Phrases and Clauses

Phrases

Phrases – groups of words that function as a part of speech.

Noun Phrase: A group of words consisting of nouns or pronouns and their modifiers that function as a noun.

Both the grandparents worked together to keep the inn in business.

Verb Phrase: A group of words consisting of verbs working together and that function as a verb.

The 3 boys knew they should be brave even in the circumstances of fighting a spirit.

Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, and functions as an

adjective or an adverb.

The ghost steadily floated above the blonde boy.

Appositive Phrase: A group of words that include all the words that modify an appositive and function as an adjective -

IT MUST BE SURROUNDED BY COMMAS.

Qie Xiaogin, a quiet introvert, visits his grandparents ’ old inn with a few acquaintances.

Verbal Phrases: A group of words that begin with a verbal and ends with a noun.

Gerund Phrase verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun.

Cleaning the hot spring, the brunette boy was pulled to the bottom by a mysterious hand.

Participial Phrase word ending in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle) that functions as an adjective.

The boys sat in the heated hot spring as they discussed their paranormal experiences.

Infinitive Phrase verb preceded by the word “to ” (to read, to study, to write) that function as nouns, adjectives, or

adverbs.

The 3 friends made the decision to exorcise Qie Xiaogin ’ s grandparents.

Clauses

Clauses – groups of words with BOTH a subject and a verb that function as parts of speech. There are TWO kinds: Independent and Dependent (called “Subordinate ”)

INDEPENDENT – CAN stand alone as a complete sentence, known as a simple sentence pattern. The phone rang in the middle of the night while everyone was sleeping.

DEPENDENT (SUBORDINATE) – CANNOT stand alone as a complete sentence and MUST begin with a SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTION. There are seven (7) kinds:

Noun Clause: Used as the noun in a sentence and may function as a subject, a predicate noun, a direct object, an object of a preposition, an indirect object, or an appositive. Where Qie Xiaogin was raised was the old rusted inn.

Adjective Clause: Used to modify a noun in an independent clause. Some adjective clauses begin with an introductory word: The aged hostelry that the guys lived in was preceded by an attempted suicide. Some adjective clauses begin with relative pronouns: The grandma is the one who designed the plan to scare the three boys. Adverb Clause: Used to modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in an independent clause, introduced by a subordinate conjunction and used to indicate time, place, cause, purpose, result, condition, and/or concession. Modifying verbs: The grandpa was laying where the boys could see from the door frame. Modifying adjectives:

After all three boys experienced the supposed paranormal events, their fears grew twice as long as it did before. Relative Clauses: Dependent clause that begins with a relative pronoun. The girl who drove the motorcycle finally arrived at the inn. Elliptical Clauses: Adverb clauses in which part of the clause is omitted. When appearing, the boys timidly point their fingers at the ceiling. Essential Clauses: Clauses necessary to the meaning of the sentence. The boy that was afraid of blood fainted from a leaking puncture in his finger.

Nonessential Clauses: Clauses that are NOT necessary to the meaning of the sentence. The inn, which was located in China, seemed to contain vengeful ghosts. 17