The Phrase and
the Clause
Adjective & Adverb
Phrases
Adjective Phrases
• Adjective Phrases– a prepositional
phrase that modifies a noun or
pronoun
Ex:
• Adjective:
• Icy chunks fell from the skyscraper.
• Adjective Phrase:
• Chunks of ice fell from the
skyscraper.
Adjective Phrases
• Answers the questions:
• What kind? Which one?
• How many? How much?
Ex:
• Mr. Arnaud ordered a dinner of boiled crawfish.
• The adjective phrase modifies the noun dinner. The
phrase answers What kind?
• The one with big pockets costs a little more.
• The adjective phrase modifies the pronoun one. The
phrase answers the question Which one?
• There was enough room for only three people.
• The adjective phrase modifies the noun room. The
phrase answers the question How much?
Adjective Phrases
• Note: more than one adjective phrase may
modify the same noun or pronoun
Ex:
• The painting of sunflowers by van Gogh is
famous.
• The two adjective phrases, of sunflowers and by
van Gogh, both answer the question Which painting?
• A number of the paintings by that artist are
landscapes.
• The adjective phrase of the paintings answers the
question What kind of number? The adjective
phrase by that artist answers that question Which
paintings?
Practice …
Identify the adjective phrase
and the noun it modifies
• The book about birds of North America has won many
awards for photography.
• About birds –book
• Of North America –birds
• For photography -awards
• The key to successful flight is the structure of the
feather.
• To successful flight –key
• of the feather -structure
• The area inside the quill of a feather is hollow.
• Inside the quill –area
• Of a feather –quill
• Have you ever seen any of the birds that have these
kinds of feathers?
• Of the birds –any
• Of feathers -kinds
Adverb Phrases
• Adverb Phrases– a prepositional
phrase that is used to modify a
verb, an adjective, or an adverb
Ex:
• Adverb:
• We walk there every Saturday.
• Adverb Phrase:
• We walk along the lake every
Saturday.
Adverb Phrases
• Answers the questions:
• When? Where?
Why?
• How?
How often? How long?
Ex:
• The statue stands next to a large oak tree.
• The adverb phrase modifies the verb stands and
answers the question Where?
• Ready by dawn, the travelers set out early to
reach the capital.
• The adverb phrase modifies the adjective Ready and
answers the question When?
• Are these jeans long enough for you.
• The adverb phrase modifies the adverb enough and
answers the question How?
Adverb Phrases
• Note:
• Adverb phrases may appear anywhere in a sentence.
• They may come before or after the words they
modify.
• Other words may come between an adverb phrase
and the word or words it modifies
Ex:
• After swimming lessons, Aunt Helen drove us
home.
• Dad has been afraid of snakes since he was a
boy.
• We rode our bikes over the bridge.
Adverb Phrases
• Note:
• As with adjective phrases, more than one
adverb phrase can modify the same word.
Ex:
• Cesar Chavez worked with the United
Farm Workers for many years.
• Yesterday we went to an exhibit of rare
coins.
Practice …
Identify the adverb phrase and the
verb, adjective, or adverb it modifies
•
•
•
•
•
My hamster disappeared for three days.
•
•
•
•
•
In the cellar -discovered
For three days -disappeared
The cat is afraid of thunderstorms.
Of thunderstorms -afraid
Mom discovered several field mice in the
cellar.
Jimmy Smits will speak at our school.
At our school -will speak
In the evenings, they played word games.
In the evenings -played
Practice …
Identify the Prepositional phrase. Tell
whether it is an Adj. or Adv. Phrase
• In China, farmers are considered the
backbone of the country.
• Adv. Phrase - In China
• Adj. Phrase - Of the country
• With over one billion people to feed, China
asks much from its farmers.
• Adj. Phrase – With over one billion people to
feed
• Adv. Phrase – from its farmers
• As you can see, water from high terraces can
flow to lower terraces.
• Adj. Phrase – from high terraces
• Adv. Phrase – to lower terraces