PHRASES and CLAUSES 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. The group of kids in th 6 period was waiting excitedly for the bell to ring. Verb Phrase: A group of words consisting of verbs working together and that function as a verb. The restaurant didn’t know they would be working overtime. Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, and functions as an adjective or an adverb. Ms. Miles appreciated her students for cleaning the classroom. 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. Cindy, the top student , failed her cooking exam. 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. Walking up the hill, the family saw the carnival ● Participial Phrase word ending in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle) that functions as an adjective. The chefs were tired after cleaning the kitchen ● Infinitive Phrase verb preceded by the word “to” (to read, to study, to write) that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. The students were getting ready to start the cooking contest
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. Pre-heating the oven can give better results DEPENDENT (SUBORDINATE) – CANNOT stand alone as a complete sentence 12
