Phrase Fragments

1. Phrase Fragments

2. What is a phrase? A phrase is a group of words that does not have a subject and a verb, and that is used as a single part of speech. • Remember the parts of speech are: Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adverbs, Adjectives, Prepositions, Conjunctions and Interjections • Phrases act as though they are a separate part of speech.

3. Three Types of Phrases • Sometimes phrases are accidentally mistaken for being complete sentences. • There are three types: • Verbals • Appositives • Prepositional

4. Verbal Phrases • A verbal is a verb that is used as another part of speech. • Some verbals end in –ing, -d, or –ed and do not have a helping verb (is, were, have, etc.) OR have the word “to” in front of the base verb. • A verbal phrase is a phrase that contains a verbal. By itself, it is a fragment because it does not express a complete thought. • Examples: Learning about the violin. To go to the store.

5. Appositive Phrases • An appositive is a word that identifies or explains the noun or pronoun it follows. • Example: Our house, a brick bungalow, is on State Street. • An appositive phrase, is a phrase made up of an appositive and its modifiers, is always a fragment. Appositive phrases cannot stand alone! • Example: A twenty-five-year-old soldier.

6. Prepositional Phrase • Prepositional Phrases are groups of words that start with a preposition and end with a noun or pronoun. These phrases cannot stand alone because they do not express a complete thought. • Example: On the battlefield. • Prepositions are words that show location. • Examples: with, in, over, under, around, etc.