Hello! Taking phrase, I'll start by looking at a good definition of the unit. Phrase is a unit of grammar; it's next above word and below clause in the grammatical hierachicalisation. Phrase/group is a group of related words that is incomplete. It has no subject nor a finite verb; it may have an infinite verb or no verb at all. You must always remember that phrase is usually incomplete and that it usually lacks a particular subject. Examples: my father's brand new car. Bitten by a snake. Etc., etc. Note: it's recommended that if you haven't understood the concepts of finite and infinite verbs, you should read about the function, structure and difference between the two before you proceed to phrase. It will enable you to identify phrase effectively.
The phrase has the structure: MHQ, that is, Modifier, Head and Qualifier. The modifier is also known as Pre-modifier while the qualifier can also be called Post-modifier. Among these three elements, the important is the Head while others are optional; therefore, the Head will determine the type of phrase. One may therefore write the structure in (M)H(Q). Using the previous example, my father's brand new=M car=H
Types of Phrase
There are various types of phrase; the major ones are:
- Noun/nominal phrase,
- Adjectival phrase,
- Adverbial phrase; and
- Prepositional phrase. Others are contrive. They are:
- Verbal phrase.
- Infinitival phrase.
- Gerundive phrase.
- Participial phrase.
Now, can you remember I said the Head will tell the type of phrase? Cool. Every noun phrase is headed by a noun or pronoun. That crazy chap in here
M. H. Q
Since chap, in that example, is a noun, the phrase is a noun phrase. If a noun phrase is headed by a pronoun, there will be neither M nor Q but if it's headed by a noun, there may be one of M and Q or both of them as in the example cited above.
An adjectival phrase is also headed by an adjective. Structurally, the adjectival must be comprised of an intensifier (degree adverb) and adjective. Ex.: the pain is too excruciating. Don't confuse it; your analysis should always base on what is underlined.
The adverbial is also headed by an adverb but in phrase, the adverbial must be a combination of two or more adverbs. I.e., an intensifier and another adverb. He talks very well.
Prepositional phrase is headed by a preposition; it's always the combination of a preposition and noun(s)/pronoun(s). Ex.:
He sat on the mango tree. As you can see; on is a preposition while others are nominal entities.
Verbal phrase is also headed by a verb. It's the use of a number of verbs to realise a particular tense and aspect. They had been running so far.
Infinitival phrase is headed by a to infinitive, that is, to + a verb. Examples: she wants to become a nurse. To be a man is very challenging.
Gerundive phrase will be headed by a gerund. Gerund can be seen as verbal noun, as in: running. See examples of gerundive phrase: running is my hobby. Seeing is believing. In the examples, you'll have noticed that those verbal words are used as nouns there. They name ideas or concepts.
A participial phrase is usually a modifier. It's headed by a participle. Examples: brooding hard while driving... Did you realise that immediately after that statement, you expected an expression, at least, a completion of it. I mean a subject that performed the action brooding and the result of the action he did. This shows that the participial, functionally modifies the other part of a sentence. Now, compare: brooding hard while driving, he ran badly into a stationed trailer. Look at the underlined expression very well; what did you notice?
In addition, the participle is either present or past: present participle (singing), past participle (shattered/broken). Ex.: singing along the roadside, she met with Beyonce. Shattered by a small boy, he was pierced by a shard. Broken up in their marriage, they had to part ways.
Next now is to know about functions of each type of phrase. Apart from noun phrase which has six functions, others have fixed functions but the prepositional and some that behave like noun may not have just a function each. You may now proceed to our lesson on phrasal functions.
Thanks.