Phrase definition: A phrase is a grammatical term referring to a group of words

that does not include a subject and verb.

What is a Phrase? Examples, Definitions

What are phrases? A phrase is a group (or pairing) of words in English. A
phrase can be short or long, but it does not include the subject-verb pairing
necessary to make a clause.
Some examples of phrases include:
 after the meal (prepositional phrase)
 the nice neighbor (noun phrase)
 were waiting for the movie (verb phrase)
None of these examples contains a subject doing an action (subject-verb).
Therefore, each example is merely a group of words called a phrase.
A phrase will always be more than one word.

Phrases vs. Clauses: A Hierarchy of Word

Units

A phrase is any group of words that does not contain a subject completing an
action.

When a group of words contains a subject doing an action (subject-verb), it

becomes a clause.
Phrases can be added to sentences to make them more complex.
Concepts can begin with a single word and develop into a compound sentence.
Example:
 meal (word)
 after the meal (phrase)
 that mom prepared (clause)
 After the meal that mom prepared I felt full. (sentence)
 After the meal that mom prepared, I felt full because I ate too much.
(complex sentence)
  After the meal that mom prepared I felt full, but my brother was still hungry.
(compound sentence)

More Phrase Examples

Before we go into different types of grammatical phrases, let’s look at a few more
examples of phrases.

 In the air (prepositional phrase)

 Beside the bed (prepositional phrase)
 Along the road (prepositional phrase)
 To live and breathe (infinitive phrase)
 Looking stunning (participle phrase)
As you can see, English phrases can be just about any combination of words so
long as they do not contain a subject-verb pairing.

Different Types of Phrase

What is a noun phrase? Noun phrases consist of a noun and its modifiers.
 the nice neighbor
 a soft, comfortable bed
What is a verb phrase? Verb phrases consist of a verb and its modifiers.
 were waiting for the movie
 felt a prick on his arm

What is an adverbial phrase? Adverbial phrases are phrases that act

as adverbs. They modify verbs, adverbs, or adjectives.
 around the block (modifying where)
 after the meal (modifying when)
 in silence (modifying how)
What is a gerund phrase? Gerund phrases are essentially noun phrases that
begin with a gerund.
 running through the woods
 jumping like a kangaroo
What is an infinitive phrase? Infinitive phrases begin with a verb infinitive and
include any modifiers. Infinitive phrases function as nouns, adjectives, or
adverbs.
 to run out of food
 to visit to the countryside
What is an appositive phrase? An appositive is essentially a noun phrase but
one that renames another noun in the sentence.
 The tree, a tall redwood, was beautiful.
 The curtains were made of lace, a beautiful and delicate fabric.

What is a participle phrase? A participle phrase begins with a present (-ing) or

past (-ed) participle. A participle phrase includes the participle and its modifiers.
Participle phrases function as adjectives.
 The girls giggling and playing in the park never seemed to tire.
 Fatigued and dehydrated in the desert the men traveled on.
What is a prepositional phrase? A prepositional phrase is a group of words
that includes a preposition and a noun. A prepositional phrase will function as
either an adjective or an adverb.
 before church
 under the stairs
What is an absolute phrase? An absolute phrase includes a noun and a
participle and any modifiers.
 the flag flying at half-mast
 her hair streaked with sunlight

Summary: What are Phrases?

Define phrase: The definition of phrase is any grouping of words that does not
contain a subject and a verb. A phrase is a very basic word unit in English.
 Phrases Examples:
 Reading a book
 The tall basketball player