PARTICIPIAL PHRASES

Participle phrases include a participle . Adjectival participial phrases can pre modify or post modify a noun or noun phrase.
* The afternoon sun, now sinking towards the west, was still too hot for comfort .
* The slowly moving crowds filled the pavement as I emerged from the literally baking interior of the Underground station.
A PARTICIPIAL PHRASE can be the complement of a linking verb , or the object complement of a complex transitive verb ,and can also follow the object of an observing or sensing verb .
* I was letting myself become oppressed by the heat and stress, so I decided to chill out and get myself properly sorted out  by sitting down and having a drink.
Present participial phrases can describe the action like an adverbial phrase , or express action that just precedes that of the main verb
* A man was walking between the tables, moving unobtrusively and behaving suspiciously.
Participial phrases often function like subordinate clauses of reason , concession condition, time and so on, and can even be introduced by conjunctions
* Though inexperienced in street fighting  I resolved to grab him round the legs and bring him to the ground.
Some participial phrases have their own subject , and are independent of the main subject and verb .
* The police having been alerted by this time, sirens were heard in the distance and very soon a police car drew up alongside us.
Certain participial phrases serve as sentence adverbials and are independent of the main object.
* Considering my earlier mood of lethargy and self- pity , and taking into account the possibility that the owner of the purse was still completely unaware of the loss, the incident began to seem quite funny.
So participial phrase is a phrase involving a participle. Such a phrase can have an adjectival or adverbial function , or it may act as a complement . It may even function as a subordinate clause , or it may be independent of the main sentence structure.
Types of participial phrases
* Adjectival type

VERB PHRASES

A verb phrase typically consists of a main verb + one or more auxiliaries, of which may be a model auxiliary .
A verb phrase is a word group that makes up the verb in a sentence. The verb in a sentence may be a single word :
* They lowered the flag .
* We eat sensibly .
But if it consists of more than one word , it is a verb phrase :
* They were lowering the flag .
* Could you help me?
* We have always eaten sensibly .
Make sure you know the difference between a verb phrase and a phrasal verb :
A phrasal verb is an idiomatic combination of verb + one or more adverbial particles or prepositional particles .:
There are certain idiomatic word groups , composed in various ways , that combine with a main verb to function rather like modal verbs . They can be called ' modal combinations '
A phrasal verb :
*We ran into problems .
* Leave out the second paragraph .
A verb phrase :
*  You might have run into problems .
* You can leave out the second paragraph .

SENTENCE ADVERBIALS

Adverbial phrases may also serve as sentence adverbials also called disjuncts . representing a comment by the speaker , and standing clear of the main grammatical structure of the sentence :
* Pretty evidently , she acted out of spite.
* Quite honestly ,I ' d rather just go to bed .
* To a certain extent , that is correct .
* At the end of the day , all that matters is keeping out of bed .
As an alternative you can use to- infinitive .
* To be quite honest , I didn't really want to go .
* To be fair , she was only trying to help.
As well as modifying the action represented by an action verb , an adverbial phrase can be a complement after a linking verb or after the object of a complex transitive verb .
* I 'll be back home soon.
* Your dinner is in the microwave .
* Our name is on the door .
* Keep your steps in time with the music .
There are several adverbial expressions consisting of a pair of time or direction adverbs linked by and :
* The birds bobbed up and down on the waves .
* Figures moved in and out among the trees  .
* I see Fred now and then .
* We walked on and on .
The structure noun    + preposition +noun ,or pronoun +pronoun + preposition + pronoun:
* Little by little  we cleared the mess .
* Disasters came one after the another .
* Stand back to back.
* Hour after hour they waited .
* The two ministers came head to head (= into direct conflict ) over this issue .

TYPES OF ADVERBIAL PHRASES

Adverb modified by an intensifier, moderator , emphasizer ,or other adverb :
  *The party went very well.
    * you are trying too hard .
 *You spoke rather angrily .
 * You are walking fast enough .
* Please speak more slowly .
*They arrived noticeably late .
* That dress fits you quite perfectly.
A prepositional  phrase:
* I hung my coat on the peg .
* Mum was working in the kitchen .
* The taxi drew up beside us .
* Dad sat down in the armchair .
A noun phrase :
* Next day we arrived at Jakarta,
* Sally guessed the right answer every time .
* Last winter the village pond  froze over .
*All night the planes droned overhead .
Adverb of place or time emphasized or modified by another adverb :
* The taxi parked right outside .
*Come over here ,
* I don't want to climb up there .
*When did you get back home ?

Adverbial phrases

An adverbial phrase is any phrase that has an adverbial function in a sentence;
that is,it modifies the action represented by the verb.

• George was walking very briskly.
• George was walking in the woods.
• George was walking towards the flagpole.
• George was walking with great determination.
• George was walking on tuesday evening 

ADJECTIVAL PHRASES USED AFTER A NOUN OR PRONOUN(POST MODIFICATION)

1 a prepositional phrase

• the girl in the ticket office
• anybody with any sense
• people of real integrity
• an operation on the kidneys
• changes to the timetable

2 an adverb of place or time emphasized or focused by another adverb:

• my folks back home
• the rubbish in there
• the weather down here
• the situation  right now
• my mood just then

3 an adjective + prepositional phrase (consisting of a a customary preposition+object):

• the person responsible for the confusion
• people allergic to wheat flour
• something wrong with my computer
• teenagers dependent on drugs

4   a participle phrase:

•     an operation lasting five hours
•  an operation performed with enormous skill
• the people waiting for the bus
• tests set by education inspectors
• chairs made of moulded plastics

5    a noun phrase:

• my operation last year
• her behavior the following day 
• the meeting next week

ADJECTIVAL PHRASES AS COMPLEMENTS:

• subject complement after a linking verb :
• The operation was very successful .
• you are perfectly right .
• My voice sounded strangely loud .
• Is the timetable absolutely up-to-date ?
• Such behavior is typical of teenagers .
• She became disillusioned with teaching .
• Are you still angry with me?
• These questions are not relevant to the main enquiry.
• The strangers were dark-skined and long-haired.
• object complement after the object of a complex transitive verb:
• You've made your mother very proud.
• Consider yourself extremely fortunate.
• The approaching storm had turned the sky quite black.
• We'll paint the walls pale green.
• You've lost yout key?I call that very careless.
• The shock left him incapable of speech.
• My doctor has declared me fit for work.
• I found the content of the programme very up-to-the minute. 

ADJECTIVAL PHRASES

Adjectival phrases are any phrases that do the job of an adjective in describing or modifying a noun or pronoun :
* an extremely skillful operation
* a heart - in -the -mouth operation
* a long awaited operation

* a very successfully operation
* a brilliantly performed operation
* a round -the -clock operation
* an operation on the kidneys 
* The operation was quite painless .
TYPES AND POSITIONS OF ADJECTIVAL PHRASES
Adjectival phrases can come before or after a noun , and can take many different forms.
Adjectival phrases used before a noun ( pre -modification)
1  an intensifier, moderator, or other adverb + adjective :
   * a rather silly remark , miserably cold weather
2  *an adverb +participle :
    * dubiously acquired wealth , a hard -won battle
 3 a possessive expression :
* the headmaster 's room   , last year 's report
4 hyphenated phrases of various kinds
noun phrase
* a ten story building , a seventy foot yacht
phrases based on an adjective
 *a blood -red lipstick , crystal-clear water
a prepositional phrase
*in -your -face language ,an over- the- top  reaction
a phrase based on a participle
* a leather -bound book , sun -dried bananas , index -linked pensions
an adjective or number + noun formed into an -ed participle
* blond haired children ,long -legged animals ,four -winged insects
a phrasal- verb derivative
* some left- over food , a much sought -after delicacy
other combinations
*up -and- down mood swings , wall -to wall carpets