UNIVERSIDAD DE CARABOBO

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIN

ESCUELA DE EDUCACIN
DEPARTAMENTO DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS
CTEDRA DE LINGSTICA Y GRAMTICA INGLESA
GRAMTICA COMUNICATIVA

1 Students handout.
Phrases: The constituents of sentences.

A Phrase is a small group of related words within a sentence or clause. A phrase

functions as a part of speech and includes ahead (or headword), which determines the
nature of the unit.
Noun Phrase.
- A word group with a noun or pronoun as its head. The simplest noun phrase
consists of a single noun.
- The noun head can be accompanied by modifiers, determiners (such as the, a,
her), and/or complements.
- A noun phrase (often abbreviated as NP) most commonly functions as a subject,
object, or complement.

Example: The boy with brown hair.

Adjective Phrase.
- An adjective phrase always has an adjective acting as the head.
- The adjective phrase may also contain words or phrases before or after the head
(modifiers and complements).

Example: Full of water.

Prepositional Phrase.

- A combination of a preposition followed by a noun, pronoun or clause.

Example: On the roof.

Verb Phrase.

- It is a grammatical form in which a verb functions as the head of the phrase.

- Verb phrases may also contain subject complements, direct objects, object
complements, and indirect objects.

Example: Study for the exam.

 Adverb Phrase.

- An adverb phrase consists of one or more words. The adverb is the head of the
phrase and can appear alone or it can be modified by other words.
- Adverbs are one of the four major word classes, along with nouns, verbs and
adjectives.

Example: Very recently.

Taken from: http://dictionary.cambridge.org

http://www.linguisticsgirl.com
http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/adjectivephraseterm.htm

NP-PP-AP-VP-Adv P Exercises.

NOUN PHRASE.

1- Identify the specifiers, the head and the complements of the following noun
phrases. Fill in the chart as in the example.

0. The boy that I met yesterday.

1. Anyone who want to answer the question.

2. These five French literature handouts for high school.
3. The house that Jack built.
4. The nature of linguistic categorization.
5. The President of Germanys speech.

N Specifiers Head Post modifiers

Det Pre-mod Noun
0 The boy that I met yesterday
1
2
3
4
5

2- Following the example provided, make sentences using the structure given.

0. Det + AP + Head.
The Russian experiment.

1. Det + Head
2. Head + PP

3. Head + Clause

4. Head + AP

5. Det + AP + Head + Clause

3- Identify the noun phrases in the following sentences and state their syntactic
functions. Fill in the chart as in the example.

1. The boy climbed a tree.

2. Spain is a wonderful country.

3. I donated three millions of dollars to Nepal.
4. Ive been learning English for a month.
5. Were going to England next week.
6. Many parts of the Asian coastline were destroyed by a tsunami in 2004.

N NOUN PHRASE SYNTACTIC FUNCTION

0 The boy Subject of the sentence
a tree Complement of the verb: Climb.

5
 ADJECTIVE PHRASE.

4- Underline the APs in the following sentences and classify their components
(specifiers, head and complements). Fill in the chart.

0. This is a fantastic book.

1. The task is very easy to solve.

2. Sarah was fairly bored with you.
3. John was very disappointed about your last presentation.
4. It was kind that you gave me flowers.
5. Her baking always smells extremely tempting.

N Specifiers Head Complements

0 ------------ fantastic --------------
1
2
3
4
5

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.

5- Underline the PPs in the following sentences and examine their components. Fill
in the chart.

0. The one from Beverly.

1. Before class, Josh begged his friends for a pencil.

2. The fight scene is before the second act.
3. My check for the dress is in the mail.
4. He likes movies about war; she prefers movies with a romantic theme.
5. Away from home for the first time Mary wrote numerous letters to her family.

N Specifiers Head Complement

0 ------------ from Beverly
 VERB PHRASE.

6- In the following sentences underline the VPs and identify the specifiers, the head,
the complements and the adverbials. Fill in the chart.

0. Selena always breaks the speed limit.

1. Marcus should drive with more care.

2. I have the wrong number.
3. Tony might have been waiting outside for you.
4. He didnt sing at the party.
5. Mary currently tries to study Grammar.

N Specifiers Head Complements

0 always breaks the speed limit
1
2
3
4
5

ADVERBIAL PHRASE.

7- Underline the Adverb Phrase in the sentences below.

0. I ran a marathon yesterday.

1. I have never run a race.
2. The music is blaring extremely loudly.
3. Olympic runners can sprint very quickly.
4. My use of adverbs is almost always perfect.
5. James answered my call immediately.
6. Quietly, the thief comes into the vacant building.
7. Surprisingly, none of the children failed the test.
8. She takes the boat to the mainland every day.
9. She still lives there.
10. Slowly, ever so carefully, Jesse filled the coffee cup up to the brim.