Download Phrases

Phrases
Taken from The Magic Lens by
Michael Clay Thompson
Phrase
A phrase IS:
group of words without a subject and its
predicate, that acts like a single part of
speech.
 Ex. A government of the people, by the
people, and for the people.

A phrase is NOT:
A complete idea.
A clause. Clauses have subjects and
predicates. Phrases don’t
I jumped. (Clause)
 In the boat (Phrase)

Appositive Phrases
An appositive phrase:
Comes from “pos” (put) and “ap” (beside)
 Is an interrupting definition.
 Defines a noun (thus = adjective).
 Consists of one word or an entire phrase.
 Is usually enclosed in commas.

Appositive Phrase Examples:
Botticelli, the Renaissance painter,
painted angels.
My friend Hamlet is a woodworking
artist.
Come up with three of your own:
1.
 2.
 3.

Prepositional Phrases
A prepositional phrase:
Begins with a preposition
 Concludes with the object of the
preposition
 Relates its object to another word in the
sentence.
 Ex. The dog in the boat barked.


What does the preposition “in” show a spatial
relationship between?
Verbal Phrases
Verbal:
a verb form used as a different part of
speech.
 NOT a verb.
 A verb gets changed into a different part of
speech.

3 Kinds of Verbals
Gerunds:
Nouns made from –ing verbs (live vs.
living)
 Make three gerunds now!
 Subjects and objects may be made out of
gerunds.
 Gerund phrase: The living is easy.
 Use your gerunds from above in three
sentences & underline the gerund phrase!

3 Kinds of Verbals continued
…
Participles:
Adjectives made out of –ing, -ed, or -en
verbs. (swell vs. swollen)
 Make three participles now!
 Participial Phrase: The river—swollen with
the recent rains–crested over its banks.
 Use your participles from above in three
sentences & underline the participial
phrases!

3 Kinds of Verbals continued
…
Infinitives:
Nouns or modifiers made from the to- form
of verbs. (to be, to think, to dream)
 Infinitives are ONE word.
 Make three infinitives now!

Infinitives continued …
“To be or not to be” = 4 words!
An infinitive can be an adjective:

“The book to read is Hamlet.”
An infinitive can be a noun:
“Hamlet loves to read.”
Use your infinitives from above in three
sentences & underline the infinitive
phrases.
