Download Phrases and Clauses

Phrases and Clauses
Noun phrases
• Expressions in which nouns form the
principal or main element (e.g. a chair, the
university, my car) are called
• noun phrases
Noun phrases
The main element of the phrase is the noun,
called the HEAD.
This can be preceded by a subsidiary
element called the MODIFIER
Modifier
Head
A
The
____
-------
chair
University
Knowledge
Skills
Modifiers
• Modifiers often determiners
Other types of modifier are:
• Adjectives – his large house; a cruel
deception; valuable skills.
• Nouns – so that a phrase may have two
nouns, one acting as the head and the
other as a modifier – an education policy;
the house plans; furniture catalogues.
Post Modifiers
• Noun phrases can also have modifying
elements coming after the head: called
Post-modifiers.
E.g.
• the men outside;
• the people excluded.
Prepositional phrases
• If a noun phrase begins with a preposition,
then it is known as a prepositional phrase:
• E.g. By the dog; to your employer; with
those cows.
• Prepositional phrases have two elements:
• An INITIATING element: ie, the preposition
itself, and
• A COMPLETER
• Prepositional phrases often occur or come
after the head of a noun phrase. Known as
post-modifiers of the head. E.g:
• the letter to your employer;
• The administration of the schools.
• Verb phrases
• The ‘verb’ element in a clause need not
necessarily be just a single word;
• It can be made up of several verbs:
E.g.
• has been cooking;
• were crawling;
• has disappeared.
• The last word of the phrase is the MAIN
VERB
• Words that precede, come before, the
main verb are AUXILLIARIES or
AUXILLIARY VERBS
• E.g. has been cooking; were crawling;
has disappeared.
• In an expression like he has, the verb
phrase is incomplete and said to be
ELLIPTICAL:
• He has (been)
• He has ((had) his birthday)
Modal verbs
• may; might; can; could; will; would; shall;
should; must; ought; need
• They can sing
• He might arrive tomorrow
• I must have lost my keys
Finite and non-finite verbs
• The ship disappeared
• The ship disappearing….
• Somebody speaks for a few minutes
• Speaking for a few minutes….
• He mentioned the evidence
• Mentioning the evidence…….
• Key to the difference is to do with an
important distinction within the functioning
of language.
• Finite examples can function
independently as communications with an
adressee (ie, telling us something)
• The ship disappeared – declarative
sentence
• Did the ship disappear?
• Non-finite constructions do not distinguish
between telling and asking
• The ship disappearing….
• Does not distinguish between telling and
asking
• Finite constructions have a subject and a
verb;
• Non-finite constructions need not have a
subject
Adjectival phrases
• Adjectival phrases have a HEAD
• We can say ‘every chair’ but not ‘every hot’
• In noun phrases the noun head may have a
determiner, while adjective heads cannot have a
determiner
• Words modifying the adjective are called
INTENSIFIERS
• We can say ‘terribly hot’ but not terribly chair’
Adjectival phrases
Intensifier
Head
Very
Somewhat
Terribly
harsh
difficult
hot
• Nouns can be plural; while adjectives
cannot be:
• E.g. The men were hungries *
– *not possible as a sentence;
• The men were students
Basic sentence patterns
•
•
•
•
•
S
V
The last train has arrived
S
V
O(C)
Your uncle left
a message
S
V
A
The last train has arrived already
S
V
O(C)
A
Your uncle left a message yesterday
S
V
C
A
The counsellors seem very determined this week
1.
2.
3.
4.
His work is professional
They can keep the change
The sun is setting
The jury found her innocent after two
hours
5. They might send me an invitation
Subordination and co-ordination
• A SIMPLE sentence consists of one
clause.
• Clauses can be combined to make
COMPLEX sentences: ie, sentences with
more than one clause.
• Two ways in which clauses in simple
sentences can be combined:
• Co-ordinate
• Sub-ordinate
Co-ordinate
• Each clause equal:
• E.g. The man shot his horse (and) (he)
took the carcass to the glue factory.
• Both clauses equal status
Sub-ordinate
• One clause is involved within the structure
of another
• E.g. The girl, who was drinking a glass of
wine, wore a red dress.