Noun and Verb Phrase
The Noun Phrase
A noun phrase includes a noun—a person, place, or thing—and the modifiers which distinguish
it.
Example:
You can find the noun ‘dog’ in a sentence, but you don't know which dog the writer means until
you consider the entire noun phrase:
that dog, Aunt Audrey's dog, the dog on the sofa, the neighbor's dog that chases our cat, the dog
digging in the new flower bed.
Note:
Modifiers can come before or after the noun. Ones that come before might include articles,
possessive nouns, possessive pronouns, adjectives, and/or participles.
With articles:
a dog, the dog
Possessive nouns:
Aunt Audrey's dog, the neighbor's dog, the police officer's dog
Possessive pronouns:
our dog, her dog, their dog
With adjectives:
that dog, the big dog, the spotted dog
With participles:
the drooling dog, the barking dog, the well trained dog
Note:
Modifiers that come after the noun might include prepositional phrases, adjective clauses,
participle phrases, and/or infinitives.
With prepositional phrases:
a dog on the loose, the dog in the front seat, the dog behind the fence
With adjective clauses:
the dog that chases cats, the dog that looks lost, the dog that won the championship
With participle phrases:
the dog whining for a treat, the dog clipped at the grooming salon, the dog walked daily
With infinitives:
the dog to catch, the dog to train, the dog to adopt
Note:
Less frequently, a noun phrase will have a pronoun as its base—a word like we, everybody,
etc.—and the modifiers which distinguish it.
Examples:
We who were green with envy
We = subject pronoun; who were green with envy = modifier.
Someone intelligent
Someone = indefinite pronoun; intelligent = modifier.
No one important
No one = indefinite pronoun; important = modifier.
The Verb Phrase
Every sentence must have a verb. To depict doable activities, writers use action verbs. To
describe conditions, writers choose linking verbs.
Example:
a) Offering her license and registration, Selina sobbed in the driver's seat.
b) Officer Carson was unmoved.
A main or base verb indicates the type of action or condition, and auxiliary—or helping—verbs
convey the other nuances that writers want to express.
Examples:
The tires screeched as Selena mashed the accelerator.
Noun Clauses
Selina is always disobeying the speed limit.
Selina should have been driving with more care, for then she would not have gotten her third
ticket this year.
Note:
In the first sentence, screeched and mashed, single-word verbs, describe the quick actions of
both the tires and Selina.
Since Selina has an inclination to speed, is disobeying [a two-word verb] communicates the
frequency of her law breaking. The auxiliary verbs that comprise should have been driving [a
four-word verb] and would have gotten [a three-word verb] express not only time relationships
but also evaluation of Selina's actions.
Realize that an adverb is not part of the verb phrase.
Since a verb phrase might use up to four words, a short adverb—such as also, never, or not—
might try to sneak in between the parts. When you find an adverb snuggled in a verb phrase, it is
still an adverb, not part of the verb.
Examples:
For her birthday, Selina would also like a radar detector.
Would like = verb; also = adverb.
To avoid another speeding ticket, Selina will never again take her eyes off the road to fiddle with
the radio.
Will take = verb; never, again = adverbs.
Despite the stern warning from Officer Carson, Selena has not lightened her foot on the
accelerator.
Has lightened = verb; not = adverb.
Exercise A
Identify the noun phrases:
1. Swimming in the river is dangerous.
2. I paid the taxi fare.
3. We should take care of our health.
4. My grandfather is a man of letters.
5. The guests are sitting in the drawing room.
.
Exercise B
Identify the verb phrases:
1. You should go there.
2. Ruma has done it.
3. Lily will go to college next year.
4. Akash is writing a letter.
5. It has been raining
Answer Key
A
1. Swimming in the river
2. the taxi fare
3. our health
4. a man of letters
5. the drawing room
B
1. should go
2. has done
3. will go
4. is writing
5. has been raining
Lesson 2 : Adjective and Adverbial Phrase
Adjective Phrases
An adjective phrase is a group of words that does the work of an adjective.
Examples:
The mayor was a wealthy man.
The mayor was a man of great wealth.
In sentence 1, the adjective ‘wealthy’ says what sort of man the mayor was.
In sentence 2, the group of words ‘of great wealth’ also says the same thing. It qualifies the noun
man as an adjective does. It therefore does the work of an adjective and is called an adjective
phrase.
More Examples:
The magistrate was a kind man. (Here the adjective kind modifies the noun man.)
The magistrate was a man with a kind heart. (Here the adjective phrase ‘with a kind heart’
modifies the noun man.)
They lived in a stone house.
They lived in a house built of stone.
The workers belonged to a hill tribe.
The workers belonged to a tribe dwelling in the hills.
A golden necklace – a necklace made of gold
A white coat – a coat of white color
A jungle track – a track through the jungle
A deserted city – a city with no inhabitants
The Bangladeshi flag – the flag of Bangladesh
A wooden hut – a hut built of wood
A blank page – a page with no writing on it
Adverb Phrases
An adverb phrase is a group of words that serves the same purpose as an adverb. Like an adverb,
an adverb phrase can also modify an adjective or another adverb.
Examples:
He spoke politely. (Here the adverb politely says something about the manner in which he
spoke.)
He spoke in a polite manner. (Here the adverb phrase ‘in a polite manner’ also says how he
spoke.)
Note:
Thus, we have seen that an adverb phrase modifies a verb just like an adverb does.
More Examples:
It is available now.
It is available at the moment.
In the pair of sentences given above, the adverb phrase ‘at the moment’ modifies the verb just
like the adverb now does.
Bravely (adverb) – in a brave manner (adverb phrase)
Beautifully – in a beautiful manner / way / style
Formerly – in former times / once upon a time
Recently – just now or at a recent date
Soon – before very long
Here – on this spot
Everywhere – in all places
Now – at the moment
Note:
Clinton ran quickly.
Clinton ran with great speed.
In the first sentence, the adverb ‘quickly’ gives another detail about the verb ‘ran’.
In the second sentence, the same meaning has been conveyed by using ‘a group of words’ ---
‘with great speed’.
In this same manner, the meaning of an adverb can be conveyed by using different a group of
words.
That group of words is called ADVERB-PHRASE.
In the following sentences, the first sentence and the second sentence in a pair convey the same
meaning but using adverb in the first sentence and adverb-phrase in the second sentence.
He answered rudely.
He answered in a rude manner.
He does his work carelessly.
He does his work without care.
No such diseases were known then.
No such diseases were known in those days.
The mango fell here.
The mango fell on this spot.
This product is available everywhere.
This product is available in all places.
You can find the pencil there.
You can find the pencil in that place.
He has gone abroad.
He has gone to a foreign nation.
We constructed this house only recently.
We constructed this house only few months back.
Exercise A
Identify the adjective phrases:
1. Mr. Kamal is man of noble principles.
2. The woman walking in the field is my grandfather.
3. The crops damaged by flood were ours.
4. Jamil is weak in Math.
5. I am eager to learn English.
Exercise B
Identify the adverbial phrases:
1. Shishir comes to our house now and then.
2. Every morning my father reads the Daily Observer.
3. The car is made in Japan.
4. Once upon a time there was a king named Midas.
5. Tareq ran to catch the train.
Answer Key
A
1. of noble principles
2. walking in the field
3. damaged by flood
4. weak in Math
5. eager to learn English
B
1. now and then
2. Every morning
3. in Japan
4. Once upon a time
5. to catch the train.
Lesson 3 : Prepositional Phrase
Prepositional Phrase
At the minimum, a prepositional phrase will begin with a preposition and end with a noun,
pronoun, gerund, or clause, the "object" of the preposition.
The object of the preposition will often have one or more modifiers to describe it. These are the
patterns for a prepositional phrase:
Preposition + Noun, Pronoun, Gerund, or Clause
Preposition + Modifier(s) + Noun, Pronoun, Gerund, or Clause
Examples:
At home
At = preposition; home = noun.
In time
In = preposition; time = noun.
From Richie
From = preposition; Richie = noun.
With me
With = preposition; me = pronoun.
By singing
By = preposition; singing = gerund.
About what we need
About = preposition; what we need = noun clause.
Most prepositional phrases are longer, like these:
From my grandmother
From = preposition; my = modifier; grandmother = noun.
Under the warm blanket
Under = preposition; the, warm = modifiers; blanket = noun.
In the weedy, overgrown garden
In = preposition; the, weedy, overgrown = modifiers; garden = noun.
Along the busy, six-lane highway
Along = preposition; the, busy, six-lane = modifiers; highway = noun.
Without excessively worrying
Without = preposition; excessively = modifier; worrying = gerund.
More Examples:
The book on the bathroom floor is swollen from shower steam.
Which book? The one on the bathroom floor!
The sweet potatoes in the vegetable bin are green with mold.
Which sweet potatoes? The ones forgotten in the vegetable bin!
Note:
As an adverb, a prepositional phrase will answer questions such as How? When? or Where?
Freddy is stiff from yesterday's long football practice.
How did Freddy get stiff? From yesterday's long football practice!
Exercise A
Identify the prepositional phrases:
1. Rina forgot in which drawer she put the key.
2. The poor live from hand to mouth.
English Two
Unit 3 Page # 57
3. Jamil is not fond of eating vegetables.
4. Go to the doctor without any delay.
5. Put the book on the table.
Exercise B
Identify the conjunctional phrases:
1. Do the work as quickly as you can.
2. Not only Rahim but also his sister went there.
3. No sooner had they reached the station than the train left.
4. As far as I can remember you were not present in the meeting.
5. As soon as I reached class, the bell rang.
Answer Key
A
1. in which drawer she put the key
2. from hand to mouth
3. of eating vegetables
4. without any delay
5. on the table
B
1. as quickly
2. Not only … but also
3. No sooner had … than
4. As far as
5. As soon as
Lesson 4 : Gerund, Participles and Infinitive Phrase
The Gerund Phrase
A gerund phrase will begin with a gerund, an ‘ing’ word, and will include other modifiers and/or
objects. Gerund phrases always function as nouns, so they will be subjects, subject complements,
or objects in the sentence.
Read these examples:
Eating ice cream on a windy day can be a messy experience if you have long, untamed hair.
Eating ice cream on a windy day = subject of the verb can be.
A more disastrous activity for long-haired people is blowing giant bubble gum bubbles with the
car windows down.
Blowing giant bubble gum bubbles with the car windows down = subject complement of the
verb is.
Wild food adventures require getting your hair cut to a short, safe length.
Getting your hair cut to a short, safe length = direct object of the verb require.
Note:
Don't mistake a gerund phrase for a present participle phrase. Gerund and present participle
phrases are easy to confuse because they both begin with an ‘ing’ word. The difference is that a
gerund phrase will always function as a noun while a present participle phrase describes another
word in the sentence.
Check out these examples:
Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine will result in disaster.
Jamming too much clothing into a washing machine = gerund phrase, the subject of the verb will
result.
Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine, Aamir saved $1.25 but had to tolerate
the curious stares of other laundry patrons as his machine bucked and rumbled with the heavy
load.
Jamming too much clothing into the washing machine = present participle phrase describing
Aamir.
Babul hates buttering toast with a fork.
Buttering toast with a fork = gerund phrase, the direct object of the verb hates.
Buttering toast with a fork, Bernard vowed that he would finally wash the week's worth of dirty
dishes piled in the sink.
Buttering toast with a fork = present participle phrase describing Bernard.
My dog's most annoying habit is hogging the middle of the bed.
Hogging the middle of the bed = gerund phrase, the subject complement of the linking verb is.
Last night I had to sleep on the couch because I found my dog Tiger hogging the middle of the
bed.
Hogging the middle of the bed = present participle phrase describing Tiger.
The Participle Phrase
A participle phrase begins with a present or past participle. If the participle is present, it
dependably ends in ‘ing’. Likewise, a regular past participle ends in a consistent ‘ed’.
Since all phrases require two or more words, a participle phrase often includes objects and/or
modifiers that complete the thought.
Here are some examples:
Crunching caramel corn for the entire movie
Washed with soap and water
Stuck in the back of the closet behind the obsolete computer
Participle phrases always function as adjectives, adding description to the sentence.
Read these examples:
The horse trotting up to the fence hopes that you have an apple or carrot.
Trotting up to the fence modifies the noun horse.
The water drained slowly in the pipe clogged with dog hair.
Clogged with dog hair modifies the noun pipe.
Eaten by mosquitoes, we wished that we had made hotel, not campsite, reservations.
Eaten by mosquitoes modifies the pronoun ‘we’.
Compare Gerund Phrase and Participle Phrase:
Walking on the beach, Roy dodged jellyfish that had washed ashore.
Walking on the beach = present participle phrase describing the noun ‘Roy’.
Walking on the beach is painful if jellyfish have washed ashore.
Walking on the beach = gerund phrase, the subject of the verb is.
Waking to the buzz of the alarm clock, Rahman cursed the arrival of another Monday.
Waking to the buzz of the alarm clock = present participle phrase describing the noun Rahman.
Rahman hates waking to the buzz of the alarm clock.
Waking to the buzz of the alarm clock = gerund phrase, the direct object of the verb hates.
After a long day at school and work, John found her roommate Roy eating the last of the
leftover pizza.
Eating the last of the leftover pizza = present participle phrase describing the noun `Roy’.
Roy's rudest habit is eating the last of the leftover pizza.
Eating the last of the leftover pizza = gerund phrase, the subject complement of the linking verb
is.
Note:
When a participle phrase introduces a main clause, separate the two sentence components with a
comma. The pattern looks like this:
Participle Phrase + , (comma) + Main Clause.
Read this example:
Glazed with barbecue sauce, the rack of ribs lay nestled next to a pile of sweet coleslaw.
When a participle phrase concludes a main clause and is describing the word right in front of it,
you need no punctuation to connect the two sentence parts. The pattern looks like this:
Main Clause + Ø (no punctuation) + Participle Phrase.
Check out this example:
Mariah risked petting the pit bull wagging its stub tail
But when a participle phrase concludes a main clause and modifies a word farther up in the
sentence, you will need a comma. The pattern looks like this:
Main Clause + , + Participle Phrase.
Check out this example:
Cooper enjoyed dinner at Audrey's house, agreeing to a large slice of cherry pie even though he
was full to the point of bursting.
Note:
Participle phrases are the most common modifier to misplace or dangle. In clear, logical
sentences, you will find modifiers right next to the words they describe.
Shouting with happiness, William celebrated his chance to interview at SunTrust.
Notice that the participle phrase sits right in front of William, the one doing the shouting. If too
much distance separates a modifier and its target, the modifier is misplaced. For example:
“Draped neatly on a hanger, William borrowed Grandpa's old suit to wear to the interview.”
This sentence is not correct. The suit, not William, is on the hanger! The modifier must come
closer to the word it is meant to describe:
For the interview, William borrowed Grandpa's old suit, which was draped neatly on a hanger.
Straightening his tie and smoothing his hair, the appointment time for the interview had finally
arrived. This is not correct. We assume William is about to interview, but where is he in the
sentence? We need a target for the participle phrase straightening his tie and smoothing his hair:
Straightening his tie and smoothing his hair, William was relieved that the appointment time
for the interview had finally arrived.
The Infinitive Phrase
An infinitive phrase begins with an infinitive [to + simple form of the verb]. It includes objects
and/or modifiers.
Here are some examples:
To smash a spider
To kick the ball past the dazed goalie
To lick the grease from his shiny fingers despite the disapproving glances of his girlfriend Gloria
Infinitive phrases can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Look at these examples:
To finish her shift without spilling another pizza into a customer's lap is Roy's only goal
tonight.
‘To finish her shift without spilling another pizza into a customer's lap’ functions as a noun
because it is the subject of the sentence.
Ria hopes to win the approval of her mother by switching her major from fine arts to pre-med.
‘To win the approval of her mother’ functions as a noun because it is the direct object for the
verb ‘hopes’.
The best way to survive Dr. Peterson's boring history lectures is a sharp pencil to stab in your
thigh if you catch yourself drifting off.
‘To survive Dr. Peterson's boring history lectures’ functions as an adjective because it modifies
‘way’.
Kelvin, an aspiring comic book artist, is taking Anatomy and Physiology this semester to
understand the interplay of muscle and bone in the human body.
‘To understand the interplay of muscle and bone in the human body’ functions as an adverb
because it explains why Kelvin is taking the class.
Note:
When an infinitive phrase introduces a main clause, separate the two sentence components with a
comma. The pattern looks like this:
Infinitive Phrase + , + Main Clause.
Read this example:
To avoid burning another bag of popcorn, Rahman pressed his nose against the microwave
door, sniffing suspiciously.
When an infinitive phrase breaks the flow of a main clause, use a comma both before and after
the interrupter. The pattern looks like this:
Start of Main Clause + , + Interrupter + , + End of Main Clause.
Here is an example:
Those basketball shoes, to be perfectly honest, do not complement the suit you are planning to
wear to the interview.
When an infinitive phrase concludes a main clause, you need no punctuation to connect the two
sentence parts. The pattern looks like this:
Main Clause + Ø + Infinitive Phrase.
Check out this example:
Ria and her friends went to the mall to flirt with the cute guys who congregate at the food court.
Exercise A
Identify the gerund phrases:
1. Eating ice cream on a hot day can be a good way to cool off.
2. Reading mystery novels is my favorite activity.
3. Esha’s favorite subject is creative writing.
4. Rafat likes cycling through the open road.
5. Walking on the beach is one of my favorite things to do.
Exercise B
Identify the participle phrases:
1. The secretary is charming.
2. I saw the man going to the market.
3. The pen is lost.
4. We found the broken chain.
5. Having done the work, he went home.
Exercise C
Identify the infinitive phrases:
1. The family decided to leave the place.
2. To swim regularly is good for you.
3. Luna’s decision to study medicine was appreciated.
4. I am happy to see you.
5. Jamil failed to do the sum.
Answer Key
A
1. Eating ice cream on a hot day
2. Reading mystery novels
3. creative writing
4. cycling through the open road
5. Walking on the beach
B
1. charming
2. going
3. lost
4. broken
5. Having done the work
C
1. to leave the place
2. To swim regularly
3. to study medicine
4. to see you
5. to do the sum