Phrases

1. Phrases ARE PHANTASTIC!

2. What is a phrase? • a group of words • does not contain a subject and a verb • can function just as individual words can: • as modifiers (adjectives and adverbs) • as subjects and objects (nouns and pronouns) • as verbs

3. VERB PHRASES As you remember from Grammar Lesson 1, verbs can consist of two or more words. The Red Sox are sucking lately! Does he play the accordion? Mom has been waiting a while. Verb phrases function as verbs.

4. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES Prepositional phrases consist of at least a preposition and its object. It can also include modifiers (adjectives and adverbs). My friend took me to the Pats game. Across the room, Jim stared at the clock. Prepositional phrases function as modifiers.

5. APPOSITIVE PHRASES An appositive phrase, located directly next to a noun, explains, renames, or identifies it. Cathy, the girl in the back, writes good essays. English 100, Developmental Writing, is my favorite class. Appositive phrases function as adjectives.

6. PARTICIPIAL PHRASES A participial phrase contains the –ing or –ed form of the verb but does not have a helping verb to make it a verb phrase. Exhausted from the hike, Joe collapsed in a heap on the floor. Waiting for ages, Bobby thought his friends would never come. Participial phrases function as adjectives.

7. GERUND PHRASES A gerund phrase is the –ing form of the verb and its object, plus modifiers, and functions as a noun does. Moving furniture is not my favorite activity. You should avoid slacking off in class. You will penalized for falling asleep in class. Gerund phrases function as subjects, direct objects, and objects of prepositions.

8. INFINITIVE PHRASES An infinitive phrase is to and the verb, its object, plus modifiers. To work at Microsoft was his lifelong dream. I want to play baseball. Jenny will find a way to make it happen. Infinitive phrases function as subjects or objects or as modifiers.

9. VERBALS Participial phrases, gerund phrases, and infinitive phrases are called verbals. This is because they are derived from verbs but function differently.

10. WATCH OUT FOR DANGLING MODIFIERS!! Your phrase must modify the noun or verb to which it is closest in the sentence. If not, it dangles. Driving around town, a tree fell and hit my car. In the novel, Tom Joad comes across a turtle after spending four years in prison. Running quickly around town, my nose got cold.

11. Simply changing the sentence order is usually not enough to correct a dangling modifier. Looking toward the west, a funnel-shaped cloud stirred up dust. What happens when we switch the order around? We get: A funnel-shaped could stirred up dust, looking toward the west. This is still incorrect! No matter which where the phrase is placed, it still dangles.

12. What’s the solution? The phrase looking toward the west must be changed from a phrase because it does not modify any of the sentence’s parts: Is the funnel-shaped cloud looking toward the west? NO! Is the dust looking toward the west? NO!

13. Look at the context, or surrounding circumstances, of the sentence. Let’s say that this sentence is in a short story about a guy named Cowboy Bob and a tornado he saw. How would you revise this sentence? Looking toward the west, a funnel-shaped cloud stirred up dust.

14. Don’t be fooled by sentences written in passive voice or with linking verbs.  To raise a good dog, patience is useful. REVISION: Use an active verb.  To raise a good dog, owners need patience.  Having brought my lunch, a meal ticket was not needed. REVISION: Use a subject that does the action of the sentence.  Having brought my lunch, I didn’t need a meal ticket.

15. Don’t be fooled by possessive pronouns. • When nine years old, my mother started medical school. • When I was nine years old, my mother started medical school. • Running quickly around town, my nose got cold. • As I was running quickly around town, my nose got cold.