PHRASES 1.)NOUN -A noun phrase or nominal phrase (abbreviated NP) is a phrase which has a noun (or indefinite pronoun) as its head word, or which performs the same grammatical function as such a phrase.[1] Noun phrases are very common cross-linguistically, and they may be the most frequently occurring phrase type. Noun phrases often function as verb subjects and objects, as predicative expressions, and as the complements of prepositions. Noun phrases can be embedded inside each other; for instance, the noun phrase some of his constituents contains the shorter noun phrase his constituents. 2.)VERB -In linguistics, a verb phrase or VP is a syntactic unit composed of at least one verb and the dependents of that verb – objects, complements and other modifiers, but not including the subject. Thus in the sentence A fat man put the jewels quickly in the box, the words put the jewels quickly in the box may be considered a verb phrase – this consists of the verb put and its dependents, but not its subject a fat man. A verb phrase is therefore similar to what is considered a predicate in some contexts. 3.PREPOSITIONAL -Prepositional phrases can modify nouns, verbs, phrases, and complete clauses. As demonstrated by several of the examples below, prepositional phrases can be embedded inside other prepositional phrases. "I will not obey the voices in my head." (Bart Simpson, The Simpsons, 2000) "Above the trees and rooftops the dingy glare of the London sky faded upwards into weak violet heights." (Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty. Picador, 2004) "On the counter near the stove in a silvery pan was a deep-dish berry cobbler." (Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970) "With spry jingles of the bell on her handlebars, a woman sped by in a crimson smock and a witchy black hat." (Martin Amis, Lionel Asbo: State of England. Alfred A. Knopf, 2012) 4.)FRAGMENTS - A phrase is a group of words lacking a subject or a verb or both. A phrase cannot be punctuated as a sentence. When you edit a draft of your writing, check every word group punctuated as a sentence that begins with an infinitive phrase (to + base form of verb), a verb (particularly a verb form ending in -ing or -ed), or a prepositional phrase (beginning with a word such as in, on, or at). Make sure that the phrase is attached to an independent clause. Make sure, too, that a noun phrase, such as an appositive phrase, is part of a complete sentence.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 14:42:07 +0000
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