PhrasesPhrasesPhrasesPhrases

Prepositional Phrases• What is a prepositional phrase?• A group of words beginning with a preposition and

ending with a noun or pronoun.• For example:

– on the steps from Mary and me– with a wink into the woods

• Prepositional phrases are usually used as modifiers. The exception is…

• After dinner will be too late.• The prepositional phrase here is used as the subject of

the sentence, a noun position.

The Adjective Phrase• Prepositional phrases acting as an adjective

are called adjective phrases.• What is an adjective?• -Modifies a noun or a pronoun• What are the adjective questions again?• -Which one? What kind? How many? How

much? Whose is it?• The pizza in the fridge has been there since

last Tuesday night.• What question does the above prep phrase

answer?

Practice from Warriner’s• Find all of the adjective phrases in the following

sentences. Before each phrase, place the number of the sentence in which it appears. After each phrase, write the noun it modifies.

• 1. Once inhabited primarily by American Indians and dreaded by pioneers, the deserts of the Southwest are now popular areas for business and recreation.

• 2. Caves beneath the rims of the desert canyons were once the homes of small bands of Pueblos.

• 3. These lofty homes provided protection from enemies, but life in cliff dwellings was hard and tedious.

• 4. The flatlands below the abandoned ruins were once irrigated by a system of canals.

• 5. A visit to the desert intrigues tourists from states without deserts.

The Adverb Phrase• Prepositional phrases acting as an adverb are

called adverb phrases.• What is an adverb?• -Modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb• What are the adverb questions again?• -Where? When? Why? How? To what

extent/degree?• The pizza has been in the fridge since last

Tuesday night.• What question does the above prep phrase

answer?

Practice from Warriner’s

• Find all of the adverb phrases in the following sentences. Before each phrase, place the number of the sentence in which it appears. After each phrase, write the word(s) it modifies.

• 1. After the concert, everyone praised Gail for her performance.

• 2. She had practiced at her home for hours.• 3. When she was playing at her best, she became

unaware of her surroundings.• 4. Although she played at home with complete

abandon, she was modest about her coming performance.

• 5. She practiced far beyond the necessary hours, knowing she would not be content with a merely mechanical rendition.

Adjective or Adverb? (Adapted from Glencoe Grammar and Composition Handbook p.

279)

• Find the prepositional phrases in the following sentences and explain if they are adjective or adverb phrases.

• 1. Who took my book from the hall table?• 2. Darla planted daffodils along the walkway.• 3. Our leaders sent messages of sympathy to the

French government.• 4. Seven candles on the table provided a bright

glow.• 5. The president of the company opened the

meeting with a short film about environmental responsibility.

Diagramming Prepositional Phrases

• Review: Now diagram these sentences:

• 1. Who took my book from the hall table?• 2. Darla planted daffodils along the walkway.• 3. Our leaders sent messages of sympathy to the

French government.• 4. Seven candles on the table provided a bright

glow.• 5. The president of the company opened the

meeting with a short film about environmental responsibility.

(Adapted from Glencoe Grammar and Composition Handbook p. 279)

Extra Practice• Handout 4.1 and 12.1 (same sheet)• WB pp. 89-90 with modified

directions: Underline the prep phrase(s) in each sentence, draw an arrow to the word(s) it modifies, and label it as ADJ or ADV.

Bell-ringer Activity• Correct the following two sentences on

a sheet of paper:• 1. Incidently, two of comedian, Charlie

Chaplin’s, finest funniest movies are City Lights (1931) and The Gold Rush (1925).

• 2. Thruout history, traveling traders and merchants took home new products, such as tea, spices and fabrics as a matter of fact thats one reason civilizations changed.

VERBALS• Verbals are cross-dressing PIGs.• They are VERBS that do NOT act as

VERBS.• Verbals act like nouns, adjectives, or

adverbs.• Verbals may express action, may have

modifiers, and may be followed by complements.

• Three types: Participles, Infinitives, and Gerunds

The Participle• A participle is a verb form used as an

adjective:– Humming happily to himself, Officer

Smiley crossed the street.– I found him crying.– The awakened children began to stir.

• 2 kinds of participles: – Present (-ing) sleeping, running down the street– Past (-ed, -d, -t, -en, -n) asked, saved, dealt,

eaten, seen

The Participle• How can you tell if a participle is being

used as an adjective or as a verb?• *Participles are never used alone as a

verb; they are used with an auxiliary verb to form a verb phrase: – The car was moving rapidly.– The moving car gathered speed rapidly.

• When used in verb phrases, participles are not considered as adjectives, but as part of the verb phrase.

The Participial Phrase• Definition: A phrase containing a participle and

any complements or modifiers it may have. • What is a complement? (DO, IO, PN, PA)• What is coat below?

– Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river bank.

• The participle usually introduces the phrase and the entire phrase acts as an adjective to modify a noun or a pronoun.– Arthur Ashe, playing with skill, won the tournament.– Getting up at 5am, we got an early start.– Destroyed by fire, the church was never rebuilt.

Practice from Warriner’s

(p. 44) Find the participial phrases in the sentences below.

• 1. High school graduates replying to a questionnaire about their college courses often mention freshman English as the course giving them the most trouble.

• 2. Facing college standards, the graduates realize that they did not work hard enough on the compositions assigned in high school.

• 3. Statistics reported by the National Education Association revealed that the vast majority of American colleges offer remedial English classes emphasizing composition.

• 4. Handicapped by their writing deficiencies, graduates seeing employment or advancement in their occupations are often denied desirable opportunities.

More Practice from Warriner’s (p. 44-45)

• Identify each italicized phrase below as a participial, adjective, or adverb phrase, and give the word it modifies.

• 1. Having studied hard, Karen walked rapidly to school, confident that she would do well on her test in chemistry.

• 2. By next week all of the students trying out for the soccer team will have heard from the coach or his assistant.

• 3. Many of the skits written for Torch Day are based on events of the past year.

More Practice with Participles

• Handout 4.2 & 12.3 (pp. 32 & 15, respectively)

• WB pp. 93-94 Evens

DO NOT Dangle Your Participles!

• A modifying phrase must clearly and sensibly modify a word in the sentence. When there is no word that the phrase or clause can sensibly modify, the modifier is said to dangle.

• Carrying a heavy pile of books, her foot caught on the step.

• How can you fix the above sentence?• Carrying a heavy pile of books, she caught her

foot on the step.• Her foot caught on the step as she was

carrying a heavy pile of books.

Dangling Participles(p. 235) Fix the following sentences

• 1. Coming up the front walk, the bouquet in the picture window looked beautiful.

• 2. Left alone in the house, the thunderstorm terrified him.

• 3. Living in this coastal town for many years, the fishing boats and their skippers were well known to him.

Misplaced Modifiers• Phrase modifiers (adjective phrases and participial

phrases) should be placed as near as possible to the words they modify.

• The thief decided to make a run for it when he saw the police officer, abandoning the stolen car and dashing into the woods.

• How is this fixed?• When he saw the police officer, the thief decided to

make a run for it, abandoning the stolen car and dashing into the woods.

• Prepositional phrases can also be misplaced:• After scoring the winning basket, the crowd cheered

the team.

PRACTICE:Rewrite each sentence that contains a misplaced or dangling modifier. If the sentence is correct, rewrite

one of your own in the same pattern.

• 1. Sitting on the porch last night, the fireworks display was impressive.

• 2. Florida locations attract many retired people with their warm temperatures.

• 3. Engrossed in a book, the ringing telephone made no impression on Miranda.

• 4. Many people seek counseling in financial trouble.• 5. As the stranger approached, leaving no doubt about his

intentions, James fled in his car.• 6. Enjoying the play, we laughed and cried at the antics of the

characters.• 7. Growing even more excited, the party in his honor was a

great surprise for Lorne.• 8. The students waited impatiently for the principal, becoming

hungrier by the minute.

Extra Practice• WB pp. 209-211 *Only the

following numbers: • Ex. 1: 1-6, 9-16; • Ex. 2

The Gerund• Definition: A verb form ending in –ing that is

used as a __________.• Because it is a noun, it can play any of the roles

a noun can play in a sentence: • Singing always makes me feel better.• They do not appreciate my singing.• My students give studying top priority.• How much time do you devote to studying?• My preference of activities is studying.• Her talent, singing, may make her famous one

day.

The Gerund Phrase• A gerund phrase is a gerund plus any modifiers

and/or complements.• Students are responsible for mastering their

subjects.• What is the difference between the underlined

phrases in the following two sentences?• Traveling far from home, she became a little

home-sick.• Traveling far from home was a first for her.• First is a participial (used as an adj.);

the second is a gerund phrase (used as a noun).• Which are these?

• Listening to the radio helped Joe work faster.• Listening to the radio, Joe worked faster.

PracticeFind the gerund/gerund phrase in each sentence, and tell what its function is.

• 1. Telling your little brother where you hid your diary was a big mistake.

• 2. The college advises sending applications early.

• 3. He won the game by kicking a field goal.• 4. The Colts’ most important achievement

to date is winning the Super Bowl.• 5. I will give writing your recommendation

my full attention.

Extra Practice • HO 4.2 & 12.3

(pp. 33 & 16, respectively)• WB pp. 95-96 (Odds)• WB p. 99 (Odds) (practice

distinguishing gerunds from participles)

The Infinitive• An infinitive is a verb form, usually preceded

by to, that is used as a noun or a modifier (adj or adv).– To wait for the bus is tiresome.– Everyone wanted to go to the dance.– Her dream is to fly.– Some have a tendency to doze in class.– We study to learn.

• *Often the word to is omitted:– She made me leave.– Help me do my homework, please.

• *Be careful not to confuse the infinitive with a prepositional phrase that begins with to.

The Infinitive Phrase• An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and

any complements and/or modifiers it may have.– We intend to leave early.– I have an essay to write before class.– She only wants to help us.

• Like infinitives standing alone, infinitive phrases can be used as nouns or as modifiers.– We tried to study with her.– To study English became her obsession.– His plan is to study English in college.– There must be a way to study better for English.– I am too busy to go to the movies tonight, as I must

study English.

FYI: Infinitive Clause• Unlike other verbals, an infinitive may have a

subject, as well as complements and modifiers.– I expected Gloria to vote for me.– I asked her to help me.– I believe it to be John.– I believe it to be good.

• When an infinitive has a subject, the construction is called an infinitive clause, as it has both a subject and a verb.

• *The subject of an infinitive is always in the objective case!

Practice:• Identify the infinitive phrase as adjective, adverb,

or noun, and describe its function in the sentence.• 1. Amy hopes to learn French so she can study

abroad.• 2. We walked two blocks until we found something

to eat.• 3. It was difficult to identify the type of organism

under the microscope.• 4. To beat her brother to the Pop Tarts in the

morning required craftiness on her part.• 5. To do it, she needed to take her shower at night.• 6. Arthur’s dream is to score the winning basket.

Practice• HO 4.2 & 12.3

(pp. 34 & 17, respectively)• WB pp. 97-98 (Odds)• WB p. 100 Ex. 2 only

The Appositive Phrase• An appositive is a noun or pronoun, often with

modifiers, set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it.– My friend Rachel sent me a postcard.

• An appositive phrase is an appositive plus any modifiers.– Two years ago, I rode a hydrofoil across the

English Channel, the body of water between England and France.

• Appositives that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence should be set off by commas.– My uncle Bill raises horses to show.

(I have four uncles.)– My brother, Chris, is getting a master’s degree.

(I have only one brother.)

Practice• Handout• WB pp. 91-92 EVENS

Cumulative Practice• Identify each italicized phrase in the sentences below

as adj, adv, participial, gerund, infinitive, or appositive.

– As its population increases by leaps and bounds, the world faces a shortage of fresh water.

– An obvious way to increase the fresh water supply is to convert sea water.

– Converting sea water is, therefore, one of our greatest scientific problems.

– Scientists are experimenting with two methods, the well-known distillation process and the freeze-separation process, which separates fresh water by freezing it into removable crystals.

– Using one billion gallons a day, a city of four million people spends, under present circumstances, approximately one dollar per thousand gallons; but converted water produced by existing methods often costs five times as much.