Fine Tune Your English

Chapter 2 - Phrases; what are they?

What is a phrase?

A phrase is a group of words that is meaningful but lacking a finite verb, though there may be
verbal elements like the participles .

It is not complete like a sentence .

It does not have a Subject and predicate of its own.

It can function like a noun or an adjective or like an adverb.

Characteristic Features of Phrases

phrases are more compact than clauses.

It does not have a finite verb; some are totally verbless.

If you use in the place of a clause, it will become more compact and due to this many good
writers prefer Phrasal Constructions.

Disadvantage of using Non -Finite Phrases

Non finite phrases have some deficiencies; the use of a phrase in the place of a clause can
sometimes lead to Ambiguity

Different types of phrases

1 Noun phrase

A Noun Phrase is a word or group of words containing a noun or indefinite pronoun as the head
word or subject of a sentence and object

2. Adverb phrase

An adverb phrase is simply two or more words that act as an adverb. It can modify a verb,
adverb or adjective and can tell why how where when an action occurred

. ex. Meet me at the mall

They must return before dusk.

3 . Adjective phrase

It is a group of words that describe a noun or pronoun in a sentence . The adjective in an

adjective phrase can appear at the beginning, end or middle of a phrase. The adjective phrase
can be placed before or after the noun or pronoun in a sentence

ex. The ride was too terrible

Everyone was extremely sad

Expected questions.

1. what is a phrase?

2. what is a noun phrase?

3.what is an adverb phrase?.

(Reference- Joseph, Mathew. Fine tune your English. Orient Black Swan pvt.ltd, 2010. print.)