Download Phrases and clauses

Notes: Phrases and Clauses
Definition
Phrase – group of words that act as a single part of speech and do not have a verb or a subject
1. verb phrase – includes main verb and any helping verb(s) in a sentence
Example:
The drama club has been practicing all afternoon for the opening of the play
2. inifinitive phrase – to + verb
Example:
I want to run a marathon someday.
3. prepositional phrase – includes a preposition, its object, and any modifiers. Functions as an adjective
or adverb.
Examples:
This book about World War II is very informative. (adjective)
He is careful with his money. (adverb)
4. verbal phrase – includes a verbal with its modifiers or complements working as a single part of speech.
A participial phrase functions as an adjective and a gerund phrase functions as a noun.
Examples:
The bees swarming around the tree frightened the picnickers away. (participial)
*participial phrases that are nonessential or at the beginning of a sentence should be set off with
commas.
The chattering of the birds woke us. (gerund)
5. appositive phrase – a noun or noun substitute and its modifiers that work together as a unit to describe
or identify a noun or pronoun. (*appositives are always set off with commas)
Examples:
Our destination, Timbuktu, is still very distant.
Gooseberries, pale green berries with a sour taste, make a tangy treat.
Definition
Clause – a group of words that contains a subject (S) and a verb (V)
1. independent clause – a group of words that has a subject and verb and can stand alone
Example:
S V
We liked the movie.
2. Dependent (subordinate) clause – a group of words that has a subject and a verb but cannot stand
alone because it is introduced by a subordinating conjunction
Examples:
We left the beach after the rain began. (adverb)
The sky looked as if it were night. (adverb)
Pat received the letter that Meg sent. (adjective)
The husky, which is a very social dog, is unhappy alone. (adjective)
Loretta Lynn, who is a coal miner’s daughter, has won many awards for her music. (adjective)
Directions: Identify the underlined words as either a clause or a phrase. If the group of words is a clause, write
S over the subject and V over the verb. If the group of words is a phrase, label it as verb, infinitive, preposition,
participial, gerund, or appositive.
1. Mark was waiting at the bus stop when it started to rain.
2. Yakima, the Palm Springs of Washington, is very hot in the summer.
3. She picked the dress that I made.
4. Jenny wore orange and black because she loved Halloween.
5. The cat sleeping on the windowsill belongs to my grandmother.
6. After winning every game during the regular season, the soccer team went on to win the championship.
7. Steve cheered as the football team scored a goal.
8. Jumping up and down will increase your heart rate.
9. Stacey got a job because she wanted to buy a car.
10. Rick wore a shirt with blue stripes.
11. Jane was alone in the old house when she heard a strange sound.
12. Since gasoline is expensive, Rosa rides a bicycle to work.
13. The squirrel, sitting on the high limb, teased the dogs barking at it.
14. Raoul groaned as he remembered his unfinished chores.
15. Lydia wondered about the note in her locker.
16. Alonzo gave up his paper route because he got a better job.
17. The person who put the dead fish in the teacher’s lounge will be severely punished.
18. The tire that I patched had another leak before the week ended.
19. After Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll wrote a book about mathematics.
20. When Hank Aaron hit his 500th home run, the fans went wild.