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Phrases. Grammar Lesson #3 Continued. Purpose of a Phrase. These indispensable and adaptable groups of words add information and detail, and bring cohesiveness to ideas within a sentence. Phrases help build structure in your writing. Phrase.
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Phrases Grammar Lesson #3 Continued
Purpose of a Phrase These indispensable and adaptable groups of words add information and detail, and bring cohesiveness to ideas within a sentence. Phrases help build structure in your writing.
Phrase • A phrase is a string of two or more words that can express a thought or function as a single part of speech, like an adjective or an adverb, in a sentence. • It does not contain both a subject and a predicate (verb), so it can not function as a sentence. • Phrases without a predicate • that car • Justin’s umbrella • Phrases without a subject • almost hit a tree • broke into pieces
Adjective and Adverb Phrases • Review – a prepositional phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun. • Within a sentence, prepositional phrases are acting as if they were adjectives or adverbs; therefore, we call them adjective phrases or adverb phrases. • The adjective phrase will answer what kind? or which one? about the noun/pronoun it is modifying. • Dad’s polka-dotted tie looked silly. • Dad’s tie with polka-dots looked silly. • The adverb phrase will answer where? when? how? or to what extent? about the verb, adjective, or adverb it is modifying. • We will begin class tomorrow. • We will begin class on Monday.
Appositive Phrases • An appositive renames, identifies, or gives more details about a noun or pronoun that it follows. • An appositive phrase is typically set off by commas and begins with a, an, the (there are always exceptions to this rule!) • Their son Paul, the oldest of four, is going to Princeton in the fall. • My friend, Mark, is a great volleyball player. (exception)
Gerund and Participial Phrases • Gerund phrases begins with an –ing (gerund) and acts like a noun in a sentence. • Walking across the rickety wooden bridge is scary. • Walking across the rickety wooden bridge answers what was scary? Thus, it functions as a noun. • Participial phrases includes an –ing but functions like an adjective in a sentence. • Walking across the rickety wooden bridge, I stepped on each board with caution. • Walking across the rickety wooden bridge is describing the subject I, functioning as an adjective.
