PHRASE

1. PHRASE
A. Definition of phrase
A phrase or phrase is a combination of non-predicate words. That is, the phraseconsists of
only one function, can consist of subjects only, it can also consist of only verbs or can be
preceded by a preposition. phrases divided into 9 types: Noun Phrase, Adjective Phrase,
Adverbial Phrase, Prepositional Phrase, Infinitive Phrase, Gerund Phrase, Participial Phrase,
Appositive Phrase, Absolute Phrase.
Phrase structure rules are a type of rewrite rule used to describe the syntax of a particular
language and are closely related to the early stages of transformational grammar, which Noam
Chomsky put forward in 1957. [1] The rule is used to break down natural language sentences
into their native language. The constituent section, also known as the syntax category, includes
the lexical category (part of the speech) and the phrase category. A grammar that uses phrase
structure rules is a type of grammar phrase structure. The rules of phrase structure as commonly
used operate according to the constituency relationship, and grammar that uses the rules of
phrase structure is therefore a constituency grammar; thus, this is different from grammatical
dependencies, which are based on dependency relationships.
B. Types of phrase
There are two criteria that can be used to classify phrases:
1) According to the relationship of elements in the structure
2) According to the types of words that become theheads of the structure
According to the relationship of elements in the structure can be classified into
exocentric phrases and endocentric phrases. An endocentric phrases is a phrases that has a
parallel distribution with his head. Based on the number if heads, endocentric phrases can be
futher divided into coordinate endocentric phrases, attributive endocentic phrases, and
appositive endocentric phrases.
An exocentiricphrases is a phrases that has a complementary distribution with its
elements. This means that no elements can substitute the whole phrases. In other words, an
exocentric phrases is a non-centered phrases. An exocentric phrases has two elements:
1) The relater
2) Axis
The relater can be filled by a preposition, and the axis can be filled by a word group.
1. Exocentric Phrases
An exocentric phrases has two tagnames, namely:
a) the relater slot filled by a preposition and
b) the axis slot filled by a noun or noun phrases.
Because of this, an exocentric phrases is also commonly called a relater-axis phrases.
The preposition that can fill the relater slot can listed as follos (cook, 1969:95):
About In during With
Above Into For Within
Across Of From without
after Off

Some example of exocentric phrases can be given as follows:

In Indonesia At school
In Makassar At home
During the semester To jakarta
With his father On the table
By the teacher Under the leadership

2. Endocentric Phrases
a) Modifier-head or attributive phrases
Modifier-head or attributive phrases consisting of only one head word. The head word
may be a noun, a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. The name of a modifier-head phrase is
determined by its head. If the head is a noun, it is called a noun phrase; it the head word is a
verb, it is called a verb phrase; if the head word is an adjective, it is called an adjective phrase;
and if the head word is an adverb, it is called an adverb phrase.
1) Noun Phrase
A noun phrase is a word group with noun as its head. A noun phrase may consist of a
determiner slot filled by an article, a possessive pronoun, a numeral, or a demonstrative, and a
head slot filled by a noun.
Examples:
A man Many student
The Student That book
The book This student
Their father Etc.
One book

A noun phrase may also consist of a determiner slot titled by an article, a possessive
pronoun, a numeral, or a demonstrative, a modifier slot filled by an adjective or a noun, and a
head slot filled by a noun.
Example:
A clever student That interesting film
The young man This new car
His good characters Some intelligent
The table leg Etc.
Many diligent workers

A noun phrase may be very complex, consisting of a determiner slot filled by an article, a
possessive pronoun, a numeral, or a demonstrative, a modifier slot filled by an adjective or a
noun, a head sot filled by a noun, and another modifier slot filled by a relater-axis phrase or a
clause.
Example:
 The good student in the class
 A new house in the area
 The new books on the table

2) Verb Phrases
A verb phrases is a word group with verb as its head. A verb Phrase consists of a modifier slot
filed by an auxiliary and a head slot filled by a verb.
Example:
Can speak Should help
May go Is playing
Must study Etc.

In English, it is also common that thee head slot filled by a verb bay be proceded by two or more
modifier slots filled by auxiliaries.
Example:
Will be coming Will have been plyaing
Will have gone May heave been raining
Should have visited Could have been writing

3) Adjective Phrases
An adjective phrase is a word group with adjective as its head. This head is commonly preceded
by an intensifier. So, an adjective phrase consists of an intensifier slot tiled by an intensifier and
a head slot filled by an adjective. In the following, a rather complete its at intensifiers is given.
Example:
 Very beautiful
 Quite calm
 Rather easy
apart from the 3 examples above there are also Adverbial Phrase, Prepositional Phrase,
Infinitive Phrase, Gerund Phrase, Participial Phrase, Appositive Phrase, And absolute phrase.
1) Adverbial phrase
Adverbial phrase is a group of words consisting of adverbs and qualifiers (too, very, so, enough,
etc) or groups of words such as prepositional phrase or infinitive phrase that act as adverbs.
Example:
Very well
extremely slowly
during the hurricane
At school

2) Prepositional phrase
A prepositional phrase is a combination of a preposition and an object called an object of
preposition. The object can be a noun (phrase), pronoun, or gerund.
Example:
 between you and me
 since yesterday
 during the hurricane

3) Infinitive phrase
Infinitive is formed from verbs and still has verb-like properties, i.e. it can be followed by direct
object or modifier. Infinitive phrase is a combination of infinitive with object and or modifier.
The phrase serves as noun, adjective, and adverb.
Example:
 to call him
 to eat sloppily
  to sleep soundly

4) Gerund phrase
Like infinitive, gerund can also be followed by direct object or modifier, so gerund
phrase is a combination of gerund and object and/or modifier. Gerund phrase in a sentence serves
as a noun.
Example:
 his singing
 getting the best score
 being a mother
 giving bribes to win the election
 walking on the beach

5) Participial phrase
Participial phrase is a combination of present (-ing) or past participle (-ed) with direct
object and/or modifier. It functions as a verb or adjective. Present participial phrase is used on
active voice – reduced adjective clause, while past participial phrase is used on passive voice –
reduced adjective clause. Participial phrase can also be used in reduced adverbial clause.
Example:
 Working in my room, I didn’t let anyone to disturb.
 The person reading in the corner is my classmate.

6) Appositive phrase
Appositive phrase in the form of noun phrase, gerund phrase, or infinitive phrase that serves to
describe noun or other pronoun.
Example:
 a foremost scientist
 the best-selling car in Indonesia
 sailing across the ocean
 7) Absolute Phrase

Absolute phrase is a combination of noun or pronoun and participle with or without modifier.
The function describes the independent clause separated by commas.
Example:
 His hands tugging on his mother’s shirttail, the little boy asked his mother to buy a
toy.

Reference
 Ba’dulu, Abdul Muis.English Syntax. Makassar: Badan Penerbit UNM
 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/phrase
 https://www.wordsmile.com/pengertian-macam-contoh-kalimat-phrase