IN everyday language a phrase is thought of vaguely as any group of words that has meaning but isn't a sentence or clause . In grammatical terms, however, a phrase is a word group that not only has meaning but also grammatical status . It can have the grammatical status of any of the word clause or parts of speech. That is a phrase may have the function of a noun , adjective,adverb or verb and so on within a sentence.
We shall be looking at four main types of phrase; noun phrase, adjectival phrase,adverbial phrase and verb phrase. We shall also examine the roles of participial phrases.
NOUN PHRASES can have any of the grammatical roles that nouns have. For example;
1 subject of a verb ;
* My younger sister is arriving tomorrow.
* The new supermarket opens everyday.
2 object of a verb:
* I found a map of prague in my room
* I have lost my bunch of keys.
3 object of a preposition:
* A number of charities focus on child poverty.
* He arrived home with a cut knee.
4 complement of a linking verb or object complement after a complex transitive verb:
* Several of my friends were members of the choir.
* You have made me the proudest mother of the world.
ADJECTIVAL PHRASES act as adjectives, so they describe nouns and pronouns.They can be found in various positions in relation to the thing or person they describe. For example:
1 before a noun :
* an absolutely terrible experience
* on the sport reporting
* one day old chicks
2 after a noun or pronoun :
* anybody with any common sense
* a letter from the landlord
3 as the complement of a linking verb or as an object complement:
* The baby is sound sleep.
* You have made me extremely proud.
ADVERBIAL PHRASES act as adverbs, and can have a variety of adverbial roles:
1 describing or enlarging on the action:
* He died very peacefully.
* He died among his loved ones.
*I 'll see you this evening.
*Toys lay all over the floor.
*The work was completed in less than a month.
2 acting as the complement of a linking verb or as an object complement;
* Jack is at school.
*Joe seems in excellent form.
* The head looks out of proportion.
*Amy imagines herself in the height of fashion.
*You think me out of touch, don't you?
3 acting as a sentence adverb:
*In my opinion ,Brian should have returned to Ireland.
*In the first place , we haven't enough cash.
* In conclusion I would say that the enterprise was a moderate success.
*Kenneth is still a child ,in a way.
*To a certain extent , you are right.
*At the end of the day it ' s audience enjoyment that counts.
*To my dismay , Kay refused my invitation.
*To be honest , I was quite relieved.
We shall be looking at four main types of phrase; noun phrase, adjectival phrase,adverbial phrase and verb phrase. We shall also examine the roles of participial phrases.
NOUN PHRASES can have any of the grammatical roles that nouns have. For example;
1 subject of a verb ;
* My younger sister is arriving tomorrow.
* The new supermarket opens everyday.
2 object of a verb:
* I found a map of prague in my room
* I have lost my bunch of keys.
3 object of a preposition:
* A number of charities focus on child poverty.
* He arrived home with a cut knee.
4 complement of a linking verb or object complement after a complex transitive verb:
* Several of my friends were members of the choir.
* You have made me the proudest mother of the world.
ADJECTIVAL PHRASES act as adjectives, so they describe nouns and pronouns.They can be found in various positions in relation to the thing or person they describe. For example:
1 before a noun :
* an absolutely terrible experience
* on the sport reporting
* one day old chicks
2 after a noun or pronoun :
* anybody with any common sense
* a letter from the landlord
3 as the complement of a linking verb or as an object complement:
* The baby is sound sleep.
* You have made me extremely proud.
ADVERBIAL PHRASES act as adverbs, and can have a variety of adverbial roles:
1 describing or enlarging on the action:
* He died very peacefully.
* He died among his loved ones.
*I 'll see you this evening.
*Toys lay all over the floor.
*The work was completed in less than a month.
2 acting as the complement of a linking verb or as an object complement;
* Jack is at school.
*Joe seems in excellent form.
* The head looks out of proportion.
*Amy imagines herself in the height of fashion.
*You think me out of touch, don't you?
3 acting as a sentence adverb:
*In my opinion ,Brian should have returned to Ireland.
*In the first place , we haven't enough cash.
* In conclusion I would say that the enterprise was a moderate success.
*Kenneth is still a child ,in a way.
*To a certain extent , you are right.
*At the end of the day it ' s audience enjoyment that counts.
*To my dismay , Kay refused my invitation.
*To be honest , I was quite relieved.
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