Types of Phrases
Adjective Phrase.
A phrase is a group of related words words (within a sentence) without both subject subject and verb. For example, He is laughing at the joker.
An adjective phrase is a group of words that functions like an adjective in a sentence. It consists of adjectives, modifier and any word that modifies a noun or pronoun. An adjective phrase functions like an adjective to modify (or tell about) a noun or a pronoun in a sentence.
A phrase functions as a noun, noun, verb, adverb, adjective or or preposition in a sentence. The function of a phrase depends on i ts construction (words it contains). On the basis of their functions and constructions, phrases are divided into various types i.e. nou n phrase, verb ph rase, adverb phrase, adjective phrase, appositive phrase, i n f i n i t e p h r a s e , p a r t ic ic i p l e p h r a s e a n d g e r u n d p h r a s e .
Noun Phrase A noun phrase consists consists of a noun and other related related words (usually modifiers and determiners) which modify the noun. It functions like a noun in a sentence. A noun phrase consists consists of a noun as the head word word and other words (usually modifiers and determiners) which come after or before the noun. The whole phrase works as a noun in a sentence. Noun Phrase = noun + modifiers (the modifiers can be after or before noun) Examples. He is wearing a nice red shirt. She brought a glass full of water. The boy with brown hair is hair is laughing. A man on the roof was shouting.
(as noun/object) (as noun/object) (as noun/subject) (as noun/subject)
A sentence can also contain contain more noun phrases. For example. The girl with blue eyes bought eyes bought a beautiful chair . Prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase consists consists of a preposition, object of preposition(noun preposition(noun or pronoun) and may also consist of other modifiers. e.g. on a table, near a wall, in the room, at the door, under a tree
A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and mostly ends with a noun noun or pronoun. Whatever prepositional phrase ends with is called object of preposition. A prepositional phrase functions as an adjective or adverb in a sentence. Examples. A boy on the roof is roof is singing a song. The man in the room is our teacher. She is shouting in a loud voice. He always behaves in a good manner.
Examples. He is wearing a nice red shirt. The girl with brown hair is is singing a song. He gave me a glass full of water. A boy from America won the race.
(modifies shirt) (modifies girl) (modifies glass) (modifies boy)
Prepositional phrases and participle phrases also function as adjectives so we can
also call them adjective phrases when t hey function as adjective. In the above sentence “The girl with brown hair is singing a song”, the phrase “with brown hair” is a prepositional phrase but it functions as an adjective. Adverb Phrase An adverb phrase is a group group of words that functions as an adverb adverb in a sentence. It consists of adverbs or other words (preposition, noun, verb, modifiers) that make a group with works like an adverb in a sentence. An adverb phrase functions functions like an adverb to modify a verb, an an adjective or another adverb. Examples He always behaves in a good manner. They were shouting in a loud voice. She always drives with care. He sat in a corner of the room. He returned in a short while.
(modifies verb behave) (modifies verb shout) (modifies verb drive) (modifies verb sit) (modifies verb return)
A prepositional phrase can also also act as an adverb phrase. phrase. For example in above sentence “He always behaves in a good manner ”, the phrase “in a good manner” is a prepositional phrase but it acts as adverb phrase here. Verb Phrase A verb phrase is a combination combination of main verb and its auxiliaries (helping verbs) in a sentence.
(As adjective) (As adjective) (As adverb) (As adverb)
Examples. He is eating an eating an apple. She has finished her finished her work. You should study for study for the exam. She has been sleeping for sleeping for two hours.
According to generative grammar , a verb phrase can consist of main verb, its auxiliaries, its complements and other modifiers. Hence it can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence. Example. You should study for the exam. Infinitive Phrase An infinitive phrase consist of an infinitive(to + simple form of verb) and modifiers or other words associated to the infinitive. An infinitive phrase always functions as an adjective, adverb or a noun in a sentence. Examples. He likes to read books. To earn money is a desire of everyone. He shouted to inform people about fire. He made a plan to buy a car.
a true finite verb. It is separated by a comma or pairs of commas from the rest sentence. Examples He looks sad, his face expressing worry. She was waiting for her friend, her eyes on the clock. John is painting a wall, his shirt dirty with paint. Clause “A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a predicate”
(As noun/object) (As noun/subject) (As adverb, modifies verb shout) (As adjective, modifies noun plan)
For example, he laughed. A clause refers to a group of related words (within a sentence or itself as an independent sentence) which has both subject and predicate.
Gerund Phrase
Example I will meet him in office.
A gerund phrase consists of a gerund(verb + ing) and modifiers or other words associated with the gerund. A gerund phrase acts as a noun in a sentence.
The part of above sentence “I will meet him” is a clause because it has a subject(I) and a predicate(will meet him). On the other hand, the rest part of above sentence “in office” lacks both subject and predicate(verb) such group of word is called phrase.
Examples I like writing good essays. She started thinking about the problem. Sleeping late in night is not a good habit. Weeping of a baby woke him up.
A clause may stand as a simple sentence or may join another clause to make a sentence. Therefore, a sentence consists of one, two or more clauses.
(As noun/object) (As noun/object) (As noun/subject) (As noun/subject)
Participle Phrase A participle phrase consists of a present participle (verb + ing), a past participle (verb ending in -ed or other form in case of irregular verbs) and modifiers or other associate words. A participle phrase is separated by commas. It always acts as an adjective in a sentence. Examples The kids, making a noise, need food. I received a letter, mentioning about my exam. The table, made of steel, is too expensive. We saw a car, damaged in an accident.
(modifies kids) (modifies letter) (modifies table) (modifies car)
Absolute Phrase Absolute phrase (also called nominative phrase) is a group of words including a noun or pronoun and a participle as well as any associated modifiers. Absolute phrase modifies (give information about) the entire sentence. It resembles a clause but it lack
Examples. (one clause) • He is sleeping. (one clause) • The kids were laughing at the joker. • The teacher asked a question, but no one answered. (two clauses) (two clauses) • I am happy, because I won a prize. • I like Mathematics, but my brother likes Biology, because he wants to become a doctor. (three clauses) Clauses are divided into main clause (also called independent clause) and subordinate clause (also called dependent clauses). Types of Clauses There are two major types of clauses main (or independent) clause and subordinate (or dependant) clause . Main Clause and Subordinate Clause – Comparison He is buying a shirt which looks very nice.
The above senten ce has two clauses “He is buying a shirt” and “which looks very nice”. The clause “He is buying a shirt” expresses a complete thought and can alone stand as a sentence. Such a clause is called main or independent clause. While the clause “which looks very nice” does not express a complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It depends on another clause (main clause) to express complete idea. Such a clause is called subordinate or dependent clause.
Main or Independent Clause “Main (or independent) clause is a clause that expresses a complete thought and can stand as a sentence.
Examples I met the boy who had helped me. She is wearing a shirt which looks nice. The teacher asked a question but no one answered. He takes medicine because he suffers from f ever. He became angry and smashed the vase into peaces. In the above sentences each underlined part shows main clause. It expresses complete though and can stand as a sentence that i s why a main or an independent clause is normally referred as a simple sentence. Subordinate or dependent Clause Subordinate (or independent) clause is a clause which does not express complete thought and depends on another clause (main clause) to express complete thought. Subordinate clause does not express complete idea and can’t stand as a sentence. A sentence having a subordinate clause must have a main clause.
Types of Subordinate Clause Functions of Subordinate Clause. A subordinate (dependent) clause may function as a noun, an adjective or an adverb in sentence. On the basis of their function in a sentence, subordinate clauses can be divided in to following types. 1. Noun Clause 2. Adjective Clause. 3. Adverb Clause Noun Clause “ A dependent clause that functions as a noun in a sentence is called noun clause.” A noun clause performs same function like a noun in a sentence.
Example What he did made a problem for his family. In above sentence the clause “what he did” functions as a noun, hence it is a noun clause. A noun clause works as a noun that acts as a subject, object, or predicate in a sentence. A noun clause starts with words “that, what, whatever, who, whom, whoever, whomever” . Examples Whatever you learn will help you in future. (noun clause as a subject) What you said made me laugh. (noun clause as a subject) He knows that he will pass the test. (noun clause as an object) Now I realize what he would have thought. (noun clause as an object)
Example He likes Chinese rice which tastes good. The clause “which tastes good” in above sentence is a subordinate clause because it does not express complete thought and can’t stand as a sentence. It depends on main clause (he likes Chinese rise) to express complete thought.
Examples. I met the boy who had helped me. I bought a table that costs $ 100. He takes medicine because he suffers from fever. The teacher asked a question but no one answered. Subordinate (or dependent) clauses are further divided into tree types, 1. Noun Phrase, 2. Adjective Phrase, 3. Adverb Phrase
Adjective Clause “ A dependent clause that functions as an adjective in a sentence is called adjective clause.” An adjective clause works like adjective in a sentence. The function of an adjective is to modify (describe) a noun or a pronoun. Similarly a noun clause modifies a noun or a pronoun.
Example He wears a shirt which looks nice. The clause “which looks nice” in above sentence is an adjective clause because it modifies noun “shirt” in the sentence. An adjective clause always precedes the noun it modifies.
Examples. I met the boy who had helped me. An apple that smells bad is rotten. The book which I like is helpful in preparation for test. The house where I live consists of four rooms. The person who was shouting needed help. Adjective clause begins with relative pronoun (that, who, whom, whose, which, or whose) and is also relative clause.
Adverb Clause “ A dependent clause that functions as an adverb in a sentence is called adverb clause” An adverb clause like an adverb modifies a verb, adjective clause or other adverb clause in a sentence. It modifies(describes) the situation in main clause in terms of “time, frequency (how often), cause and effect, contrast, condition, intensity (to what extent) .”
Adjective (relative) clauses can be restrictive clause or nonrestrictive clause The subordinating conjunctions used for adverb clauses are as follows.
Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses Adjective (relative) clauses can be restrictive clause or nonrestrictive clause. A restrictive clause limits the meaning of preceding noun or pronoun. A nonrestrictive clause tells us something about preceding noun or pronoun but does not limit the meaning of preceding noun or pronoun.
Time: when, whenever, since, until, before, after, while, as, by the time, as soon as Cause and effect: because, since, now that, as long as, so, so that, Contrast: although, even, whereas, while, though Condition: if, unless, only if, whether or not, even if, providing or provided that, in case
•The student in the class, who had attended all the lectures, passed the test. (nonrestrictive clause)
Examples. Don’t go before he comes. He takes medicine because he is ill. Although he tried a lot, he couldn’t climb up the tree. Unless you study for the test, you can’t pass it. I will go to the school unless it rains. You are safe as long as you drive carefully. You can achieve anything provided that you struggle for it.
In the first sentence the clause “who studied a lot” restrict information to preceding noun(student), it means that there is only one student in the class who studied a lot, hence it is a restrictive clause.
Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns. They may come before the word they describe (That is a cute puppy.) or they may follow the word they describe (That puppy is cute.).
In the second sentence the clause “who had attended all the lectures” gives us information about preceding noun but does not limit this information to the preceding noun. It means there can be several other students in the class who had attended all the lectures.
Adverbs are words t hat modify everything but nouns and pronouns. They modify adjectives, verbs, and other adverbs. A word is an adverb if it answers how , when, or where. The only adverbs that cause grammatical problems are those that answer the question how , so focus on these.
Example •The student in the class who studied a lot passed the test. (restrictive clause)
A comma is always used before a restrictive clause in a sentence and also after nonrestrictive clause if it is within a main clause. “That” is usually used to introduce a restrictive clause while “which” is used to introduce a nonrestrictive clause. Example The table that costs $ 100 is made of steel. The table, which costs $ 100, is made of steel.
(restrictive clause) (nonrestrictive clause)