More on Phrases: prepositional, verbal and appositive
Holt Handbook, Chapter 3: The Phrase (64-85)
A phrase is a group of related words that is used as a single part of speech and that does
not contain both a verb and its subject. Example: for you and her (no subject or verb).
Contrast with the definition of a clause: A group of words that has both a subject and a
verb.
There are three different types of phrases: prepositional, verbal and appositive.
WRITING TIP: Using too many short sentences will make your writing choppy. By
using
Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases include a preposition (see subject sheet for a list of commonly
used prepositions), the object of a preposition (noun/ pronoun), and any modifiers of that
object. Prepositional phrases can either be used as adjectives (modifying nouns or
pronouns) or adverbs (modifying verbs, adjectives or other adverbs).
A preposition tells how words are related in a sentence (65).
Example: To me a koala looks like a cuddly teddy bear.
Note: DO NOT confuse prepositional phrases beginning with to – as in to me or to
Australia – with an infinitive phrase such as to be or to learn.
Hint: The word to + a noun or pronoun is a prepositional phrase, not an infinitive.
Verbals
Verbals are formed from verbs and are used as adjectives, nouns, or adverbs. There are
three types of verbals: infinitives, gerunds and participles. A verbal phrase consists of a
verbal and its modifiers and complements (70).
Infinitive phrases consisit of an infinitive and any modifiers or complements the
infinitive has. The entire phrase can be used as a noun, adjective or adverb (78).
An infinitive is a verb form that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Most
infinitives begin with to.
Example: To hit a curve ball solidly is very difficult.
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Hint: Sometimes to, the sign of an infinitive, is omitted. Example: He will help us paddle
the canoe.
Note: Unlike other verbals, an infinitive may have a subject. An infinitive clause consists
of an infinitive with a subject and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has. The
entire infinitive clause functions as a noun.
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Gerund phrases consist of a gerund and any modifiers or complements the gerund has.
The entire phrase is used as a noun (76).
A gerund is a verb form that ends in –ing and that is used as a noun.
Example: Reading adventures is my favorite hobby.
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Note: Gerunds, like present participles, end in –ing. DO NOT confuse a gerund, which is
used as a noun, with a present participle, which may be used as adjective or as part of a
verb phrase.
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Participial phrases consist of a participle and any modifiers or complements the
participle has. The entire phrase is used as adjective (71).
A participle is a verb form that can be used as adjective. Present participles end in –ing
while past participles end in –d or –ed. Example: For dinner we prepared grilled salmon.
Some may be formed irregularly. Example: For years the treasure remained hidden under
tons of rock.
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Note: Do not confuse a participle used as an adjective with a participle used as part of a
verb phrase.
Note: When placed at the beginning of a sentence, a participial phrase is followed by a
comma.
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Appositives
An appositive phrase consists of an appositive and any modifiers it has. Example: The
Millers live on Mockingbird Lane, a wide street lined with oak trees (81).
An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun to identify
or describe it. Example: My cousin Bryan is my best friend.
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Hint: An appositive phrase usually follows the noun or pronoun it identifies or describes.
Sometimes, though, it precedes the noun or pronoun.
Note: Appositives and appositive phrases that are not essential to the meaning of a
sentence are set off by commas. However, an appositive that tells which one of two or
more is essential to the meaning of a sentence and should not be set off commas.
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from Sentence Composing for High School
The Absolute Phrase
Absolutes are sentence parts that describe the rest of the sentence in which they appear.
Absolutes are almost sentences. As a test, you can make any absolute a sentence by
adding was or were.
Example: She returned to her bench, her face showing all the unhappiness that had
suddenly overtaken her.
-- Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy
Notice that without the absolute phrase, the sentence “She returned to her bench” would
be bland and lacking the distinctive quality achieved by adding the absolute phrase.
Again, the absolute phrases are almost sentences, lacking a main verb, so by applying the
“test” of adding was or were, you can more easily identify the phrase as an absolute.
Example: Her face was showing all the unhappiness that had suddenly overtaken her.
Another way to identify an absolute is that many begin with possessive pronouns such as
my, his, her, its, our, their, etc. Absolutes can occur as sentence openers, subject-verb
splits, or sentence closers.
Example: Sentence Opener
His hands raw, he reached a flat place at the top.
Example: Subject-verb split
Miss Hearne, her face burning, hardly listened to these words.
Example: Sentence Closer
He walked with a brim strut, swinging out his legs in a half-circle with each step, his
heels biting smartly into the red velvet carpet on the floor.