More on Phrases: prepositional, verbal and appositive

Holt Handbook, Chapter 3: The Phrase (64-85)

A phrase is a group of related words that is usedas a single part of speechand that does not contain both a verb and its subject. Example: for you and her (no subject or verb). Contrast with the definition of a clause: A group of words that has both a subject and a verb.

There are three different types of phrases: prepositional, verbal and appositive.

WRITING TIP: Using too many short sentences will make your writing choppy. By using

Prepositional Phrases

Prepositional phrases include a preposition (see subject sheet for a list of commonly used prepositions), the object of a preposition (noun/ pronoun), and any modifiers of that object. Prepositional phrases can either be used as adjectives (modifying nouns or pronouns) or adverbs (modifying verbs, adjectives or other adverbs).

A preposition tells how words are related in a sentence (65).

Example: To me a koala looks like a cuddly teddy bear.

Note: DO NOT confuse prepositional phrases beginning with to – as in to me or to Australia– with an infinitive phrase such as to be or to learn.

Hint: The word to + a noun or pronoun is a prepositional phrase, not an infinitive.

Verbals

Verbals are formed from verbs and are used as adjectives, nouns, or adverbs. There are three types of verbals: infinitives, gerunds and participles. A verbal phrase consists of a verbal and its modifiers and complements (70).

Infinitive phrasesconsisit of an infinitive and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has. The entire phrase can be used as a noun, adjective or adverb (78).

An infinitive is a verb form that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Most infinitives begin with to.

Example: To hit a curve ball solidly is very difficult.

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Hint: Sometimes to, the sign of an infinitive, is omitted. Example: He will help us paddle the canoe.

Note: Unlike other verbals, an infinitive may have a subject. An infinitive clause consists of an infinitive with a subject and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has. The entire infinitive clause functions as a noun.

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Gerund phrasesconsist of a gerund and any modifiers or complements the gerund has. The entire phrase is used as a noun(76).

A gerundis a verb form that ends in –ing and that is used as a noun.

Example: Reading adventures is my favorite hobby.

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Note: Gerunds, like present participles, end in –ing. DO NOT confuse a gerund, which is used as a noun, with a present participle, which may be used as adjective or as part of a verb phrase.

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Participial phrases consist of a participle and any modifiers or complements the participle has. The entire phrase is used as adjective (71).

A participle is a verb form that can be used as adjective. Present participles end in –ing while past participles end in –d or –ed. Example: For dinner we prepared grilled salmon. Some may be formed irregularly. Example: For years the treasure remained hidden under tons of rock.

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Note: Do not confuse a participle used as an adjective with a participle used as part of a verb phrase.

Note: When placed at the beginning of a sentence, a participial phrase is followed by a comma.

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Appositives

An appositive phrase consists of an appositive and any modifiers it has. Example: The Millers live on Mockingbird Lane, a wide street lined with oak trees (81).

An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it. Example: My cousin Bryan is my best friend.

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Hint: An appositive phrase usually follows the noun or pronoun it identifies or describes. Sometimes, though, it precedes the noun or pronoun.

Note: Appositives and appositive phrases that are not essential to the meaning of a sentence are set off by commas. However, an appositive that tells which one of two or more is essential to the meaning of a sentence and should not be set off commas.

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from Sentence Composing for High School

The Absolute Phrase

Absolutes are sentence parts that describe the rest of the sentence in which they appear. Absolutes are almost sentences. As a test, you can make any absolute a sentence by adding was or were.

Example: She returned to her bench, her face showing all the unhappiness that had suddenly overtaken her.

-- Theodore Dreiser, An American Tragedy

Notice that without the absolute phrase, the sentence “She returned to her bench” would be bland and lacking the distinctive quality achieved by adding the absolute phrase. Again, the absolute phrases are almost sentences, lacking a main verb, so by applying the “test” of adding was or were, you can more easily identify the phrase as an absolute.

Example: Her face was showing all the unhappiness that had suddenly overtaken her.

Another way to identify an absolute is that many begin with possessive pronouns such as my, his, her, its, our, their, etc. Absolutes can occur as sentence openers, subject-verb splits, or sentence closers.

Example: Sentence Opener

His hands raw, he reached a flat place at the top.

Example: Subject-verb split

Miss Hearne, her face burning, hardly listened to these words.

Example: Sentence Closer

He walked with a brim strut, swinging out his legs in a half-circle with each step, his heels biting smartly into the red velvet carpet on the floor.