What are Phrases: English Grammar for Classes 5, 6, 7, 8 Grades

Phrases are groups of words that act as a unit in a sentence, but do not have both a subject and a predicate. In short, Phrases are not sentences in themselves but they are part of a sentence. In other words, they do not express a complete thought.

Phrases can serve different functions in a sentence, such as describing a noun or verb, providing additional information, or connecting ideas.

Phrases can be made up of different combinations of words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions.

Types of Phrases

Phrases in sentences can be classified as – Noun phrase, Verb phrase, adjective phrase, adverb phrase, prepositional phrase, infinitive phrase and participle phrase. Each of these kinds are discussed here with good number of examples. So, get ready to learn these the types of phrases.

Noun Phrase:

A group of words that act as a noun. Essentially, it’s a group of words that function as a single unit to name a person, place, thing, or idea.

Example: “A big brown cat drank the milk” – here “A big brown cat” is a phrase.

This phrase consists of a determiner (“A”), an adjective (“big”), and two nouns (“brown” and “cat”). It functions as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence.

More Examples:

1. The big brown dog chased the squirrel up the tree.
Noun phrase: “the big brown dog”
Explanation: “The big brown dog” is the subject of the sentence, and it consists of the determiner “the,” the adjectives “big” and “brown,” and the noun “dog.”

2. My sister’s favourite hobby is playing the guitar.
Noun phrase: “My sister’s favourite hobby”
Explanation: “My sister’s favourite hobby” is the subject of the sentence, and it consists of the possessive pronoun “my,” the noun “sister,” the possessive apostrophe “‘s,” the adjective “favourite,” and the noun “hobby.”

3. The red and yellow flowers in the garden are blooming beautifully.
Noun phrase: “the red and yellow flowers in the garden”
Explanation: “The red and yellow flowers in the garden” is the subject of the sentence, and it consists of the determiner “the,” the adjectives “red” and “yellow,” the noun “flowers,” the preposition “in,” and the noun “garden.”

4. The old man with a cane walked slowly down the street.
Noun phrase: “the old man with a cane”
Explanation: “The old man with a cane” is the subject of the sentence, and it consists of the determiner “the,” the adjectives “old,” the noun “man,” the preposition “with,” the article “a,” and the noun “cane.”

5. She bought a new laptop from the electronics store.
Noun phrase: “a new laptop”
Explanation: “A new laptop” is the direct object of the verb “bought,” and it consists of the determiner “a,” the adjectives “new,” and the noun “laptop.”

Verb Phrase:

A verb phrase is a group of words that includes a main verb and any auxiliary verbs, or helping verbs, and other words that describe the verb’s action or state. The main verb is the most important word in the verb phrase, and it expresses the main action or state of the sentence.

Example: “She is sleeping” – here the phrase is “is sleeping”. This phrase consists of a verb (“is”) and a participle (“sleeping”). It functions as a predicate in a sentence, indicating an action or state of being.

More Examples:

1. “I will be studying” – This is a verb phrase consisting of the main verb “studying” and the auxiliary verb “will be.” The auxiliary verb “will” expresses future tense, and “be” is a linking verb that connects the subject “I” to the main verb “studying.”
2. “She has been singing” – This verb phrase contains the main verb “singing” and the auxiliary verb “has been.” “Has been” is a present perfect progressive tense which indicates that the action began in the past and is still continuing in the present.
3. “He should have been working” – This verb phrase contains the main verb “working” and the modal verb “should have been.” The modal verb “should” expresses an obligation or a recommendation, and “have been” is a present perfect tense that shows the action started in the past and has continued until now.
4. “They were running late” – This verb phrase contains the main verb “running” and the auxiliary verb “were.” The auxiliary verb “were” is the past tense of “to be” and the verb “running” is the main verb that indicates the action they were performing.
5. “She can swim well” – This verb phrase contains the main verb “swim” and the modal verb “can.” The modal verb “can” indicates that the action is possible or feasible, and the adverb “well” modifies the verb “swim” to show how well she is able to swim.

Adjective Phrase:

A group of words that act as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun.

Example: “He is very happy” – here ‘very happy’ is a phrase.

This phrase consists of an adverb (“very”) and an adjective (“happy”). It modifies a noun or pronoun in a sentence, adding more detail or description to it.

More Examples:

1. The bright yellow sun was shining in the clear blue sky.

• In this sentence, “bright yellow” and “clear blue” are both adjective phrases modifying “sun” and “sky,” respectively.

2. She wore a beautiful, flowing red dress to the party.

• “Beautiful” and “flowing” are both adjectives modifying “red dress,” and together they form an adjective phrase.

3. The tall, muscular man lifted the heavy box effortlessly.

• “Tall” and “muscular” are both adjectives modifying “man,” and together they form an adjective phrase.

4. The old, dilapidated house had a leaky roof and creaky floors.

• “Old” and “dilapidated” are both adjectives modifying “house,” and together they form an adjective phrase.

5. The soft, fluffy pillow provided a comfortable resting place.

• “Soft” and “fluffy” are both adjectives modifying “pillow,” and together they form an adjective phrase.

Adverb Phrase:

A group of words that act as an adverb, modifying a verb, adjective, or another adverb.

Example: “She will come in the morning” – here ‘in the morning’ is phrase.

This phrase consists of a preposition (“in”) and a noun (“morning”). It modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb in a sentence, indicating when, where, or how the action is taking place.

More Examples:

1. With great enthusiasm, she sang the national anthem.
2. In a hurry, he left the room.
3. After the rain stopped, we went for a walk.
4. Without a doubt, he was the best candidate for the job.
5. Incredibly fast, the cheetah chased down its prey.
6. With a smile on her face, she greeted her guests.
7. Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother’s house we go.
8. In a loud voice, the actor delivered his lines.
9. On the other hand, some people prefer tea to coffee.
10. In the early morning, the birds chirped outside my window.

Prepositional Phrase:

A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun, which is called the object of the preposition. A prepositional phrase is made up of a preposition (such as in, under, by, with, without, on, across, between, inside, along) and a noun or pronoun that acts as the object of the preposition. Together, they function as an adjective or adverb to provide more information about the noun or verb in a sentence.

Example: “The books are on the table” – here “on the table” is phrase

This phrase consists of a preposition (“on”) and a noun phrase (“the table”). It functions as an adverb or adjective in a sentence, indicating location or position.

More Examples:

1. In the morning
2. Under the table
3. By the river
4. With a smile
5. Without any hesitation
6. On the top floor
7. Across the street
8. Between two trees
9. Inside the box
10. Along the beach.

Infinitive Phrase:

Infinitive phrases usually begin with the word “to” and include a verb in its infinitive form (i.e., the base form of the verb with “to” preceding i.e in the form to + verb). They function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence.

Example: “To win the race is my goal.” – here ‘to win’ is an infinitive phrase.

The phrase consists of ‘to + V 1st form’. This phrase is acting as a Subject in the above example sentence.

More Examples:

1. I want to swim in the ocean this summer.
2. Her dream is to travel the world and experience new cultures.
3. The best way to do well on exams is to study hard and prepare.
4. To eat a healthy diet, you should include plenty of fruits and vegetables.
5. His goal is to run a marathon by the end of the year.
6. I love to write, so I’m thinking about starting a novel.
7. To learn a new language, you need to practice speaking it regularly.
8. My sister has always wanted to play the piano professionally.
9. The artist’s plan is to paint a masterpiece that will be displayed in a museum.
10. One of my lifelong dreams is to climb a mountain and see the view from the top.

Participial Phrase:

A group of words that begins with a present or past participle verb (-ing or -ed) and may have additional modifiers or objects. Participial phrases can function as adjectives in a sentence.

we know that participle is a form of a verb that typically ends in “-ing” or “-ed”.

For example, in the sentence “The running dog chased the cat,” “running” is a present participle,

while in the sentence “The chased cat climbed the tree,” “chased” is a past participle.

A participle phrase modifies a noun or a pronoun, providing additional information about it.

For example, in the sentence “The excited child ran to the playground,” “excited” is a participle phrase that modifies the noun “child.” The phrase tells us that the child is experiencing the emotion of excitement.

Participle phrases can be used in various ways in a sentence. They can come at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. For example:

• Beginning: “Running down the street, I saw a car accident.”
• Middle: “The book, written by a famous author, is a bestseller.”
• End: “She smiled, satisfied with her performance.”

In summary, participle phrases are groups of words that include a participle and its modifiers, which act as adjectives to modify a noun or pronoun in a sentence.

More Examples:

1. Running late, Sarah forgot her keys. (present participle)
   • The participle “running” modifies the subject “Sarah” and indicates the reason why she forgot her keys.
2. The broken vase lay shattered on the floor. (past participle)
   • The participle “broken” modifies the noun “vase” and indicates the condition or state of the vase.
3. Laughing uncontrollably, the children ran around the playground. (present participle)
   • The participle “laughing” modifies the subject “children” and describes the action they were doing.
4. Confused by the instructions, the students asked for help. (past participle)
   • The participle “confused” modifies the subject “students” and indicates the reason why they asked for help.
5. The exhausted runner collapsed at the finish line. (past participle)
   • The participle “exhausted” modifies the noun “runner” and indicates the condition or state of the runner.
6. Having finished her homework, Lily watched TV. (present participle)
   • The participle “finished” is part of the present perfect tense of the verb “finish” and indicates completion of an action before another action in the past. It modifies the subject “Lily” and describes the action she completed before watching TV.
7. The sun, shining brightly in the sky, warmed the earth. (present participle)
   • The participle “shining” modifies the noun “sun” and describes the state or action of the sun.
8. Having been repaired, the car drove smoothly. (past participle)
   • The participle “repaired” is part of the past perfect tense of the verb “repair” and indicates completion of an action before another action in the past. It modifies the subject “car” and indicates the reason why it drove smoothly.
9. The frightened cat hid under the bed. (past participle)
   • The participle “frightened” modifies the noun “cat” and indicates the state or condition of the cat.
10. The excited fans cheered loudly for their team. (past participle)
    • The participle “excited” modifies the noun “fans” and describes their emotional state.