Download Grammar: Functions of Words, Phrases, and Clauses – Basic

Grammar: Functions of Words, Phrases, and Clauses –
Basic Modifiers
Adjectives: descriptive words that give details of color, quantity, quality, etc. of NOUNS
The blue balloon rose into the cloudy sky.
-
blue modifies balloon; cloudy modifies sky.
Adverbs: describes how, when, or where and VERB or action takes place.
I’ll take out the trash tonight if you’ll kindly do the dishes.
-
out modifies where take will happen; tonight modifies when take will happen; kindly
modifies how the dishes will be done.
Prepositional Phrases
Examples of Prepositional Phrases Functioning as Adverb Phrases:
When you get to the sign, take a left.
(To is the preposition, and to the sign is the prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase
functions as an adverb phrase, modifying get.)
We climbed up the hill to see the view.
(Up is the preposition, and up the hill is the prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase
functions as an adverb phrase, modifying climbed.)
It annoys me when people talk during movies.
(During is the preposition, and during movies is the prepositional phrase. The prepositional
phrase functions as an adverb phrase, modifying talk.)
Examples of Prepositional Phrases Functioning as Adjective Phrases:
The boy with him is his son.
(With is the preposition, and with him is the prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase
functions as an adjective phrase, modifying boy.)
You can use the broom behind you to sweep the floor.
(Behind is the preposition, and behind you is the prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase
functions as an adjective phrase, modifying broom.)
The bracelet in the storefront window is the one I want.
(In is the preposition, and in the storefront window is the prepositional phrase. The prepositional
phrase functions as an adjective phrase, modifying bracelet.)
Important Note: prepositions that start dependent clauses are function as conjunctions
- Example:
Before she went to work, she enjoyed breakfast and coffee.
Transitive Verbs
A transitive verb has two characteristics. First, it is an action verb, expressing a doable activity
like kick, want, paint, write, eat, clean, etc. Second, it must have a direct object, something
or someone who receives the action of the verb.
Here are some examples of transitive verbs:
Sylvia kicked Juan under the table.
Kicked = transitive verb; Juan = direct object.
Joshua wants a smile from Leodine, his beautiful but serious lab partner.
Wants = transitive verb; smile = direct object.
Cornelius painted the canvas in Jackson Pollock fashion, dribbling bright colors from a heavily
soaked brush.
Painted = transitive verb; canvas = direct object.
Alicia wrote a love poem on a restaurant napkin.
Wrote = transitive verb; poem = direct object.
Antonio eats lima beans drenched in brown gravy.
Eats = transitive verb; lima beans = direct object.
Pinky the poodle cleans the dirty supper dishes with his tongue before Grandma loads the
"prewashed" items into dishwasher.
Cleans, loads = transitive verbs; dishes, items = direct objects.
Important note: When no direct object follows an action verb, the verb is intransitive.
Clause: a group of words containing a subject and verb
An independent clause can stand by itself as a complete sentence.
Examples:
I read a book.
You watched a movie.
Your brother ran laps around the house.
A Dependent clause can’t stand by itself as a complete sentence; it can only be part of a
sentence.
Example:
I read a book, which I thought was a good idea.
You watched a movie, since you don’t like to read.
Because he had lots of energy, your brother ran laps around the house.
Subjects: the noun or pronoun doing the action in the sentence or clause
Example:
Shelly taught her brother how to read and write.
Verb Phrase: more than one verb working together in an action or state of being
Example:
You should have helped the old man across the sidewalk.
Examples for completing Grammar Tasks for functions:
1. Mary and Sue went to the store before they headed to the movies.
-
Mary and Sue, they: subjects of the sentence
Went, headed: main verbs
“to the store”: prepositional phrase; store is the object of the preposition; describes
where they went, so it’s an adverb.
“to the movies”: prepositional phrase; movies is the obj. of the prep.; describes where
they headed, so it’s an adverb.
“before they headed to the movies”: dependent clause
2. After he sank the ship, the captain could not save his shipmates.
-
he, captain: subjects
sank: transitive verb; ship is the direct object
could save: verb phrase; could is a helping verb; save is transitive; shipmates is the
direct object
“after he sank the ship”: dependent clause
3. Are you reading a book about snakes now?
-
you: subject
are reading: verb phrase; are is a helping verb; reading is transitive; book is the D.O.
about snakes: prepositional phrase; snakes is the obj. of prep.; describes the book, so
this phrase is an adjective.
now: adverb that modifies when “reading” happens