Grammar Bite: Phrases

What are phrases?  Phrases can act as adverbs and adjectives.  They also can act as nouns though this is less common.  Prepositional phrases only rarely act as nouns.

Basically…  Phrases add additional information to a sentence.  A clause must contain a subject and a verb (simple predicate): a phrase need not.  Note: a phrase can be part of a clause but a clause cannot be part of a phrase.

Prepositional Phrases  A Preposition is a word that shows a relationship; it relates a noun or pronoun to some other word in a sentence.  A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun, which is called the object of the preposition.

Object of the Preposition  The object of the preposition is the word or phrase that the preposition introduces. BOLD words are prepositions. Her copy of A Christmas Carol is on the table. Her copy of A Christmas Carol is beneath the table. Her copy of A Christmas Carol is leaning against the table. Her copy of A Christmas Carol is beside the table. She held her copy of A Christmas Carol over the table. She read her copy of A Christmas Carol during class.

Common prepositions  time: after, at, before, during, past, since, till, to, until, upon  location: about, above, across, after, against, along, among, around, at, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, from, in, inside, into, on, onto, out, outside, over, through, to, toward, under, underneath, up, upon.  possession: by, of, to, with.  other: despite, except, for, like, off, throughout.

Prepositional Phrases as Adjectives (Adjective phrases)  A prepositional phrase that modifies a noun or pronoun is an ADJECTIVE PHRASE. (It is a prepositional phrase acting as an adjective.) –Her necklace of gold was worth a thousand dollars. (of gold modifies necklace) –All of the customers ordered the tofu burger. (of the customers modifies all)

Prepositional Phrases as Adverbs (Adverb Phrases)  A prepositional phrase that modifies a verb, adverb, or adjective is called an ADVERB PHRASE. (It acts as an adverb.) –The crowd was dancing in the street. (in the street modifies dancing) –Over the summer, Buckley developed a taste for tofu-based foods. (over the summer modifies developed)

More Adverb Phrases –Melody was very melancholy about her mushy watermelons. (about her mushy watermelons modifies melancholy) –Vernon won the eel eating contest, and later in the day he felt his stomach squirming. (in the day modifies later)