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The Garden of Phrases

The Garden of Phrases. Image from The Guide to Grammar and Writing , sponsored by the Capital Community College Foundation. Prepositional Phrases.

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The Garden of Phrases

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  1. The Garden of Phrases Image from The Guide to Grammar and Writing , sponsored by the Capital Community College Foundation.

  2. Prepositional Phrases Phrases with prepositions at the beginning that connect to nouns or pronouns. These phrases functioning as modifiers of verbs, nouns, or adjectives, and express a spatial, temporal, or other relationship. A word or group of words used before a noun or pronoun to relate it grammatically or semantically to some other part of a sentence. Prepositional Phrases function as adjectives or adverbs.

  3. Prepositional Phrases At the minimum, a prepositional phrase will begin with a preposition and end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause, the "object" of the preposition. The object of the preposition will often have one or more modifiers to describe it. These are the patterns for a prepositional phrase: preposition + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause preposition + modifier(s) + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause

  4. Prepositional Phrases Examples of Prepositional Phrase Types preposition + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause preposition + modifier(s) + noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause

  5. Some Common Prepositions aboard about above across after against along among around at before behind below beneath beside between beyond by down during except for throughout to toward under underneath until up upon with within without from in into like of off on over past since through

  6. Infinitive Phrases To sneeze, to smash, to cry, to shriek, to jump, to dunk, to read, to eat, to slurp—all of these are infinitives. An infinitive will almost always begin with to followed by the simple form of the verb, like this:

  7. Infinitive Phrases to + verb = infinitive Infinitives can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Look at these examples:

  8. Infinitive Phrases • To sleep is the only thing Eli wants after his double shift waiting tables at the neighborhood café. • To sleep functions as a noun because it is the subject of the sentence.

  9. Infinitive Phrases • Wherever Melissa goes, she always brings a book to read in case conversation lags or she has a long wait. • To read functions as an adjective because it modifies book.

  10. Infinitive Phrases • Richard braved the icy rain to throw the smelly squid eyeball stew into the apartment dumpster. • To throw functions as an adverb because it explains why Richard braved the inclement weather.

  11. Infinitive Phrases • No matter how fascinating the biology dissection is, Emanuel turns his head and refuses to look. • To look functions as a noun because it is the direct object for the verb refuses.

  12. Gerund Phrases Recognize a gerund phrase when you see one. A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, a VERBAL and an ing word, and might include other modifiers and/or objects. Gerund phrases always function as nouns, so they will be subjects, subject complements, or objects in the sentence.

  13. Gerund Phrases • Read these examples: • Eating ice cream on a windy day can be a messy experience if you have long, untamed hair. • Eating ice cream on a windy day = subject of the verb can be.

  14. Gerund Phrases • Read these examples: • A more disastrous activity for long-haired people is blowing giant bubble gum bubbles with the car windows down. • Blowing giant bubble gum bubbles with the car windows down = subject complement of the verb is. • Wild food adventures require getting your hair cut to a short, safe length. • Getting your hair cut to a short, safe length = direct object of the verb require.

  15. Gerund Phrases Be careful not to mistake a gerund phrase for a present participle phrase. Gerund and present participle phrases are easy to confuse because they both begin with an ing word. The difference is that a gerund phrase will always function as a noun while a present participle phrase describes another word in the sentence.

  16. Gerund Phrases Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine will result in disaster. Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine = gerund phrase, the subject of the verb will result. • Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine, Aamir saved $1.25 but had to tolerate the curious stares of other laundry patrons as his machine bucked and rumbled with the heavy load. • Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine = present participle phrase describing Aamir.

  17. Gerund Phrases Gerund as subject: Traveling might satisfy your desire for new experiences. (Traveling is the gerund.) The study abroad program might satisfy your desire for new experiences. (The gerund has been removed.) Gerund as direct object: They do not appreciate my singing. (The gerund is singing.) They do not appreciate my assistance. (The gerund has been removed) Gerund as subject complement: My cat's favorite activity is sleeping. (The gerund is sleeping.) My cat's favorite food is salmon. (The gerund has been removed.) Gerund as object of preposition: The police arrested him for speeding. (The gerund is speeding.) The police arrested him for criminal activity. (The gerund has been removed.)

  18. Participial Phrases The Participle Recognize a participle when you see one. Participles come in two varieties: past and present. They are two of the five forms or principal parts that every verb has. Look at the charts below. Regular Verbs:

  19. Participial Phrases PARTICIPIAL PHRASE Present participles, verbals ending in -ing, and past participles, verbals that end in -ed (for regular verbs) or other forms (for irregular verbs), are combined with complements and modifiers and become part of important phrasal structures. Participial phrases always act as adjectives. When they begin a sentence, they are often set off by a comma (as an introductory modifier); otherwise, participial phrases will be set off by commas if they are parenthetical elements. The stone steps, having been worn down by generations of students, needed to be replaced. [modifies "steps"] Working around the clock, the firefighters finally put out the last of the California brush fires. [modifies "firefighters"] The pond, frozen over since early December, is now safe for ice-skating. [modifies "pond"]

  20. Participial Phrases Present participles, verbals ending in -ing, and past participles, verbals that end in -ed (for regular verbs) or other forms (for irregular verbs), are combined with complements and modifiers and become part of important phrasal structures. Participial phrases always act as adjectives. When they begin a sentence, they are often set off by a comma (as an introductory modifier); otherwise, participial phrases will be set off by commas if they are parenthetical elements. The stone steps, having been worn down by generations of students, needed to be replaced. [modifies "steps"] Working around the clock, the firefighters finally put out the last of the California brush fires. [modifies "firefighters"] The pond, frozen over since early December, is now safe for ice-skating. [modifies "pond"]

  21. Participial Phrases • The participial phrase includes the participle and the object of the participle or any words modified by or related to the participle. • [In the following examples, the participle is bold and the participial phrase is underlined.] • The car sliding out of control toward building will likely hit the window. • SLIDING modifies the CAR. The verb is WILL HIT. • Cameron spotted his brother throwing rocksat the passing cars. • THROWING is not a verb in this sentence. It describes the brother. Without an auxiliary verb, it cannot function as a verb. SPOTTED is the verb for the subject CARMEN. • The astronaut chosen to ride the space shuttle to Mars is afraid of heights. • CHOSEN describes the ASTRONAUT. • BROKEN describes STAIRCASE.

  22. Participial Phrases • Running down the street, Alicia tripped and fell. • RUNNING certainly indicates something the subject is doing, but the verbs for the subject are TRIPPED and FELL. • Penned in by other runners, Steve was unable to make a break for the finish line. • STEVE is the subject. WAS is the verb. PENNED describes STEVE. • Mark returned the damaged package to the manufacturer. • Follow the steps to find the participle. What is the subject? MARK. What is the verb (i.e. what did Mark do?) RETURNED. And DAMAGED describes PACKAGE. • Alex fell down the broken staircase.

  23. Appositive Phrases • An appositive is a re-naming or amplification of a word that immediately precedes it. (An appositive, then is the opposite of an oppositive.) Frequently another kind of phrase will serve in apposition. • My favorite teacher, a fine chess player in her own right, has won several state-level tournaments. [Noun phrase as appositive] • The best exercise, walking briskly, is also the least expensive. [Gerund phrase as appositive] • Tashonda's goal in life, to become an occupational therapist, is within her grasp this year, at last. [Infinitive phrase as appositive]

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