This document defines and provides examples of different types of phrases, including noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, prepositional phrases, and adverbial phrases. It discusses the head and optional elements that can precede or follow the head in each phrase type. It also describes the syntactic functions phrases can serve, such as modifiers of nouns or verbs. The document provides examples to illustrate the different phrase structures and functions.

1. Phrases
Verb phrases, noun phrases, adjective phrases, and prepositional phrases

2. NOUN PHRASES
HEAD noun
Optional elements
DETERMINERS: Words which specify the range of reference of a noun, by making it definite,
indefinite or by indicating its quantity.
a) articles: a, an, the e.g. a book
b) possessives: my, your, his, etc. e.g. My car
c) demonstratives: this/ that, these/those. e.g. those children
d) numerals: one, five, etc. Two girls
e) quantifiers: some, all, a few, a little, etc. e.g. some people
MODIFIERS: describe or classify the head.
a) adjectives: a delightful cottage
b) participles (-ing and -ed participles) e.g. the destroyed building
c) nouns e.g. a country house
COMPLEMENT: complete the meaning of the noun.
E.g. the girl next door the popular assumption that language serves her refusal to accept
det noun adv phrase det adj-modif noun that clause as complement det noun to inf. Clause as complem.
complement

3. ADJECTIVE PHRASE
HEAD Adjective
Other elements that precede or follow the head
e.g. desperately poor good enough
adverb head head adverb
Complements of an adjective phrase
E.g. slow to answer guilty of a crime afraid of snakes
head to inf. as complem. Head prep phrase as comp. Head prep. Phrase as comp.
According to function/ position
a) Attributive they precede the noun they modify a sick man
b) Predicative they follow the noun they modify, usually after a verb. He is sick.
Syntactic functions of adjective phrases
a)Subject complement e.g. Peter is extremely intelligent.
C S
a)Object complement e.g. I consider Peter extremely intelligent.
CO

4. VERB PHRASE
Head verb
Types of verbs :
•Lexical verbs: carries meaning
•Auxiliary verbs: Primary aux. ( be- have- do) and modal aux. ( may- will- can, etc)
•Semi auxiliaries (marginal) : be going to – have to – be about to
Intransitive verbs: do not take an object.
e.g He laughed loudly. George sat down.
Transitive verbs: take an object or more objects
e.g. They brought the suitcase two days back. I bought him a present.
Copula verbs (also linking verbs) take a subject complement
a)Verb to be Mary is a lawyer. He is a good man.
b)Verbs of appearance, sensations: look, feel, appear (happy), seem, smell, sound, taste.
E.g. That cloth feels soft.
c)Verbs of ‘becoming’: become, get, fall, turn (sour) e.g. she got very sick.
Forms of lexical verbs
a)base/ bare infinitive go d) ing form/ present participle going
b)To infinitive to go e) Ved 1 ( past form) went
c) Vs 3er person sing. Present tense goes f) Ved 2 ( past participle) gone

5. Adverbial Phrase
Head adverb
Optional elements that follow or precede the head
Possible structures
Adverb surprisingly
Pre-modifier + adverb very surprisingly
Adverb + post-modifier surprisingly for her
Pre-modifier+ adverb + pot-modifiers very surprisingly indeed
Roles
•Modifier of an adjective or adverb in a phrase,
adv.(mod) adj (head) adv.(mod) adj (head)
Those kids were horribly spoiled by their grandparents. The description was remarkably accurate.
adjective phrase adjective phrase
•Adverbial in a sentence structure she smiled sweetly.
adv. Phrase
•Most modifiers are intensifiers ( indicate a point in the scale ) e.g. very, pretty, incredibly, rather, too,
entirely. Mod. Adv.
He was driving very fast.
. adv. phrase

6. Prepositional Phrase
Head preposition ( in, on , at, for, with)
•followed by Noun Phrase e.g. in the garden, on the chair, to town
•followed by clauses
a) Wh- clauses Components carry instructions on where they are used.
b) -ing clauses It was hard to live in Missouri after spending so much time in California.
Roles/ functions of prepositional phrases:
•Post-modifier of a noun
I took several courses in history. The installation of energy-saving devices is expensive.
•post-modifier of an adjective
He wasn’t aware of his drinking problem. I was happy with my marks last term.
•Adverbial
After the storm, the sky brightened. In my opinion, people behave differently in crowds.
Note: two or more prepositional phrases may appear independently side by side in a sentence.
I read stories at home in the evenings.
adverb adverd

7. Practice
Identify the role of the underlined adverb phrase.
A ( adverb),
M. Adj (modifier of adjective)
M. Adv. (modifier of adverb)
a)Small forks first appeared in the eleventh century.
b)They were widely condemned at that time.
c)In the eighteenth century, they suddenly became fashionable.
d)Knives were used far earlier than forks and spoons.
e)When meals were generally eaten with fingers, towel-sized napkins were essential.
f)After fork introduction, napkins were retained in a much smaller size.

8. Underline the prepositional phrases and circle the prepositions.
a)That massage is mentioned in Ancient Chinese writings.
b)It’s a natural therapy for aches and pains in the muscles.
c)Its value is recognized by many doctors.
d)Non-professionals can learn to give massage.
e)They should be careful about applying it.
f)The main requirements are a warm room, a comfortable table and a bottle of oil.
Identify the function of each prepositional phrase. P Noun, p Adj or Adv
a)A candidate can no longer win with little campaign money.
b)The candidates are aware of the need for huge financial contributions.
c)They frequently distort the policies of opposing candidates.
d)In recent campaigns, television advertisements have been belligerent
e)They often resemble extravagant Hollywood films in their lavish productions.