What is a Phrase?
A phrase is a group of words that provides extra information beyond what a single word can convey in a sentence. Phrases may contain a subject or a predicate or be part of a subject or a predicate. However, a single phrase cannot contain both a subject and a predicate.
There are many categories of phrases. The parts of speech can each have their own type of phrase. Notice how in each example given below, the phrase provides extra information about its part of speech.
- Noun phrase: The happy baby giggled.
- Pronoun phrase: Who else forgot their math homework?
- Verb phrase: She has been dancing.
- Adverb phrase: The One Ring was destroyed once and for all.
- Adjective phrase: Julie is better than me at chemistry.
- Prepositional phrase: The key fell under the table.
- Conjunctional phrase: I’ll help cook as soon as I get home.
- Interjection phrase: Good grief, I’ll never kick that football.
In the following section, we will examine four types of phrases in detail:
- Gerund phrases
- Prepositional phrases
- Infinitive phrases
- Appositive phrases
Gerund phrase
A gerund phrase is a phrase that provides additional information about a gerund. Gerund phrases take the role of a noun in a sentence.
Gerund phrase as subject
Because a gerund can take the role of a noun, a gerund phrase can function as the complete subject of a sentence.
- Example: Biking all day long made me hungry.
Gerund phrase in predicate
A gerund phrase may appear in the predicate of a sentence.
- Example: I tried biking all day long.
In the above example, the verb of the sentence is the word tried. The gerund phrase biking all day long functions as the direct object of the sentence.
Not gerund phrases: progressive verb phrases and participle phrases
- Progressive verbs end in the suffix -ing but do not have noun qualities. The rules of gerund phrases do not apply to progressive verb phrases.
- Example: I was biking all day long.
In the above example, was biking is the past progressive form of the verb to bike. The verb phrase does not have any noun qualities.
- Participle phrases are similar to gerund phrases, but they function as adjectives or adverbs, not as nouns. These phrases often require the use of commas.
- Example: Pedaling with all her might, Julie biked thirty miles that day.
- Example: Julie, pedaling with all her might, biked thirty miles that day.
In the above examples, the participle phrase pedaling with all her might acts as an adjective that modifies the noun Julie.
Prepositional phrase
Prepositions are words that indicate position or direction. A prepositional phrase is a phrase that provides extra information about a preposition. A prepositional phrase contains a preposition and the object of the preposition.
- Example: The snail crawled onto the leaf.
In the above example, onto is the preposition. Its object is leaf.
Prepositional phrases can function as nouns, complements, adjectives, or adverbs.
Prepositional phrase as noun
A prepositional phrase can fill the role of a noun.
- Example: Under the bridge is where we liked to sit after school was over.
In the above example, Under the bridge functions as a noun and is the subject of the sentence.
Prepositional phrase as complement
A prepositional phrase can fill the role of a complement.
- Example: Our favorite hangout spot is under the bridge.
In the above example, under the bridge functions as the complement of our favorite hangout spot.
Prepositional phrase as adjective
A prepositional phrase can fill the role of an adjective.
- Example: The airplane seat nearest the window is my favorite.
In the above example, nearest the window modifies the noun seat.
Prepositional phrase as adverb
A prepositional phrase can fill the role of an adverb.
- Example: The car drove over the bridge.
In the above example, over the bridge modifies the verb drove.
Infinitive phrase
An infinitive phrase is a phrase that uses the basic dictionary form of a verb preceded by the word to.
- Example: I want to visit Seoul, South Korea.
- Example: They worked to feed and clothe the homeless.
Infinitive phrases can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Infinitive phrase as noun
An infinitive phrase can function as a subject or a direct object in a sentence.
- Example: To stroll the beach is my number one goal this weekend.
In the above example, the infinitive phrase To stroll the beach is the subject of the sentence.
- Example: I play to win.
In the above example, the infinitive phrase to win is the direct object.
Infinitive phrase as adjective
An infinitive phrase can function as an adjective.
- Example: I want someone to love.
In the above example, to love modifies the noun someone.
Infinitive phrase as adverb
An infinitive phrase can function as an adverb.
- Example: They work to feed the homeless.
In the above example, to feed the homeless modifies the verb work.
Appositive
The word appose is an old word that means “to place side by side.” An appositive is a noun or phrase that rewords another term in a sentence, providing extra information.
- Example: Jamie, a poet, is coming to give a guest lecture tomorrow.
- Example: Jamie is coming to give a guest lecture tomorrow.
In the above example, the appositive phrase a poet provides extra information about the noun Jamie. Because the phrase a poet is not crucial to the meaning of the sentence, commas are used to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
Commas, em dashes, and parentheses are all accepted ways to separate an appositive from the rest of its sentence.
- Example: Mia often ate sushi, her favorite food, for dinner.
- Example: Mia often ate sushi—her favorite food—for dinner.
- Example: Mia often ate sushi (her favorite food) for dinner.
When an appositive is crucial to the meaning of a sentence, do not use extra punctuation to separate it from the rest of the sentence. Context often determines whether an appositive is crucial.
Both examples given below can be correct or incorrect depending on context.
- Example: Mia and her sister, Lucy, went out for sushi after work.
The above example implies that Mia only has one sister. In this situation, knowing her name is not crucial to the meaning of the sentence. There is only one possible person her sister is referring to.
- Example: Mia and her sister Lucy went out for sushi after work.
The above example implies that Mia has more than one sister. In this situation, knowing her name is crucial to the meaning of the sentence, as her sister could refer to multiple people.
