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#1-What is a Phrase?
A phrase is a group of related words that is
used as a single part of speech and that does not contain both a verb and its subject.
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: a message from the other members of the debate team PARTICIPIAL PHRASE: monkeys swinging through the dense jungle INFINITIVE PHRASE: asking to go with them on their Antarctic expedition APPOSITIVE PHRASE: a painting by van Gogh, the famous Dutch painter NOTE: a group of words that has both a verb and its subject is called a clause.
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a noun or pronoun called the object of the preposition, and any modifiers of that object.
EXAMPLES: The Seine River flows through Paris. [The noun Paris is the object of the preposition through.]
EXAMPLES: The car in front of us slid into an icy snow bank. [The pronoun us is the object of the compound preposition in front of. The noun snow bank is the object of the preposition into.]
NOTE:
Be careful not to confuse a prepositional phrase with
an infinitive. A prepositional phrase always has an object that is a noun or a pronoun. An infinitive is a verb form that usually begins with to. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: When we went to Florida, we saw the old Spanish fort in St. Augustine.
INFINITIVE: When we were in Florida, we went to see the old Spanish fort in St. Augustine.
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but is used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. There are three kinds of verbals: the participle, the gerund, and the infinitive.
an adjective.
and any modifiers or complements the participle has. The entire phrase is used as an adjective.
Seeing itself in the mirror, the duck seemed quite bewildered.
used as a noun.
SUBJECT Skiing down that slope was fun.
PREDICATE NOMINATIVE: Dads favorite pastime is fishing for trout and bass.
INDIRECT OBJECT Give sailing a try. DIRECT OBJECT We enjoyed hiking in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. OBJECT OF PREPOSITION Please sweep the front sidewalk after mowing.
any modifiers or complements the gerund has. The entire phrase is used as a noun.
Having a part-time job may interfere with your schoolwork.
The townspeople heard the loud clanging of the fire bell. NOTE: When a noun or a pronoun comes immediately before a gerund, use the possessive form of the noun or pronoun.
#9 The Infinitive
An infinitive is a verb form that can be used
and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has. The entire phrase may be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
An infinitive may be modified by an adjective or an adverb; it may also have a complement.