Types of Phrases
“To be or not to be,
that is the question.”
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare
What is a phrase?

A phrase is a group of related words
that acts as a single part of speech.

By using phrases effectively and placing
them properly, you can make your writing
clearer and more descriptive.

“To be or not to be” is an example of just
one of many types of phrases.
Types of Phrases





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Verb Phrases
Prepositional Phrases
Appositive Phrases
Participial Phrases
Gerund Phrases
Infinitive Phrases
Verb Phrases
Verb Phrases are formed when verbs are
joined by auxiliary verbs, also
called
helping verbs.
 A verb phrase may be used to express a
particular tense of a verb or to indicate
that an action is directed at the subject.

Romeo and Juliet might never have met if not for the
party at Juliet’s house.
Both Romeo and Juliet’s actions are driven by their
passion for each other.
Prepositional Phrases

A prepositional phrase
consists of a preposition,
its objects, and any
modifiers of the object.
There are many kinds
of love.
Romeo and Juliet take
their love to the extreme.
Adjective and Adverb Phrases

An adjective prepositional phrase modifies
a noun or a pronoun.
There are many kinds of love.

Like an adverb, an adverb prepositional
phrase modifies a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb.
Romeo and Juliet take their love to the extreme.
Let’s Practice …
1.
2.
3.
4.
The students are
studying the play in
their English class.
Some are confused by
Shakespeare’s use of
older-style English.
The teacher should have
given them some more
guidance on reading his
poetry.
Many had heard before
of the tragic tale.
Let’s Practice …
1.
2.
3.
4.
The students are
studying the play in
their English class.
Some are confused by
Shakespeare’s use of
older-style English.
The teacher should have
given them some more
guidance on reading his
poetry.
Many had heard before
of the tragic tale.
Why It Matters In Writing

Inexperienced writers sometimes confuse readers by
putting prepositional phrases in the wrong places in
their sentences. Think about how the placement of
the prepositional phrase affects the meaning of the
following sentences:
Brockton Kennels sells retriever puppies to
loving families with vaccinations.
Golden retrievers are valued for their eagerness
to work by hunters.
Fix These Problem Sentences
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sporting dogs and hounds
are the types of dogs for
hunting with the most talent.
The stamina of a Chesapeake
Bay retriever allows it to
swim when retrieving ducks
for a long time.
With its water-resistant fur, a
hunter is glad to have a
Labrador retriever to swim
out and bring back ducks.
A pointer holds up a front leg
at the scent of a quail with
the paw pointed down.
5.
6.
Irish water spaniels are
funny-looking dogs with tufts
over their faces of curly hair.
With their noses to the
ground, rabbits leave a scent
that basset hounds are good
at tracking.
Fix These Problem Sentences
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sporting dogs and hounds
are the types of dogs with
the most talent for hunting.
The stamina of a Chesapeake
Bay retriever allows it to
swim for a long time when
retrieving ducks.
A hunter is glad to have a
Labrador retriever with its
water-resistant fur to swim
out and bring back ducks.
A pointer holds up a front leg
with the paw pointed down
at the scent of a quail.
5.
6.
Irish water spaniels are
funny-looking dogs with tufts
of curly hair over their faces.
Rabbits leave a scent that
basset hounds, with their
noses to the ground, are
good at tracking.