7. What are the assets of an organization? What is goodwill?

8. What areas does a governmental and institutional accountant deal

with? What kind of matters may be involved?
9. What does cost accounting deal with?
PHRASES AND CLAUSES
10. What does managerial accounting deal with?

Discussion 3: Verbs Following Verb Phrases

Verb phrases may be followed by other verbs in the form of

to infinitive clause (to inf cl),
infinitive without to clause (inf cl), or
–ing clause (-ing cl).

Infinitive clause is a dependent clause which begins with a verb in
its infinitive form (bare form of verb). It is also known as to-infinitive

clause. Infinitive without to clause is also categorized into this clause.
The infinitive clause is grouped into a clause because it may contain
clausal elements such as an object, complement, or adjunct.
-ing clause is a dependent clause which begins with a verb in its

Unit
participle (-ing) form. Similarly, the -ing clause is grouped into a clause
because it may contain clausal elements such as an object, complement,
or adjunct.

Examine the examples below:

4
A small business may retain the services of a CPA to perform all or
some of these functions (to inf cl).
They often prefer to teach the subject (to inf cl), however, because of
the security of a salaried position.
Managerial accounting provides internal reports to help users (to inf cl)
make decisions about their companies (inf cl).
Posting involves transferring the journalized debits and credits to
specific accounts in the ledger (-ing cl).

44 Sentence Processing
Building Automatic Identification 2:
Skills in Reading for Business

Phrases in Clauses and

Clauses in Phrases
Two types of phrases - noun and verb phrase - have been
discussed in the previous units. Nevertheless, there are other phrases
that compose a sentence or a clause; they are prepositional phrases,
adjectival phrases, and adverbial phrases. These phrases may function
as a complement or an adjunct in a sentence or clause. They are
discussed in Discussion 1.
Discussion 1: Prepositional, Adjectival, and Adverbial Phrases
Illustration 4.1 Prepositional Phrase
Beside noun and verb phrases, a sentence may be composed of
prepositional phrases (PP), adjectival (Adj P), and adverbial (Adv P).

Prepositional phrases (PP)

As discussed in Unit 1, a noun phrase may function as the object of a
preposition. Such composition is grouped into a prepositional phrase,
which is made up of a preposition and a noun phrase.

Examples:
The results of tax collections, farming harvests, and the transactions
of merchants were recorded by means of written numbers (PP).
Roman numerals were used in many parts of Europe (PP) until the
fifteenth century A.D (PP).
The stimulus for modern bookkeeping came with the introduction of
Arabic, or Hindu-Arabic, numerals and the decimal system (PP) in the
twelfth century A.D (PP).

Illustration 4.2 Adjectival Phrase

Adjectival Phrases (Adj P)

In Unit 1, it is also discussed that an adjective or adjectival phrase can
be part of a noun phrase and functions as a modifier. In this section,
you are introduced to adjectival phrases, mainly functioning as the
complement of a sentence. The head of an adjectival phrase is an
adjective, which might be preceded by an adverb and followed by a
prepositional phrase or a to-infinitive clause.

Examples:
The bookkeepers themselves must be accurate, good in math, and
meticulous (Adj P).
They must be very careful to record each detail in proper place (Adj P).

48 Building Automatic Identification Skills in Reading for Business

 Illustration 4.3 Adverbial Phrase
Illustration
Adverbial 4.3 Adverbial
Phrases Phrase
(Adv P)
AdverbialPhrases
Adverbial phrase (Adv
is a group
P) of words functioning as an adverb. The
head wordphrase
Adverbial is an adverb. Theofhead
is a group wordsmayfunctioning
be followedasby ananother
adverb.adverb
The
such word
head as ‘usually monthly’.
is an adverb. Notemay
The head that
be afollowed
prepositional phrase
by another may
adverb
such as ‘usually
function monthly’.
as an adverb; Noteforthat
however, a prepositional
the purpose phrase
of chunking may
exercises,
function as an of
the grouping adverb; however,
phrases followsfor
thethe purpose
patterns of chunking
discussed exercises,
in this book.
the grouping of phrases follows the patterns discussed in this book.
Examples:
Examples:
Both effects, which are equal in amount, must be entered completely
Both effects,
(Adv P)which
in the are equal in amount,
bookkeeping must be entered completely
records (PP).
(Adv P) in the bookkeeping records (PP).
Regularly and at fixed intervals, usually monthly, the bookkeeper posts
Adv P and at fixedPPintervals, usually
Regularly Advmonthly,
P the bookkeeper
NP posts
VP
Adv
all P entries from each
the PP journal to Adv P
the appropriate NP in the general
account VP
all the entriesNP
from each journal to the appropriate
PP account in the general
ledger. NP PP
ledger.


Task 1: Identification of All Phrases
Task 1:Examine
Identification of All Phrases
the phrases in the extract below. Basically when you
Examine
read in chunks,the
youphrases in the to
are supposed extract below.the
understand Basically whenunit
meaningful youof
read in chunks,
meaning you are supposed
as represented to understand
in each phrase. thephrases
Identify the meaningful
in theunit of
second
meaning asthe
extract as represented in each phrase. Identify the phrases in the second
given examples.
extract as the given examples.
one eye span
one eye span
Bookkeeping is / an essential accounting tool. / A small business or
Bookkeeping
NP isVP/ an essential accounting
NP tool. / A small NP
business or
NP VP NP NP
the point of eye fixation
the point of eye fixation
company/ may employ / only one bookkeeper, / who records all of the financial
company/ may employ / only one bookkeeper, / who records all of the financial
VP NP
VP NP
data by hand; / large organizations may employ / many bookkeepers, / who
data by hand; / large organizations may employ / many bookkeepers, / who
NP VP NP
NP VP NP

Building Automatic Identification Skills in Reading for Business 49

Building Automatic Identification Skills in Reading for Business 49
use electronic and mechanical equipment / for a large part of!their work. / Each
organization has/ its own bookkeeping requirements,/ but all systems operate
NP VP NP NP VP
on the same basic principles. / The bookkeepers themselves / must be
NP NP VP
accurate, / good in math, and meticulous; / that is, they must be very careful /
Adj P NP VP NP VP Adj P
to record each detail in proper place./

About 3,000 B.C., / the Sumerians, the Egyptians, and other

peoples of Middle East / developed the first known business records./
The results of! tax collections, / farming harvests, and the transactions
of merchants / were recorded by means of written numbers./ The
Romans, too, were / prolific keepers of records./ Indeed, Roman
numerals / were used in many parts of Europe / until the fifteenth
century A.D./ The stimulus for modern bookkeeping / came with the
introduction of Arabic, / or Hindu-Arabic, numerals and the decimal
system / in the twelfth century A.D./ Most people today use Arabic
numerals./

Task 2: Reading in Chunks and Comprehension Questions

Read the text below in chunks as you have already practiced. Then
answer the comprehension questions that follow.

Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is / an essential accounting tool./ A small business
or company/ may employ / only one bookkeeper, / who records all
of the financial data by hand;/ large organizations may employ /
many bookkeepers, / who use electronic and mechanical equipment
/ for a large part o f ! their work./ Each organization has / its own
bookkeeping requirements, / but all systems operate on the same
basic principles./ The bookkeepers themselves / must be accurate,
/ good in math, and meticulous; / that is, they must be very careful /
to record each detail in proper place./

50 Building Automatic Identification Skills in Reading for Business