In traditional terminology, a verb phrase is a phrase that has the syntactic role of a simple verb, and is composed of a main verb and auxiliary verbs or verbal particles related syntactically to the verb.
Verb Phrases
Verb phrases are groups of words that express action or state of being. They take on various forms.
The men live in the dormitory.
(Single verbs)
He stayed at the Hi Hat Hotel.
(Past tense verbs)
I am learning many new things.
(Progressive verbs)
She has been there before.
(Perfect verbs)
They have been working here five years.
(Perfect progressive verbs)
I could use some assistance.
(Verbs and modals)
The trip was approved by the professor.
(Passive verbs)
Do you want some more pie?
(Verbs in questions)
Recognize Verb phrases
Practice Exercise: Write down the verb phrase in each of these sentences. Be careful; watch for separated helping verbs and watch for adverbs that separate the verb phrase.
1. Will you buy me a drink?
2. Sam is not going to the dance.
3. Al should have mowed the lawn today.
4. Theresa will be playing her clarinet at the concert tonight.
5. Rosie could have worked on that project today.
6. Tony and Jim have been chosen as finalists at the science fair.
7. Hasn't the tailor finished the suit?
8. My grandmother has carefully repaired the broken vase.
9. Maria will probably leave for New York on Wednesday.
10. Does that offer still stand?
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Showing posts with label Phrases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phrases. Show all posts
Monday, October 11, 2010
Adjective Phrase
Adjective Phrase (AP)
In an ADJECTIVE PHRASE (AP), the Head word is an adjective. Here are some examples:
Susan is [AP clever]
The doctor is [AP very late]
My sister is [AP fond of animals]
The pre-Head string in an AP is most commonly an adverb phrase such as very or extremely. Adjective Heads may be followed by a post-Head string:
[AP happy to meet you]
[AP ready to go]
[AP afraid of the dark]
A small number of adjective Heads must be followed by a post-Head string. The adjective Head fond is one of these. Compare:
My sister is [AP fond of animals]
*My sister is [fond]
Taken from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/phrases/ap.htm
More Info!
In an ADJECTIVE PHRASE (AP), the Head word is an adjective. Here are some examples:
Susan is [AP clever]
The doctor is [AP very late]
My sister is [AP fond of animals]
The pre-Head string in an AP is most commonly an adverb phrase such as very or extremely. Adjective Heads may be followed by a post-Head string:
[AP happy to meet you]
[AP ready to go]
[AP afraid of the dark]
A small number of adjective Heads must be followed by a post-Head string. The adjective Head fond is one of these. Compare:
My sister is [AP fond of animals]
*My sister is [fond]
Taken from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/phrases/ap.htm
More Info!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Noun Phrases
In grammar, a noun phrase (abbreviated NP) is a phrase whose head is a noun or a pronoun, optionally accompanied by a modifier set.
Noun phrases normally consist of a head noun, which is optionally modified ("premodified" if the modifier is placed before the noun; "postmodified" if the modifier is placed after the noun). Possible modifiers include:
determiners: articles (the, a), demonstratives (this, that), numerals (two, five, etc.), possessives (my, their, etc.), and quantifiers (some, many, etc.). In English, determiners are usually placed before the noun;
adjectives (the red ball); or
complements, in the form of a prepositional phrase (such as: the student of physics), or a That-clause (the claim that the earth is round);
modifiers; pre-modifiers if placed before the noun and usually either as nouns (the university student) or adjectives (the beautiful lady), or post-modifiers if placed after the noun. A postmodifier may be either a prepositional phrase (the man with long hair) or a relative clause (the house where I live). The difference between modifiers and complements is that complements complete the meaning of the noun; complements are necessary, whereas modifiers are optional because they just give additional information about the noun.
Noun phrases can make use of an apposition structure. This means that the elements in the noun phrase are not in a head-modifier relationship, but in a relation of equality. An example of this is I, Caesar, declare ..., where "Caesar" and "I" do not modify each other.
The head of a noun phrase can be implied, as in "The Bold and the Beautiful" or Robin Hood's "rob from the rich and give to the poor"; an implied noun phrase is most commonly used as a generic plural referring to human beings. Another example of noun phrase with implied head is I choose the cheaper of the two.
That noun phrases can be headed by elements other than nouns—for instance, pronouns (They came) or determiners (I'll take these)—has given rise to the postulation of a determiner phrase instead of a noun phrase.
Further Explanation: visit this page.
Noun phrases normally consist of a head noun, which is optionally modified ("premodified" if the modifier is placed before the noun; "postmodified" if the modifier is placed after the noun). Possible modifiers include:
determiners: articles (the, a), demonstratives (this, that), numerals (two, five, etc.), possessives (my, their, etc.), and quantifiers (some, many, etc.). In English, determiners are usually placed before the noun;
adjectives (the red ball); or
complements, in the form of a prepositional phrase (such as: the student of physics), or a That-clause (the claim that the earth is round);
modifiers; pre-modifiers if placed before the noun and usually either as nouns (the university student) or adjectives (the beautiful lady), or post-modifiers if placed after the noun. A postmodifier may be either a prepositional phrase (the man with long hair) or a relative clause (the house where I live). The difference between modifiers and complements is that complements complete the meaning of the noun; complements are necessary, whereas modifiers are optional because they just give additional information about the noun.
Noun phrases can make use of an apposition structure. This means that the elements in the noun phrase are not in a head-modifier relationship, but in a relation of equality. An example of this is I, Caesar, declare ..., where "Caesar" and "I" do not modify each other.
The head of a noun phrase can be implied, as in "The Bold and the Beautiful" or Robin Hood's "rob from the rich and give to the poor"; an implied noun phrase is most commonly used as a generic plural referring to human beings. Another example of noun phrase with implied head is I choose the cheaper of the two.
That noun phrases can be headed by elements other than nouns—for instance, pronouns (They came) or determiners (I'll take these)—has given rise to the postulation of a determiner phrase instead of a noun phrase.
Further Explanation: visit this page.
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