Phrases
Phrases
 A group of words that act as a part of speech i.e. adverb,
noun, adjective
 With the groom
 Singing
 Walking down the aisle
 To snow
 Phrases do NOT have a subject and a verb.
 There are three types of phrases: prepositional, verbal, and
appositive.
Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, its object,
and any modifiers of the object.



There are many kinds of sports.
Some people take a sport to its extreme.
Adverb Prepositional Phrases
Like an adverb, an adverb prepositional phrase modifies
a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.



The cape buffalo is the most dangerous of all big game. (modifies
the adjective “dangerous”)
He said, in the same slow tone… (modifies the verb “said”)
Adjective Prepositional Phrases

Like an adjective, an adjective prepositional phrase
modifies a noun or pronoun.


“Here in the preserve on my island,” he said…(modifies the noun
“preserve”)
As in the example above, sometimes an adjective phrase
modifies a noun or pronoun that is part of a different
prepositional phrase.
Placement of Prep. Phrases
 Take a look at these examples:
 Brockton Kennels sells retriever puppies to loving families with
vaccinations.
 Brockton Kennels sells retriever puppies with vaccinations to
loving families.
 Who has the vaccinations? The puppies or the families?
Prepositional Phrase Practice

1.
2.
3.
Underline each Prep. Phrase and circle the word
modified. Identify each as adjective or adverb.
Where would we be without creative geniuses?
Many scientific discoveries are made by chance.
Other inventions around the world have made life
easier.
Practice Answers
1.
2.
3.
Without creative geniuses – would be – adverb
By chance – are made – adverb
Around the world – inventions - adjective
Appositives and Appositive Phrases
 An appositive is a noun or pronoun that identifies or renames
another noun or pronoun.
 An appositive phrase is made up of an appositive plus its
modifiers.
 Gail Devers, a champion sprinter, was born in Seattle in 1966.
 Barcelona, a large city in Spain, hosted the Olympics in 1992.
Essential Appositives
 An appositive that provides information that is needed to
identify the preceding noun or pronoun. You DO NOT need
commas with essential appositives.
 The American sprinter Gail Devers won an Olympic Gold
Medal at Barcelona.
Nonessential Appositives
 Add information to a noun or pronoun in a sentence in which
the meaning is already clear. You MUST use commas!
 Devers, a survivor of Graves’ disease, overcame many obstacles
to achieve athletic success.
Appositives Practice

Underline the appositive phrases in the sentences. Circle the
appositive. Double underline the word or words the appositive
renames or identifies.
1.
Wilma Rudolph, another champion sprinter, also overcame a
disability.
Rudolph was born with the disease polio.
Her mother, Blanche Rudolph, helped her recover.
2.
3.
Verbals
 A verbal is a verb form that acts as a noun, an adjective, or an
adverb. There are three types of verbals: participles, gerunds,
and infinitives.
Participial Phrases
 A participle is a verb form that acts as an adjective. It
modifies a noun or a pronoun.
 A participial phrase consists of a participle plus its modifiers
and complements.
 Played for more than 100 years, high school football has a rich
tradition. (modifies the noun “football”)
 Large crowds attend games featuring rival schools. (modifies
the noun “games”)
 There are two kinds of participles:
 Past (end in –ed)
 Present (end in –ing)
Participial Practice

Underline the participial phrases in the following sentences then circle the
noun or pronoun that it modifies.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Increased demand for food is the result of the growth of the population.
The popular comedian bowed to the laughing audience.
The doctor examining me ordered a blood test.
Tired after the long practice, the athlete stumbled.
Andrea, leaping several feet into the air, caught the softball.
Gerund Phrases, cont.
 A gerund is a verb form that ends in –ing and acts as a noun.
 A gerund phrase consists of a gerund plus its modifiers.
 He loves swimming.
 He loves swimming in the ocean.
 Like nouns, gerunds and gerund phrases can act as anything a noun
can act as:
 Subject: Swimming competitively requires lots of practice.
 Object of a Preposition: Jeff got in shape by swimming at the YMCA.
 Indirect Object: Tameka gave competitive swimming a try.
 Direct Object: Mr. Lopez coaches high school swimming.
 Predicate Nominative: Tameka’s specialty is swimming the backstroke.
Gerund Practice

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Underline each gerund or gerund phrase. Then write how it is used:
S, OP, DO, IO, or PN.
Cheering the team gave me a sore throat.
Joanna’s mother enjoys preserving fruits and vegetables.
We stopped him from telling a secret.
Playing chess takes a great deal of concentration.
One of the most dangerous sports is skiing downhill.
Infinitive Phrases
 An infinitive phrase is a verb form, usually beginning with the
word “to,” that can act as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
 An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive plus its modifiers and
complements.
 More and more women are learning to golf.
 To make a living as a golfer is no easy task.
 Acting as a noun:
 To win tournaments is the goal of most top golfers.
 Acting as an adjective:
 In 1998, Se Ri Pak became the youngest player to win the U.S. women’s golf
championship.
 Acting as an adverb:
 To become a champion golfer, Pak spent many hours practicing.
Infinitive Phrase Practice

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Underline the infinitive phrases in the following
sentences. Then write how it is used: N, Adj., or Adv.
To understand the difference between a democracy and
a republic is important.
The captain struggled to regain control of his
foundering ship.
The political prisoner refused to denounce his
principles.
Magellan’s ship was the first to circumnavigate the
globe.
The class approved the decision to offer tutoring
services to younger children.
Misplaced Phrase
 A phrase that is placed so far away from the word that it
modifies that the meaning of the sentence is often unclear.
 Most commonly misplaced: prepositional and participial
phrases
 The U.S. team in men’s indoor volleyball won the most
Olympic gold medals in the 1980s.
Dangling Phrases
 When the word (or words) that a phrase should modify is
missing from the sentence.
 Most dangling phrases are participial or infinitive.
 Failing to win a gold medal in the 1980s, the Olympic women’s
indoor volleyball competition has been disappointing.