PHRASES

ENGLISH – GRADE 7
 PHRASES - INTRODUCTION

• A PHRASE IS A GROUP OF WORDS OR PAIRING OF WORDS THAT WOULD

GIVE US SOME MEANING BUT NOT A COMPLETE MEANING AS IN CASE
OF A SENTENCE.
• IT STAND TOGETHER AS A CONCEPTUAL UNIT, TYPICALLY FORMING A
COMPONENT OF A SENTENCE OR A CLAUSE.
• EXAMPLE : IN A CORNER
• IT CAN BE EITHER SHORT OR LONG, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE A
SUBJECT AND A VERB PAIRING OR COMBINATION.
• EXAMPLE : AFTER THE MEAL
THE NICE NEIGHBOUR
• IT CANNOT GIVE A COMPLETE IDEA WITH A SUBJECT, VERB COMBINATION OR RATHER A
PREDICATE BUT IT WOULD MAKE SOME SENSE, WHEN IT STANDS ALONE.
• EXAMPLE: ON THE TABLE, UNDER THE TREE, BEHIND THE BARS, ETC.
ALEXA IS SITTING UNDER THE TREE.
 PHRASES – EXAMPLES
1. THE SUN RISES IN THE EAST.
2. HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON THE WALL.
3. THERE CAME A GIANT TO MY DOOR.
4. IT WAS A SUNSET OF GREAT BEAUTY.
5. MY ROOM IS FULL OF BOOKS.
IN A PHRASE, THE MAIN WORD OR THE WORD THAT IS WHAT THE PHRASE IS ABOUT IS CALLED THE
‘HEAD’.
• EXAMPLE: A TINY SANDWICH
• QUITE CLEARLY
• [CATS] MAKE VERY AFFECTIONATE PETS – CATS – HEAD - NOUN PHRASE
• [THE EDITOR] REJECTED THE MANUSCRIPT – EDITOR – NOUN PHRASE

Phrase Type Head Example

Noun Phrase Noun [the children in class 5]
Verb Phrase Verb [play the piano]
Adjective Phrase Adjective [delighted to meet you]
Adverb Phrase Adverb [very quickly]
Prepositional Phrase Preposition [in the garden]
 TYPES OF PHRASES

• NOUN PHRASE
• VERB PHRASE
• ADJECTIVE PHRASE
• ADVERB PHRASE
• GERUND PHRASE
• INFINITIVE PHRASE
• ABSOLUTE PHRASE
 NOUN PHRASE
• NOUN PHRASE CAN BE A GROUP OF WORDS BUILT AROUND A SINGLE NOUN.
EXAMPLE :

MY TWO WONDERFUL DOGS

THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD
WHO ATE THE LAST SANDWICH?
ALL THE PASSENGERS WITH TICKETS CAN BOARD NOW.
THE BEWILDERED TOURIST WAS LOST.
THE FLU CLINIC HAD SEEN MANY CASES OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
 VERB PHRASE
• A VERB PHRASE CONSISTS OF A MAIN VERB AND ITS AUXILIARY VERBS (INCLUDING MODALS), FOR
EXAMPLE
• COULDN’T GO
• WILL BE WORKING
• WE HAVE BEEN WORKING SINCE 9 AM.
• I WILL BE GOING TO FRANCE NEXT WEEK.
• YOU MIGHT ENJOY A MASSAGE.
• HE WAS EAGER TO EAT DINNER.
• YOU HAVE BEEN SLEEPING FOR A LONG TIME.
 ADJECTIVE PHRASE
• AN ADJECTIVE PHRASE CAN BE A GROUP OF WORDS BUILT AROUND A SIMPLE ADJECTIVE , FOR
EXAMPLE
• HE HAS CLEVER IDEAS
• IT WAS A VERY BIG MEAL
• THE STUDENTS WERE REALLY BORED WITH THE FILM
• VERY FRIENDLY
• AFRAID OF THE DARK
 ADVERB PHRASE
• AN ADVERB PHRASE CAN BE A SIMPLE VERB HEAD FOR A GROUP OF WORDS BUILT AROUND A
SIMPLE VERB, FOR EXAMPLE
• PLEASE DO IT NOW
• HE SPOKE VERY SOFTLY
• THEY DID IT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE
• MUCH QUICKER
 PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
• A PREPOSITIONAL PHASE CONSISTS OF A PREPOSITION FOLLOWED BY ITS OBJECT
(USUALLY A NOUN PHRASE),
FOR EXAMPLE:
• NEAR THE POST OFFICE
• ON THE 29TH
• THEY WERE ARGUING ABOUT MONEY.
• THE WINDOW WAS BEHIND A LARGE BROWN SOFA.
• THEY RESUMED AFTER AN UNUSUALLY LARGE MEAL.
 WORKSHEET
FIND THE TYPES OF PHRASES INVOLVED IN THE WORDS THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT COLOURS:
• HE IS JUMPING OVER THE VERY LAZY DOG AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

MAKE SENTENCES ON YOUR OWN USING THE PHRASES GIVEN BELOW:

• IN THE ROOM
• A GHOST IN MY ROOM
• VERY QUICKLY

NOTE: I WILL SEND ANSWERS TOMORROW