Phrases

Question 1

What are phrases in grammar?

Answer 1

Higher units formed by organizing words.

Phrases can consist of single or multiple words.

Question 2

How can phrases be identified?

Answer 2

By substitution and movement tests.

Substitution involves replacing one expression with another, while movement tests involve relocating a phrase.

Question 3

What does embedding in phrases refer to?

Answer 3

One phrase is included inside another phrase.

This can lead to multiple interpretations of a structure.

Question 4

What are the two possible meanings of ‘They passed the table with the two men’?

Answer 4

1. They passed the table where the two men were sitting. 2. With the two men, they passed the table.

Question 5

What are the syntactic roles of phrases?

Answer 5

Subject, object, predicative, adverbial, or complement.

Syntactic roles are crucial for interpreting phrases in clauses.

Question 6

What is a noun phrase?

Answer 6

A phrase with a noun as its head.

Noun phrases can include determiners and modifiers.

Question 7

What is a verb phrase?

Answer 7

A phrase with a lexical or primary verb as its head.

Verb phrases can include auxiliary verbs and show distinctions of tense.

Question 8

What is an adjective phrase?

Answer 8

A phrase with an adjective as its head, possibly with modifiers.

Adjective phrases can act as modifiers or subject predicatives.

Question 9

Fill in the blank: A phrase can consist of _______ or more than one word.

Answer 9

one word

Question 10

True or False: Phrases can only consist of multiple words.

Answer 10

False

Question 11

What defines the structure of a noun phrase?

Answer 11

The head noun, which can be preceded by determiners and accompanied by modifiers.

Examples include ‘the house’ and ‘many houses’.

Question 12

What roles can noun phrases take in a clause?

Answer 12

Subject, object, predicative, adverbial, or complement.

Question 13

What distinguishes finite and non-finite verb phrases?

Answer 13

Finite verb phrases show tense; non-finite do not.

Finite verb phrases can include modal auxiliaries.

Question 14

What is the main verb in a verb phrase?

Answer 14

The lexical verb or primary verb.

It can stand alone or be accompanied by auxiliary verbs.

Question 15

What is the typical function of adjective phrases?

Answer 15

As modifiers or subject predicatives.

Question 16

What does the term ‘complement’ refer to in adjective phrases?

Answer 16

Elements that complete the meaning of the adjective.

Question 17

How does phrase complexity vary across different registers of English?

Answer 17

It increases from conversation to fiction, and highest in academic writing.

Question 18

What method is used to illustrate phrase structure?

Answer 18

Bracketing or tree diagrams.

Question 19

What is the primary role of the head in a phrase?

Answer 19

It is the principal, obligatory word.

Question 20

What is a subject predicative?

Answer 20

A subject predicative is a term often following the verb ‘be’ that describes the subject.

Question 21

Provide an example of a subject predicative.

Answer 21

He’s totally crazy.

Question 22

What are adjective phrases?

Answer 22

Adjective phrases are structures that modify nouns and can be split into two parts by the noun head.

Question 23

Provide an example of an adjective phrase modifying a noun.

Answer 23

You couldn’t have a better name than that.

Question 24

What characterizes adverb phrases?

Answer 24

Adverb phrases are similar to adjective phrases but have an adverb as the head and may include optional modifiers.

Question 25

What is the primary function of adverb phrases?

Answer 25

Adverb phrases serve as modifiers in adjective or adverb phrases and as adverbials on the clause level.

Question 26

Provide an example of an adverb phrase functioning as a modifier.

Answer 26

Those two were pretty much horribly spoiled.

Question 27

What constitutes a prepositional phrase?

Answer 27

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition followed by a noun phrase, known as the prepositional complement.

Question 28

What are the two major syntactic roles of prepositional phrases?

Answer 28

• As an adverbial on the clause level
• As a modifier or complement following a noun

Question 29

What does it mean for a preposition to be stranded?

Answer 29

A preposition is stranded if it is not followed by its prepositional complement.

Question 30

True or False: Stranded prepositions are considered bad style according to traditional grammar rules.

Answer 30

True.

Question 31

What is the key unit of syntax?

Answer 31

The clause.

Question 32

What are the main classes of phrases?

Answer 32

• Noun phrase
• Verb phrase
• Adjective phrase
• Adverb phrase
• Prepositional phrase

Question 33

How can phrases be identified?

Answer 33

Phrases can be identified by their meaning, structure, and syntactic role.

Question 34

What is an example of a complete clause?

Answer 34

She smiled sweetly.

Question 35

What are some examples of non-clausal material?

Answer 35

• More sauce?
• Thirty pence please.
• Five years later?

Question 36

What is the relationship between phrases and registers?

Answer 36

The frequency of longer and more complex phrases increases from conversation to academic prose.

Question 37

Fill in the blank: The clause is capable of occurring _______.

Answer 37

[independently]