the kite, Jeremy received
a cut.
B. Infinitive Phrases
Infinitive Phrases Center around TO + verb Verb is “naked” – No form Examples: to go, to sit, to talk,
etc. Can be used as noun, adj. Or adv. Caution: do not confuse with prep.
Phrase with “to”
Find the infinitives I wanted to go to the mall today. My mom went to bed early. Your cat ate too much food today. To sleep all day is unhealthy. I want to ask you a question.
Infinitive Phrases I went to the pond to fish for bass. I have to go to the mall before supper. To make good grades, one must study. My goal is to make good grades. I sat with the team to give them my
support. Don’t try to get out of here too fast.
Infinitive Phrases as Nouns I want to get a car for my birthday. My goal is to get a car for my birthday. To get a car for my birthday would be
wonderful. My goal, to get a car for my birthday,
may never happen. Which two noun positions are not
used?
Infinitive Phrases as Adjectives The movie to see is Snow Dogs. I missed the road to take to the beach. The place to see moose is Canada. I need a place to keep my bookbag.
Adjective IP will come directly after a noun and modify it by saying “which” or “what kind.”
Infinitive Phrases as Adverbs I went to the pond to fish. To get into Harvard, you must study. I am happy to be here. I am sad to see you go.
An IP that comes first in a sentence MAY be an adverb, but it will have a comma after it. Adverb IP usually answer “why” or “how”
Some famous Infinitives: “To be or not to be, that is the question.” “To know me is to love me.” “You’ve got to live a little.” “I vant to drink your bloooooood.” “I wanna hold your hand.” “I’ve only just begun to fight.” “To boldly go where no man has gone
before…” (split infinitive)
C. Participial Phrases
Participles... Are verb forms used as
ADJECTIVES can be taken out of the sentence have several forms
Some participial verb forms: -ing as in “The pouring rain…” -ed as in “The soiled carpet…” -n or -en as in “The broken
arrow…” -t as in “The bent tree…”
Participles... Will come as close as they can to
noun they modify can come BEFORE or AFTER the
noun
Examples: The frowning clown fell down. The clown, frowning at the
crowd, fell down. Frowning at the crowd, the
clown fell down.
If the participial phrase comes first in the sentence... It is separated from the sentence
with a comma
Bent by the wind, the tree finally fell over.
Caution: If a participle is not close to the
noun it modifies, it can become misplaced.
I saw a dollar walking home… should be…
Walking home, I saw a dollar.
Find the participles The fallen tree blocked the road. Mary had to replace the soiled carpet. Mike’s goal was hiking the Rockies. The running water eroded the soil. We finally got our own swimming pool. Eating jalapeno peppers can be
painful.
Find the participles The fallen tree blocked the road. Mary had to replace the soiled carpet. Mike’s goal was hiking the Rockies. The running water eroded the soil. We finally got our own swimming pool. Eating jalapeno peppers can be
painful.
Find the participial phrases Running quickly, the puppy caught up
with the family. Seeing my family made me feel safe. Bending in the wind, the tree finally
fell. The wind, whipping through the
valley, did extensive damage. I saw my uncle waiting for me.
Find the participial phrases Running quickly, the puppy caught up
with the family. Seeing my family made me feel safe. Bending in the wind, the tree finally
fell. The wind, whipping through the
valley, did extensive damage. I saw my uncle waiting for me.
Find more participial phrases Granny’s goal, quilting a huge quilt,
will have to wait until spring. Martha’s hobby is sewing for the
family. Sitting by the dock, Bob felt lonely. The boy sitting by the bay was my
cousin. Not watching his steps, the toddler
fell down.
Find more participial phrases Granny’s goal, quilting a huge quilt,
will have to wait until spring. Martha’s hobby is sewing for the
family. Sitting by the dock, Bob felt lonely. The boy sitting by the bay was my
cousin. Not watching his steps, the toddler
fell down.
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