VERB PHRASES

VERB PHRASES are the words  in a sentence that make up the verb. That is ,a verb that consists of more than one word is a verb phrase. A verb phrase is typically made up of an auxiliary or modal auxiliary verb plus a main verb . But there may be more than one auxiliary :
* I have finished.
* Should we warn them?
* You might have been badly injured.
* Jim had been studying very hard.
*We shall soon be arriving in Switzerland.
* She must have forgotten.
THERE ARE WORD GROUPS that fill the role of other kinds of word class or part of speech. For example:
There are several word groups that act as prepositions:

• on top of  the cupboard         
• out of  the drawer
• according to my dad
• because of  the delay
• in spite of her injury
• away from the town
• in front of the hotel
• along with his friends
• on account of her injury
• in line with  our policy

These are called complex prepositions,NOT prepositional phrases.The term prepositional phrase refers to an adverbial or adjectival phrase that begins with a preposition, such as in bed,at school,with a limp,over the door,beside the railway.
2 There are several word groups that act as conjuctions, for example:

•  so long as it's safe
• last time i tried
• on condition that you pay
• in case it rains
• in view of the fact that it's late
• provided that they agree
• every time I try
• so that everyone gets a turn
• as if he already knew

These multi-word conjunctions can be called complex conjunctions.
The role of present and past particples
Participles can form part of a phrase acting as one of the word classes,or themselves
have the function of a word class,for example:

• Sweat was pouring off his face(part of a verb phrase)
• scattered showers (part of a noun phrase)
• the man leaning against the lamp post(part of an adjectival phrase)
• various points concerning the difficulties.(preposition or part of an independent participal phrase)
• Supposing everything's organised,we can start tomorrow.(conjunction)
• Granted she had a big disadvantage, she should have done better.(conjunction)

The term partcipal phrase is typically used for an adjectival phrase that contains a participle, and comes before or after or after or after a noun or pronoun:

• badly injured passangers
• those sitting at the rear of the train

We shall examine in more detail the roles of participles and participial phrases at the end of this chapter.