A Review of Fine Tune Your English Chapter 2 Phrases- simplified notes

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

1. Joseph, Mathew. Fine tune your English. Orient Black Swan pvt.ltd, 2010. print.