WHAT IS A PHRASE?
You are now familiar with the basic idea of words in English. Of course, you
also know that you cannot put words together randomly and create sentences.
Words are put together into groups called phrases. A phrase is a group of
words that acts as a single part of speech. In other words, a phrase can do the
same thing that a single verb, or noun, or adjective, or adverb does in a sentence.
In this chapter, we will look at three important kinds of phrases: the Noun
Phrase (NP), the Verb Phrase (VP) and the Prepositional Phrase (PP).
THE NOUN PHRASE (NP)
When you express an idea, you usually tell about a person, place or thing that
does something. You use a noun to do this. For example:
Mary laughed.
Houston is growing.
The clock works well.
These nouns are called subject nouns. The subject of a sentence is the noun
that the sentence is talking about. It is usually the noun that does the action of
the verb. In English, subjects usually come at the beginning, or near the
beginning of the sentence.
Exercise 1
Circle the subject noun in the following sentences.
1 Gold makes beautiful jewelry.
2. Jewelry is worn by people all over the world.
3. Some people wear jewelry every day.
4. In many cultures, a ring on the fourth finger means a person is married.
5. The Hope Diamond is worth millions of dollars.
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A subject can be more than one noun. Look at the subjects (in boldface) in the
following sentences.
The dog and cat are jumping.
The lazy dog and the hungry cat and the frightened bird are playing.
The subjects of these sentences are called compound subjects because they
are made up of more than one single noun. The different nouns in a compound
subject are joined by a word like and or or. You have probably noticed that there
are other words that seem to be part of the subject in the two sentences above.
Look at the underlined parts in the examples below.
The dog and cat are jumping.
The lazy dog and the hungry cat and the frightened bird are playing.
The underlined parts of the above sentences are the complete subjects. As
you can see, in these sentences, the complete subjects include more than just a
noun. Articles and adjectives that directly relate to the subject nouns are part of
the complete subject.
Exercise 2
Circle the complete subjects in the following sentences.
1. An interesting but frightening story is connected to the Hope Diamond.
2. Many people believe that whoever owns the Hope Diamond will have
bad luck.
3. The Joseph Frankel Jewelry Co., Cartier’s and the Smithsonian
Institution have all been owners of the Hope Diamond.
4. In spite of its mysterious past, few other diamonds can surpass the
clarity and brilliance of the Hope Diamond.
5. Stealing the Hope diamond has been the subject of mystery movies.
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These complete subjects are noun phrases (NP). They are groups of words
acting as nouns. The noun in a NP is also called the nucleus. A simple NP will
have one noun, or nucleus, and it will also include any articles, adjectives,
adverbs or other phrases that directly modify that noun. A compound NP will
have two or more nouns as its nuclei, and it will also include any articles,
adjectives, adverbs or other phrases that directly modify those nouns.
There is another kind of NP, however. We have seen that a subject NP comes
at the beginning of the sentence. We can also put nouns after verbs. When a
noun comes after a verb, and it receives the action of that verb, it is called the
object (or sometimes the direct object.) Since objects are usually nouns, we can
also have object NPs. Just as with subject NPs, object NPs can contain a single
noun as its nucleus, or it can be a compound object with more than one nucleus.
Like subject NPs, object NPs can contain a single noun object, or they can include
many other words that modify and relate to the noun.
Exercise 3
Circle the object NPs in the following sentences.
1. Many people in the U.S. wear a wedding ring on their left hand.
2. A man often gives a diamond engagement ring to his fiancee.
3. In a “double ring ceremony,” the bride and groom exchange rings and
kisses.
4. Traditionally, couples receive certain types of gifts on certain
anniversaries.
5. However, everybody loves a gift of expensive jewelry any time of the
year!
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Look back over Exercises 1, 2 and 3. Do you see how different NPs can look?
At the center of each one is a single noun which is either the subject or the object
of a sentence. That is, the single noun, (subject or object) is the most important
word of its phrase.
What is the complete subject noun phrase and the complete object noun
phrase of the following sentence? What is the simple subject and the simple
object?
The big, hairy monster with the bulging eyeballs that catches
young puppies and eats them while running down the freeway
frequently eats a hearty, spicy meal of ESL teachers who insist
on teaching noun phrases to their students.
Can you see how this long, complicated sentence is basically very simple? On
the line below, write the simple subject NP, the main verb and the simple object
NP that you found in the sentence above.
_____________________________________________________________________
Exercise 4
In the following sentences, underline the subject noun phrases and circle the
object noun phrases, if possible.
1. Clarissa drinks milk.
2. Students enjoy tests.
3. The plumber fixed the leaky pipes.
4. The new baby sleeps frequently.
5. A 50-story, glass skyscraper is going up near my house.
6. Grammar textbooks sometimes confuse hard-working, studious,
intelligent students.
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THE VERB PHRASE (VP)
In a sentence, you also need to tell what is happening. You use a verb to do
this. Every subject must have a verb, or the sentence is not complete. Look at the
following sentences. Here, the word that shows what is happening is in
boldface.
Mary laughed.
Houston is growing.
The clock works well.
These action words are called verbs.
A verb phrase (VP) comes after the subject NP in a sentence. The VP can
include one or more words, but it must contain a verb that tells time (past or
present) and tense ( simple present, present continuous, simple past, present
perfect, for example) or mood (modals).
Most verbs show an action. Although it may not be the type of action that
you can actually see, most verbs are words that tell us that something is happening. Therefore, most verbs are called action verbs. There are two kinds of
action verbs that determine the structure of a VP: transitive and intransitive.
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Transitive Verbs
A transitive verb (Vt) must have an object after it. Therefore, it must be
followed by an object NP. Look at the following sentence:
The lazy dog wants.
This sentence is clearly not correct. It doesn’t make sense; there is something
missing. How can we complete it? Here are two possibilities:
The lazy dog wants a bone. (simple noun)
The lazy dog wants to sleep. (infinitive
noun)
Both of the NPs used above to complete the sentence are object NPs because
they come after a transitive verb (Vt) and receive the action of the verb. The
action of the sentence “moves” from the subject to the object in a sentence with a
transitive verb (Vt). A good way to test a verb and find out if it needs an object
NP is by asking the question “what?” after the subject and verb. For example,
We buy what every semester? The noun books answers the question in that
sentence. Books is an object NP; therefore the verb buy is transitive. Here are a
few examples of transitive verbs.
buy
give
find
watch
kick
cook
write
want
have
love
bring
carry
type
open
Exercise 5
Choose 5 of the transitive verbs (Vt) in the box above and write them in original
sentences on the lines below. Circle the object NP in each of your sentences.
1. _____________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________
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Intransitive Verbs
An intransitive verb (Vi) does not have an object after it. Therefore, with an
intransitive verb (Vi), there is no "movement" from a subject to an object. Other
words might follow an intransitive verb or modify it, however. Let's look at
another example sentence:
The lazy dog barks.
The subject NP is easy to find. It is The lazy dog. The VP is also easy to find.
It is made up of only one word: barks. Notice that there is no object NP after the
verb. Bark is an intransitive verb (Vi). It cannot take an object. Look at these
two sentences again:
*The lazy dog wants.
The lazy dog barks.
The first sentence is incomplete. It has a transitive (Vt) verb, but it does not
have an object NP. The second sentence is complete. It has an intransitive verb
(Vi), so it does not need an object NP. When a sentence has a transitive verb and
an object NP, the object NP is considered part of the verb phrase (VP).
Exercise 6
Underline the verb phrase in the following sentences.
1. The lazy dog barks loudly.
2. The lazy dog barks all night long.
3. The lazy dog barks in the house.
4. The lazy dog barks at the mailman.
5. The lazy dog barks from loneliness.
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What did you notice about the VPs in the sentences on the previous page? In
all of the sentences, the main word, or nucleus, of the VP is the intransitive verb
barks. As we have already seen, barks is a verb that does not need an object NP.
However, there are other words that come after the verb in each sentence. These
are loudly, all night long, in the house, at the mailman and from loneliness. They tell
how, or where, or when, or why the dog barks.
These words and prepositional phrases are adverbs or are phrases that
function as adverbs. These words are not object NPs because they do not name
something that receives the action of the verb. They do not answer the question,
"The dog barks what ?" In fact, there is no answer to that question, so we can see
that bark is an intransitive verb. Here are some examples of intransitive verbs.
lie
go
sit
sleep
come
laugh
sneeze
happen
travel
rise
Exercise 7
Choose 5 of the intransitive verbs in the box above and write them in original
sentences on the lines below. Add an adverb or adverb phrase after the verb in
each sentence.
1. _____________________________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________________________
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Many verbs can be transitive or intransitive, depending on how they are
used. Sometimes the verb may change meaning a little bit depending on
whether it is transitive (Vt) or intransitive (Vi). Look at these examples:
My car is running well.
Vi
They ran a few errands.
Vt
Exercise 8
Find the verb in the following sentences and mark it Vi if it is intransitive or Vt if
it is transitive.
1. The butter melted in the sun.
2. The sun melted the butter.
3. The opera star sang a lovely song.
4. We all sang joyfully.
5. The students wrote lengthy compositions.
6. They wrote for three hours without stopping.
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Linking Verbs
We mentioned before that not all verbs show an action. Sometimes, the main
word of a VP is a special kind of intransitive verb called a linking verb (Vl).
Linking verbs connect the subject and the word or words that follow the verb.
The linking verb shows that the subject of the sentence and the word or words
that come after the verb are equal. In fact, the linking verb acts like an equal sign
(=) in mathematics. Look at the following examples:
Mr. Brown is a teacher.
Vl
Mr. Brown = teacher
We can see that Mr. Brown and teacher are the same person. The linking verb
is joins the subject of the sentence and the word teacher. The word or NP that
comes after a linking verb is called a complement. A complement may look like
an object because it is a NP that comes after a verb, but it does not act like an
object. In the example sentence above, there is no action. The complement
(teacher) is not receiving the action of the verb. Therefore, it is not an object.
Remember that a linking verb is a type of intransitive verb. It never has an
object; it has a complement instead.
There are not very many linking verbs in English, and you already know
most of them. In fact, there are only two linking verbs that can be followed by a
NP complement. These are be and become.
Exercise 9
In the following sentences, underline the linking verb and circle the complement.
1. Mary is a nurse.
2. The students became doctors and lawyers.
3. The teachers were circus clowns.
4. English is an international language.
5. I will become a grandparent soon.
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In Exercise 9, all of the complements are NPs. They are called noun
complements (NC). There is another type of complement that can come after a
linking verb. That is an adjective complement (AdjC). Look at these sentences:
The dog is a German shepherd.
NC
The dog is lazy.
AdjC
The first sentence has a linking verb and a noun complement. The dog and
the German shepherd are the same thing. But in the second sentence, the linking
verb is followed by the adjective lazy. Lazy is describing the subject of the
sentence (dog) and is linked to it by the linking verb.
The linking verbs be and become can be followed by either a noun complement
(NC) or an adjective complement (AdjC). (The verb get can also be a linking verb
when it is followed by an AdjC. In this case, it is an informal way of saying
become. For example: We get tired after working for so long.)
There are a few other linking verbs that can only have an adjective complement (AdjC). These are the linking verbs of sense and perception: smell, taste,
feel, sound, look, appear and seem.
Exercise 10
Underline the linking verbs in the following sentences. Circle the complements
and label the noun complements NC and the adjective complements AdjC.
1. The music sounds too loud.
2. This exercise looks difficult.
3. The old clothes became dirty and smelly.
4. This book is very helpful.
5. The students seem tired today.
6. His pet chicken became our dinner.
7. The chicken soup tasted delicious.
8. You might be ruler of the world some day.
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Although we said earlier that only the linking verbs be and become can be
followed by either a NC or an AdjC, it is possible to put a NC after the linking
verbs of perception. You just need to add the preposition like between the
linking verb and the NC. Look at these examples.
Your perfume smells pleasant.
Vl
AdjC
Your perfume smells like rose petals.
Vl
NC
This book seems interesting.
Vl
AdjC
This book seems like an interesting one.
Vl
NC
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Now it’s time to really analyze some sentences!
Exercise 11
Follow these directions step-by-step:
1. Circle the subject NP.
2. Put a box around the verb.
3. Mark the intransitive verbs with Vi. Mark the linking verbs with Vl.
4. Underline the object NP.
5. Put a check mark above the complement. Label it NC or AdjC.
1. English grammar is a very important subject.
2. The teacher should help the students.
3. Next week, we will go to Galveston.
4. Some of the students will become nurses.
5. I can't understand your accent.
6. The wine at the wedding tasted sour.
7. The man who was hit by the car died yesterday.
8. I really hate to get up for an 8:00 class.
9. This air-conditioner doesn’t work anymore.
10. Mary said that she would be late.
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THE PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE (PP)
Every sentence must have a subject NP and a VP, or else it will not be a
grammatical English sentence. There is another type of phrase that is frequently
used that we will also discuss in this chapter. That is the prepositional phrase
(PP). A PP is never a subject or object of a sentence. In fact, a PP is usually part
of a NP or VP. When a PP is part of a NP, it is acting as an adjective by
modifying the main noun, or nucleus of the NP. When it is part of a VP, the PP is
acting as an adverb by telling how, when, where or why the action of the verb
took place. Additionally, PPs can modify an entire sentence, in which case they
aren’t really part of the NP or VP of the sentence.
Prepositional phrases are easy to recognize. They always begin with a
preposition which is followed by a NP. (The nucleus of this NP is called the
object of the preposition. Don’t get confused between the object of a preposition
and the object of a VP.) You are probably familiar with many prepositions. Here
is a list of some common ones.
about
before
by
into
over
under
above
behind
despite
like
since
until
across
below
down
near
through
up
after
beneath
during
of
throughout
upon
along
beside
for
off
till
with
among
between
from
on
to
within
around
beyond
in
out
toward
without
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Exercise 12
Underline the prepositional phrases in the following sentences and tell whether
they are part of a NP, a VP, or if they modify the whole sentence. There may be
more than one PP in each sentence. There may also be some ungrammatical
sentences with a PP in subject or object position.
1. The cat in the tree won’t come down.
2. The capital of Argentina has one of the longest streets in the world.
3. He walked with a limp.
4. On rainy weekends, I enjoy playing computer games at home.
5. The winner of the marathon collapsed in the arms of the race official.
6. She looks exactly like her father.
7. In Texas are growing many kinds of wildflowers along the highways.
8. Many families enjoy in Hermann Park.
9. About six months have lived in that apartment.
10. The guests thanked for a delicious meal.
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Exercise 13
Complete these sentences by adding an appropriate preposition. Then, circle the
subject of each sentence. Underline the object of each sentence.
1. _______ the movie, I ate a bag of popcorn, a candy bar and a hot dog.
2. I studied _______ midnight, and then I quit.
3. Watch the baby. She may fall _______ the sofa.
4. _______ the cold weather, we went on a picnic.
5. As the snake moved _______ me, I began to scream.
6. Children _______ the age of twelve are in secondary school. _______
the age of twelve, they are in elementary school.
7. _______ the time she was two, she could say complete sentences.
8. I have forgotten the name _______ the book.
9. Please come _______ the room and sit down.
10. I want to hang the picture _______ the sofa.
Exercise 14
Complete the following sentences by adding a preposition on the blank line to
practice some common two-word verbs.
1. I usually think
my GPA after every test.
2. The woman is waiting
her children at the bus stop.
3. Many students listen
rock-and-roll music.
4. She is finding
how difficult it is to work and study.
5. Can you bring
the library book tomorrow?
6. Look
new vocabulary words in the dictionary.
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REVIEW POINTS
NOUN
PHRASES
The subject is the nucleus of a subject NP.
The object is the nucleus of an object NP.
Other words that modify or describe the nucleus of a NP
are part of the NP also.
A verb must be transitive (Vt) or intransitive (Vi).
VERB
PHRASES
A Vt must have an object NP.
A Vi can not have an object NP.
A Vi may be a linking verb (Vl).
A Vl must have a noun complement (NC) or an adjective
complement (AdjC).
PREPOSITIONAL
PHRASES
A prepositional phrase (PP) always starts with a
preposition.
The preposition is always followed by a noun phrase.
A PP can modify a noun, a verb or a whole sentence, but
it can never be the subject or object of a sentence.
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