Phrases Flashcards
What are phrases in grammar?
Higher units formed by organizing words.
Phrases can consist of single or multiple words.
How can phrases be identified?
By substitution and movement tests.
Substitution involves replacing one expression with another, while movement tests involve relocating a phrase.
What does embedding in phrases refer to?
One phrase is included inside another phrase.
This can lead to multiple interpretations of a structure.
What are the two possible meanings of ‘They passed the table with the two men’?
- They passed the table where the two men were sitting. 2. With the two men, they passed the table.
What are the syntactic roles of phrases?
Subject, object, predicative, adverbial, or complement.
Syntactic roles are crucial for interpreting phrases in clauses.
What is a noun phrase?
A phrase with a noun as its head.
Noun phrases can include determiners and modifiers.
What is a verb phrase?
A phrase with a lexical or primary verb as its head.
Verb phrases can include auxiliary verbs and show distinctions of tense.
What is an adjective phrase?
A phrase with an adjective as its head, possibly with modifiers.
Adjective phrases can act as modifiers or subject predicatives.
Fill in the blank: A phrase can consist of _______ or more than one word.
one word
True or False: Phrases can only consist of multiple words.
False
What defines the structure of a noun phrase?
The head noun, which can be preceded by determiners and accompanied by modifiers.
Examples include ‘the house’ and ‘many houses’.
What roles can noun phrases take in a clause?
Subject, object, predicative, adverbial, or complement.
What distinguishes finite and non-finite verb phrases?
Finite verb phrases show tense; non-finite do not.
Finite verb phrases can include modal auxiliaries.
What is the main verb in a verb phrase?
The lexical verb or primary verb.
It can stand alone or be accompanied by auxiliary verbs.
What is the typical function of adjective phrases?
As modifiers or subject predicatives.
What does the term ‘complement’ refer to in adjective phrases?
Elements that complete the meaning of the adjective.
How does phrase complexity vary across different registers of English?
It increases from conversation to fiction, and highest in academic writing.
What method is used to illustrate phrase structure?
Bracketing or tree diagrams.
What is the primary role of the head in a phrase?
It is the principal, obligatory word.
What is a subject predicative?
A subject predicative is a term often following the verb ‘be’ that describes the subject.
Provide an example of a subject predicative.
He’s totally crazy.
What are adjective phrases?
Adjective phrases are structures that modify nouns and can be split into two parts by the noun head.
Provide an example of an adjective phrase modifying a noun.
You couldn’t have a better name than that.
What characterizes adverb phrases?
Adverb phrases are similar to adjective phrases but have an adverb as the head and may include optional modifiers.
What is the primary function of adverb phrases?
Adverb phrases serve as modifiers in adjective or adverb phrases and as adverbials on the clause level.
Provide an example of an adverb phrase functioning as a modifier.
Those two were pretty much horribly spoiled.
What constitutes a prepositional phrase?
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition followed by a noun phrase, known as the prepositional complement.
What are the two major syntactic roles of prepositional phrases?
- As an adverbial on the clause level
- As a modifier or complement following a noun
What does it mean for a preposition to be stranded?
A preposition is stranded if it is not followed by its prepositional complement.
True or False: Stranded prepositions are considered bad style according to traditional grammar rules.
True.
What is the key unit of syntax?
The clause.
What are the main classes of phrases?
- Noun phrase
- Verb phrase
- Adjective phrase
- Adverb phrase
- Prepositional phrase
How can phrases be identified?
Phrases can be identified by their meaning, structure, and syntactic role.
What is an example of a complete clause?
She smiled sweetly.
What are some examples of non-clausal material?
- More sauce?
- Thirty pence please.
- Five years later?
What is the relationship between phrases and registers?
The frequency of longer and more complex phrases increases from conversation to academic prose.
Fill in the blank: The clause is capable of occurring _______.
[independently]
