What Is a Phrase ?

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What Is a Phrase ?

A phrase is a group of words that forms a grammatical component. It can be used to communicate something. It is a part of a sentence and cannot stand on its own. Phrases provide more information about whatever the sentence is speaking about.

Noun Phrase

A noun phrase is a group of words that have a noun or pronoun. It is used to modify the noun. In other words, it can be said that a noun phrase can function as a subject, an object or a complement in a sentence.

For example:

My brother's friend had come to visit him.

Scented candles are my favourite.

The students were asked to find the buried treasure.

Adjective Phrase

An adjective phrase or an adjectival phrase is a group of words that consists of an adjective. It can be used to complement it. It provides more information about the noun or pronoun in a sentence. In other words, it can be said that it functions just like an adjective in a sentence.

For example:

Annu has silky, smooth hair.

People, living in large cities, often find it difficult to reach in time.

The team that made it to the final was congratulated in front of the whole school.

Adverb Phrase

An adverb phrase or an adverbial phrase is a group of words that includes an adverb and other modifiers. It performs all the functions of an adverb. It can be placed in any part of the sentence, with respect to the part of speech they modify.

For example:

We are planning to finish our group project by the end of May.

Later this evening, my cousins and I have planned to go to the park.

They saw some abandoned puppies at the corner of the street.

 

Verb Phrase

A verb phrase can be used just like a verb. It consists of a main verb and an auxiliary verb.

For example:

Students are practising hard in order to participate in the state tournament.

Aaron has been writing multiplication tables for three hours.

The dogs have been barking continuously.