PHRASE
I.Describe types of phrase and their grammatical functions in sentences. Give your own examples to illustrate the
points you are discussing.
PHRASE:
*Definition: A phrase is a group of words which forms a grammatical unit. It consists of a head word and all the words
clustering around the head word.
1. Noun Pharse:
A noun phrase consist of a noun and all the words and word groups that belong with the noun and cluster
around it. The noun is called headword or head, and other words and word groups are modifiers of the noun
Form: NP= head word Noun +modifiers of the noun
Funtion:
A noun phrase can function as a (an)
M. Premodifier: Example: New York Times.
M. Postmodifier: Examle: The highest building, Bitexco Financial Tower.
S. Example: The first 3 storey bridge was completed on 29 –May-2015 in DaNang
DO: Example: She bought a new car.
IO: Example: He give her a nice gift.
OP: Example: We put the estimated price in the CBD.
COMPLEMENT:
SC.Example: She is the best friend.
OC.Example: she choose John a team leader.
MODIFIER
Adjectival modifier. Example: Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural Center organize English club every morning on
Sunday.
Adverbial modifier. Example: that day something unsual happened.
2. Verbs Phrase:
A verbs Phrase consists of a verb and all the words and word groups that belong with the verb and cluster
around it. The lexical verb is called the headword or head, and other words and word groups are the auxiliaries,
modifiers and complements (DO, IO, OC, SC) of the verbs.
Complements include direct object, indirect object, objective complement, and subjective complement.
Verbs phrase can comes in a variety of shapes:




V alone:
EX:
The winter was gone.
Let’s go.




V+ NP:
EX:
We study Business English.



V+ NP+PP:
EX:
We study Business English in HCMC Open University.



V+AP:
EX:
This famous film is excited.




V+AP+PP
EX:
This university sound good for studing English.



V+NP+NP
EX:
We report the customer survey results to manager.
V+Q
EX:



The cholesterol in pork fat is much more.

2.1 Infinitive Phrase:
 Form: Inf. + word(s)=> Inf. Phrase
 Functions:
- Used as Noun:
EX:
 S: To work with you is my pleasure.
 SC: Our duty is to take care the parents in the famlily.
 OV: They plan to take a long trip.
-

Used as Adjectives
EX:
 Adjectival M: they are looking for luxury hotel to stay overnight.


-

Used as Adverbs
EX:
 Adverbial M: We come here to improve my knowledge.

2.2 Gerund Phrase:
Form: V+ing + word(s) => GP
Functions: used as nouns to be:
- Subject of Verb:
EX:
 S: Learning English is necessary now.
-

Object of Verb:
EX:
 DO: She enjoy reading novels.


-

Complement of Verb:
EX:
 SC: Our duty is working diligently.

-

Object of preposition:
EX:
 OP: They are interested in learning Chinese.


2.3 Participial Phrases:
**Present Participial Phrase:
Form:
Present .Participial + word(s) => V.ing +word(s)
Function:
-

Used as Adjectives to modify Nouns.





EX:
Adverbial M: Receiving an average of 471 inches of rain a year, Mount Waialeale in Hawaii is the wettest
spot in the world.
Adverbial M: Keeping on hand on the steering wheel, Anna opened a can of soda pop wih her free hand.
Adjective M: Elfreth’s Alley in Philadelphia is the oldest residential street in the United States, with house
dating from 1728.

**Past Participial Phrase:
Form:
Past Participial +word(s) => V.ed /3 + word(s)

-

Function:
EX:
Used as Adjectives to modify Nouns.



-

Adjective M: In 1821, the city of Indianapolis, Indiana was laid out in a design patterned after that of
Washington D.C.

Used as Verbial:
 Verb M: Barbara McClintock is known for her discovery of the mobility of genetic elements.

2.4.Absolute Phrase:
An absolute phrase has all the elements of a clause, but the verb is non-finite. Non Finite Verb phrase included
Infinitive phrase, Present participle phrase, Past participile phrase, Gerund.
EX:
 A filter placed in front of a camera lens changes the color of the light that reaches the film.
1. Adjective phrase:
An adjective phrase consist of an adjective, which may be preceded by a degree word, like very.somewhat.
Form: adjective + word(s)
Functions:
An adjective phrase can function as a(an)


EX:
 Noun M: He is a very good teacher.
 SC
: She is very clever.
 OC
: We found Japaness very hard-working.
2. Adver Phrase:
An adverb phrase usually consists of an adverb, which may be preceded by one or more degree words.

Form: adver+word(s)
EX:
 His cleverness is well known
3. Prepositional Phrases:
Form: Prepostition+word(s)
Funtions:
EX:
 S: Each seed of the following plants is covered by a dense protective coat.
 SC: Acros the Unted States, the general movement of air massed is from west to east.
 OP: The view from above the moutain is magnificent.
 Adjectival M: The students in this class study hard.
 Adverbial M: The sun rised in the East.

4. Appositives:
EX:
Joseph Henry, the first director of the Smithsopian Institution, was Predident Lincoln’s adviser on scientific
matters.


II. Analyze the underlined parts by Forms, Functions and Positions.
Example: My mother is a teacher.
NP/SC/Nominal
1. Leaves falling, air smelling of crisp apple, and white clouds billowing against the sky, no other
Absolute Phrase/M/Adval
Preposition P/C of Noun/Nal
Preposition Phrase/C of Verb /Nal
Season matches autumn.
2. The team having won all its games, Chicago celebrated as never before.
Absolute Phrase /M/Adval
PP/M/Adval

3. Even the stern history professor, his face smiling and eyes shining, dismissed us to join the throng
Preposition Phrase /M/Adval
Inf.P/M of V/Aval
4. An unnecessary tragedy, an athlete’s neck injury, marred the final days of the wining football season.
NP/Apposition/Nal
NP/OP/Nal
5. Successfully merchandising a product is creative.
Adv/M/Adval
NP/C of Verb/Nal
6. Americans have always needed to know the point of it all.
Inf.P/ DO/ Nal
7. Standing on the high place, she saw the whole scene.
Pre.PP/M/Adval
8. I am writing with regard to your advertisement
PP/M of Verb/Adval PP/DO/Nal

in the Sunday Times.
PP/M of Noun/Adval

9. They have also been getting tougher by enforcing strict new anti-litter laws.
Adj/SC/Nal
GP/OP/Nal
10. Taking critism from others is painful but useful.
GP/S/Nal
Adj P/SC/Nal


3. Identify the basic sentence patterns of all the main clause in the following sentences.
In early April, a video clip that showed hundreds of twelfth-graders at Nguyen Hien High School in Ho Chi Minh City tear
up and throw away documents on the subject of history went viral on the Internet

 S6: S+V Intransitive
The incident happened after it was announced that history would not be included in the high school graduation exam.
 S6: N + V Intransive
In response to the clip, people lamented the fact that young people are giving history the cold shoulder
 S7: S + V Transitive verb + DO
It was not the first time such disappointment was reported in the media.-->S7: S+ V Transitive + DO( passive form)
Many years ago, when studies showed the high prevalence of below-average results in history at the annual university
entrance exams that are attended by more than one million students on average, there was much wringing of the hand
as well.
 S3: N1 + Be + N2
But some experts like well-known historian and legislator Duong Trung Quoc have fefended the youth, saying that the
problem lies with the Vietnamese educational system’s failure to teach students properly and make the subject
interesting.
 S7: S+ V Transitive+ DO
While there is a big debate going on about poor history results in schools and universities, some young people have
started proving that the assumption history studies are in a dire situation is not necessarily true
 S7: S+ V Transitive + DO
They have implemented projects in which they approached history and other traditional subjects in their own ways
 S7: S+ V Transitive + DO
THE END.