CHAPTER 5: THE PHRASE

WHAT IS A PHRASE? IS A GROUP OF RELATED WORDS THAT IS USED AS A SINGLE PART OF SPEECH AND THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN BOTH A VERB AND ITS SUBJECT. NOTE: A GROUP OF WORDS THAT HAS BOTH A VERB AND ITS SUBJECT IS CALLED A CLAUSE. EXAMPLE: PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: A MESSAGE FROM THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DEBATE TEAM. EXAMPLE OF A CLAUSE: LETA IS WATCHING TELEVISION.

THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE INCLUDES A PREPOSITION, A NOUN OR PRONOUN CALLED THE OBJECT OF THE PREPOSITION, AND ANY MODIFIERS OF THAT SUBJECT. ANY MODIFIER THAT COMES BETWEEN A PREPOSITION AND ITS OBJECT IS PART OF THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. BE CAREFUL NOT TO CONFUSE A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE WITH AN INFINITIVE. AN INFINITIVE IS A VERB FORM THAT USUALLY BEGINS WITH TO. EXAMPLE: DURING THE STORMY NIGHT, THE BLAC HORSE RAN OFF. THE DISH IS FILLED WITH RAW CARROTS AND CELERY. WHEN WE WERE IN FLORIDA, WE WENT TO SEE THE OLD SPANISH FORT IN ST. AUGUSTINE. (INFINITIVE).

THE ADJECTIVE PHRASE A PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE THAT MODIFIES A NOUN OR A PRONOUN IS CALLED AN ADJECTIVE PHRASE. AN ADJECTIVE PHRASE TELLS WHAT KIND OR WHICH ONE. EXAMPLES: WANG WEI WAS A TALENTE PAINTER OF LANDSCAPES. MRS. O’MEARA IS THE ONE ON THE LEFT.

VERBALS AND VERBAL PHRASES THE PARTICIPLE THE GERUND A PARTICIPLE IS A VERB FORM THAT CAN BE USED AS AN ADJECTIVE. PRESENT PARTICIPLES END IN –ING. MOST PAST PARTICIPLES END –D OR –ED. SOME PAST PARTICIPLES ARE IRREGULARLY FORMED. EXAMPLES: THE SMILING CHILD WAVED. (PRESENT PARTICIPLE) THE POLICE OFFICERS SEARCHED THE ABANDONED WAREHOUSE. (PAST PARTICIPLE) A GERUND IS A VERB FORM ENDING IN –ING THAT IS USED AS A NOUN. EXAMPLES: SKIING DOWN THAT SLOPE WAS FUN. (SUBJECT) DAD’S FAVORITE PASTIME IS FISHING FOR TROUT AND BASS. (PREDICATE NOMINATIVE) GIVE SAILING A TRY. (INDIRECT OBJECT) WE ENJOYED HIKING IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. (DIRECT OBJECT) PLEASE SWEE THE FRONT SIDEWALK AFTER MOWING. (OBJECT OF A PREPOSITION)

THE PARTICIPIAL PHRASE A PARTICIPIAL PHRASE CONSISTS OF A PARTICIPLE AND ANY MODIFIERS OR COMPLEMENTS THE PARTICIPLE HAS. THE ENTIRE PHRASE IS USED AS AN ADJECTIVE. EXAMPLES: SEEING ITSELF IN THE MIRROR, THE DUCK SEEMED QUITE BEWILDERED. AFTER A WHILE, WE HEARD THE DUCK QUACKING NOISILY AT ITS OWN IMAGE. THEN, DISGUSTED WITH THE OTHER DUCK, IT PECKED THE MIRROR.

THE GERUND PHRASE A GERUND PHRASE CONSISTS OF A GERUND AND ANY MODIFIERS OR COMPLEMENTS THE GERUND HAS. THE ENTIRE PHRASE IS USED AS A NOUN. EXAMPLES: HAVING A PART-TIME JOB MAY INTERFERE WITH YOUR SCHOOLWORK. THE TOWNSPEOPLE HEARD THE LOUD CLANGING OF THE FIRE BELL. WE CROSSED THE STREAM BY STEPPING CAREFULLY FROM STONE TO STONE.

THE INFINITIVE THE INFINITIVE THE INFINITIVE PHRASE AN INIFINITIVE IS A VERB FORM THAT CAN BE USED AS A NOUN, AN ADJECTIVE, OR AN ADVERB. MOST INFINITIVES BEGIN WITH TO. EXAMPLES: TO INSTALL THE CEILING FAN TOOK TWO HOURS. (NOUN) THE BEST TIME TO VISIT FLORIDA IS DECEMBER THROUGH APRIL. (ADJECTIVES) THE GYMNASTS WERE READY TO PRACTICE THEIR ROUTINES. (ADVERBS). AN INIFINITIVE PHRASE CONSISTS OF AN INFINITIVE AND ANY MODIFIERS OR COMPLEMENTS THE INFINITIVE HAS. THE ENTIRE PHRASE MAY BE USED AS A NOUN, AN ADJECTIVE, OR AN ADVERB. EXAMPLES: THE CROWD GREW QUIET TO HEAR THE SPEAKER. (ADVERB) PEANUTS AND RAISINS ARE GOOD SNACKS TO TAKE ON A CAMPING TRIP. (ADJECTIVE)

APPOSITIVES AND APPOSITIVE PHRASES THE APPOSITIVE THE APPOSITIVE PHRASE AN APPOSITIVE IS A NOUN OR A PRONOUN PLACED BESIDE ANOTHER NOUN OR PRONOUN TO IDENTIFY OR DESCRIBE IT. NOTE: COMMAS ARE GENERALLY USED WITH APPOSITIVES THAT REFER TO PROPER NOUNS. EXAMPLES: THE COSMONAUT YURI GAGARIN WAS THE FIRST PERSON IN SPACE. (THE NOUN YURI GAGARIN IDENTIFIES THE NOUN COSMONAUT). RACHEL CARSON, A BIOLOGIST AND WRITER, PUBLISHED THE BOOK SILENT SPRING IN 1962. (THE NOUNS BIOLOGIST AND WRITER DESCRIBE THE PROPER NOUN RACHEL CARSON). AN APPOSITIVE PHRASE CONSISTS OF AN APPOSITIVE AND ITS MODIFIERS. (SEE PREVIOUS EXAMPLE OF RACHEL CARSON). EXAMPLE: OFFICER WEBB, ONE OF THE SECURITY GUARDS, CAUGHT THE BURGLAR. (THE ADJECTIVE PHRASE OF THE SECURITY GUARDS MODIFIES THE APPOSITIVE ONE). APPOSITIVES AND APPOSITIVE PHRASES THAT ARE NOT ESSENTIAL TO THE MEANING OF THE SENTENCE ARE SET OFF BY COMMAS. IF THE APPOSITIVE IS ESSENTIAL TO THE MEANING, IT IS GENERALLY NOT SET OFF BY COMMAS.

FIND ALL THE VERBALS AND APPOSITIVES IN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES UNDERLINE THE VERBALS AND APPOSITIVES ONCE AND IDENTIFY EACH AS PARTICIPLE, GERUND, INFINITIVE, OR APPOSITIVE. INSTEAD OF FALLING ON THE SOFT GROUND, SHAWN MANAGED TO LAND RIGHT ON THE SIDEWALK. (GERUND/INFINITIVE) THE CONCRETE, BROKEN AND CRUMBLING, CUT HIS LEGS. (PART./PART.) WE HEARD HIS PIERCING WAIL UP AT OUR HOUSE, AND MY MOTHER AND I RUSHED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. BY THE TIME WE GOT TO HIM, THE CUTS HAD ALREADY STARTED BLEEDING, AND HE WAS STRUGGLING TO GET HIS SKATES OFF. BENDING DOWN, MOM PULLED OFF THE SKATES AND DABBED AT THE SEEPING RED CUTS AND SCRAPES. CONTINUES IN THE NEXT PAGE…

SHAWN, A BRAVE LITTLE BOY USUALLY, COULD NOT KEEP FROM CRYING. MOM CARRIED SHAWN TO THE HOUSE, AND I FOLLOWED WITH HIS SKATES, SCRATCHED, AND SCRAPED ALMOST AS BADLY AS HE WAS. AFTER CLEANING SHAWN’S CUTS, MOM TOOK HIM TO THE CLINIC. THE DOCTOR, A YOUNG INTERN, SAID THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE ONE OF THE CUTS WITH STITCHES. WHEN WE GOT HOME, MOM SAID THAT SHE HOPED SHAWN HAD LEARNED TO BE MORE CAREFUL; KNOWING SHAWN, I’M SURE HE WILL BE.