Phrases & Clauses

Henderson

Phrases

• A phrase is a group of words that behaves as one particular part of speech.

• A phrase CANNOT have a verb AND its subject.

Phrases • The following IS a phrase:My eldest sister was a ballerina.• The following is NOT a phrase:My eldest sister was a ballerina.• The following IS a phrase:The traveling hockey team made

its grand debut in Quebec.

Types of phrases• The easiest phrase to spot is

the prepositional phrase.Are you going to the mall?• A prep. phrase begins with a

preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun.

• That noun/pronoun is called the object of the prep.

Prepositional Phrases

• I competed in the homerun derby.

• Erica refuses to come to the barbeque.

Prepositional phrases behave like adjectives and adverbs.

Adjective PhrasesMany kids from the league are

signing up for indoor soccer.My boss at Rita’s insisted I

work weekends.• Remember that adjectives

modify nouns and pronouns.

Adverb PhrasesI am not going to the doctor’s

office.Let’s meet at Varsity Pizza.Don’t be hanging around the

gym all afternoon!• Remember that adverbs

answer questions about the verb.

Remember Verbals?

• Before we move on, recall that participles, gerunds, and infinitives are words that look like verbs but behave like something else.

Participial Phrases• Participles are verbals that act

as adjectives.• A participial phrase consists of

a participle + modifiers.The men brawling in the park

were apprehended.Crying softly, the little boy

evoked pity from strangers.

Gerund Phrases

• A gerund is a verbal that behaves like a noun.

• A gerund phrase is a gerund + modifiers.

I cannot master even the simplest baking.

Bass fishing is not my idea of a good time.

Infinitive Phrases• An infinitive is a verbal that

behaves like a noun, adjective, or adverb.

• An infinitive phrase consists of infinitive + modifiers.

To excel in any sport, one must practice.

I hate to rain on your parade.

Phrase Practice• Identify each underlined prep.

phrase as an AdjP or an AdvP.My parents are at the game.People from Norway have

peaceful elections.Won’t you put this out of your

mind?

Phrase Practice• Identify each of the underlined

phrases as PartP, GerP, or InfP.Playing with fire only gets you

burned.I refuse to be your puppet.Screaming his way to obscurity,

Howard Dean ruined his campaign.

Phrase practice• Decide whether each InfP is

acting as Adj, Adv, or N.To be famous is a dream many

of us share.Encouraged to make a speech,

the best man raised his glass.Our efforts to win money have

failed.

Clauses

• A clause is a bit more complete than a phrase.

• Clauses DO contain a verb and its subject.

Independent Clauses

• ICs contain a verb, its subject, and can stand alone.

I opened the mail.Open the mail.Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear.• The above are examples of

simple sentences.

Independent Clauses• Two independent clauses can be

combined into one sentence, using (,)+conjunction.

I opened the mail, and there was anthrax in my cable bill.

• The above is an example of a compound sentence.

Subordinate Clauses

• Also called dependent clauses, SCs contain a verb and its subject but cannot stand alone.

After the Mongols conquered China

Subordinate Clauses

• For an SC to complete its thought, it must be connected to an IC

After the Mongols conquered China, they left an indelible mark on its culture.

Subordinate Clauses

• Subordinate clauses usually begin with a subordinating conjunction or relative pronoun.

• After, although, because, before, how, since, though, until, when, etc.

Subordinate Clauses• When an SC is combined with an

IC, that sentence is called a complex sentence.

We played miniature golf after we saw the movie.

• Given what you now know, how would you build a compound-complex sentence?

Clause Practice• Identify the underlined portions

as IC or SC.Until I hear the story from

George, I won’t believe your rumors.

I bought a new scarf, but it tore.

Clause Practice

• Identify each sentence as simple, compound, or complex.

I love strawberry ice cream.Although it is fattening, I love

strawberry ice cream.I love strawberry ice cream, but I

don’t like strawberry yogurt.

The End