Phrases, (Verbal Phrases)

-A verbal phrase is built around a nontensed verb form used as a different part of speech (not as a verb).

-We must distinguish between a verb phrase and a verbal phrase. A verb phrase MUST contain a tensed
verb. A tensed verb, you recall, is a verb in the present or past tense form. A verbal phrase is just the
opposite: it NEVER contains a tensed verb. Verbal phrases contain nontensed verbs used as nouns,
adjectives, or adverbs.

-There are three types of verbal phrases, called gerunds, participles, and infinitives.

Types of verbal phrases Nontensed verb form Part of speech Example

Gerund Present participle Noun Eating ice-cream makes

me cold.

Participle Present participle Adjective The child eating ice-

ceam is my daughter.

Past participle Adjective Ice-cream eaten too

quickly can give you a
headache.

Infinitive Infinitive Noun I love to eat ice-cream.

Infinitive Adjective Harry’s is the place to

get good ice-cream.

Infinitive Adverb We went to Harry’s to

get some ice-cream.

4. Gerund Phrases:

-A gerund is the present participle form of a verb used as a noun. Here are some examples of the gerund
swimming playing different noun roles/

Subject Swimming is an excellent form of exercise.

Object I hate swimming.

Predicate nominative His favorite sport is swimming.

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Object of preposition The tool is used for swimming.

-The difference between a gerund and a gerund phrase is that a gerund is just the verb by itself, whereas a
gerund phrase is the verb together with its “subject”, complement, or modifiers. Here below is an example:

Swimming in a race requires a lot of preparation.

Swimming twenty laps a day is great exercise.

Ted’s swimming the butterfly stroke was the highlight of the race.

His swimming the butterfly stroke was the highlight of the race.

-Ted’s is called subject of the gerund. It has to be in the possessive form.

-In order to identify gerunds and gerund phrases, we use the ‘it’ test. It helps to set the boundaries of the
gerund phrase.

The ‘it’ test for gerunds and gerund phrases. If an (-ing) form of a verb can
be replaced by ‘it’, then it is a gerund. Whatever words the ‘it’ replaces in
addition to the gerund make up the complete gerund phrase.

-Let’s apply the test on the previous examples:

It requires a lot of preparation.

It is great exercise.

It was the highlight of the race.

Exercise: underline the gerunds and the whole gerund phrases in the following sentences. Confirm
your answer by applying the ‘it’ test.

1. Fixing a flat tire can be hard work.

It
2. Their main job is protecting the President.

3. We talked about our going out for something to eat.

4. Seeing is believing.

5. His always being late gets him into unnecessary trouble.

6. I usually avoid work after dinner.

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 7. They are always complaining about their having to do the dishes.

8. Getting stuck in traffic was real pain.

9. My goal is studying classical Greek in Athens.

10. Alicia learned English by listening to the radio.

11. My adjusting the antenna did not help the reception.

5. Participles and Participial Phrases:

-A participle is a verb in either its present or past participle form used as an adjective.

-Participles are usually used in front of the nouns they modify. Examples:

Present Participle Past Participle

Winning coaches Sanded floors

Blushing maidens Understood subject

Participating schools Reported incident

Disgusting mess Injured party

Trusting students Trusted students

-In the last example (trusting students/trusted students), though the use of both participles is correct, their
meaning is different. In the present participle, the students are doing the trusting. However, in the second,
the students are trusted by somebody else.

-Though participles play the role of a modifying adjective, they cannot be used with ‘very’, because they are
verb forms and we know that verbs can never be used with ‘very’.

-A participle is just a verb form by itself. A participial phrase is the verb form together with the
complements or modifiers. Examples:

Present participial phrases

The reporters covering the accident interviewed the chief of police.

The clouds blanketing the mountains lifted in the afternoon.

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 The man wearing a hat is my uncle.

The incident amused the people waiting in line with me.

Past participle phrases

Several of the statements made by defendants were disallowed.

The houses situated in the flood plain all suffered extensive damage.

One book required for the course was out of print.

The quote is from a play written by Shakespeare.

-Single-word participles are in front of the noun they modify. However, participial phrases follow the nouns
they modify.

-Past participle phrases are generally followed by prepositional phrases.

-All past participle phrases are derived from passive sentences.

-In order to identify participles and participial phrases, we use the pronoun replacement test.

The pronoun replacement test for participles and participial phrases. If a

noun and a following present or past participle verb form and its attached words
are BOTH replace by a single pronoun, then the verb form and any attached
words is a participle or participial phrase modifying that noun.

-Let’s apply the test on the previous examples:

Present participial phrases

The reporters covering the accident interviewed the chief of police.

They

The clouds blanketing the mountains lifted in the afternoon.

They

The man wearing a hat is my uncle.

He

The incident amused the people waiting in line with me.

them

Past participle phrases

Several of the statements made by defendants were disallowed.

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 They

The houses situated in the flood plain all suffered extensive damage.

They

One book required for the course was out of print.

It

The quote is from a play written by Shakespeare.

it

Exercise: Underline the participial phrases in the following sentences. Confirm your answer by
applying the pronoun replacement test.

1. The view overlooking the bay was wonderful.

Answer: (The view overlooking the bay) was wonderful.

It was wonderful.

2. The place was a gloomy old brick factory in the nineteenth century.

3. The document summarizing the proposal was finally finished.

4. Several trees weakened by the relentless storm came down during the night.

5. The room adjoining ours was much larger.

6. The workers terminated after the strike sued the employer.

7. We disconnected the cables leading to the power source.

8. The council adopted the proposal submitted by the subcommittee.

9. The peasants found the accents cultivated by the local aristocracy to be laughable.

10. The runners competing in the first event were called to the announcer’s booth.

11. We collected the paper cups discarded by the runners.

-All the participial phrases we examined are restrictive , that is, the participial phrases limited or defined the
meaning of the nouns they modify. They are never set off by commas from the nouns they modify.

-There is what we call nonrestrictive participial phrases. They do not restrict or change the meaning of the
nouns they modify. They merely give additional information.

-They function like appositives, that’s why they are set off with commas. Here is an example (participial in
bold and the participial phrase underlined):

Senator Fogg, discouraged by the small crowd, cut his speech short.
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-The participial phrase is nonrestrictive because there is one Senator Fogg.

-Nonrestrictive participial phrases can be removed from the noun they modify to the beginning or to the end
of the sentence. Example:

Scrooge, muttering under his breath, returned to his work.

Muttering under his breath, Scrooge returned to his work.

Scrooge returned to his work, muttering under his breath.

● Distinguishing Present Participle from Gerunds:

-Both the present participle and the gerund have the same form, the (-ing) form.

-There function is that participles are adjectives and gerunds are nouns.

-Gerunds and gerund phrases play essential noun roles (subjects and objects), that’s why they can NEVER
be deleted.

-Participles and participial phrases are modifiers (adjectives), therefore they can be deleted without affecting
the meaning of the sentence.

-In order to distinguish present participles from gerunds, we use the deletion test.

The deletion test for distinguishing participles and gerunds. If a present

participle verb form used as another part of speech can be deleted, then it is
being used as an adjective- a participle or a participial phrase. If it cannot be
deleted, then it is being used as a noun-a gerund or a gerund phrase.

-Here are some examples of the deletion test:

Present Participle: Laughing, Alice answered the question.

Laughing, Alice answered the question.

Gerund: Laughing gives Alice a side ache.

* Laughing gives Alice a side ache. (meaningless)

Present Participle Phrase: Parking his car, Fred ran into the store.

Parking his car, Fred ran into the store.

Gerund Phrase: Parking his car is a real problem for Fred.

*Parking his car is a real problem for Fred. (meaningless)

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Exercise: Underline and label the participles, participial phrases, gerunds, and gerund phrases in the
following sentences. Confirm your answer by applying the deletion test.

1. Handing in my exam, I left the room confidently.

Answer: Handing in my exam, I left the room confidently. (participial phrase=
Confirmation: Handing in my exam, I left the room confidently.
2. Handing in my exam was the easy part of the test.

3. Keeping an eye on the time, I wrote as fast as I could.

4. Keeping an eye on the time is a good idea.

5. Thinking about the problem gave me a headache.

6. Thinking about the problem, I came up with a possible solution.

7. Asking the question is not the same as an answer.

8. Asking the question, he looked around for someone to answer.

9. I learned a lot, writing the paper.

10. I learned about writing the paper.

11. They left the room complaining about the test.

6. Infinitive Phrases:
-An infinitive is a verb form preceded by ‘to’ and used as a noun, adjective or an adverb.

-Infinitive phrases consist of an infinitive together with the verb’s ‘subject’, complement and/or modifiers.

a. Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases Used as Nouns :

Subject : To work is something that we all must do.

Object: I hate to work.

Predicate Nominative: His least favorite activity is to work.

-Infinitives and infinitive phrases cannot play the role of object of preposition.

-If the infinitive or infinitive phrase follows the prepositional phrases, the object of preposition is the subject
of the infinitive. Example:

(For Ted to learn his part overnight) required a lot of commitment.

⇨ ‘Ted’ id both object of the preposition (for) and subject of the infinitive (to learn).
-In order to identify infinitives and infinitive phrases used as nouns, we use the ‘it’ test.
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The ‘it’ test for infinitives and infinitive phrases used as nouns. If an
infinitive can be replace by ‘it’, then the infinitive is being used as a noun.
Whatever words beside the infinitive are replaced by ‘it’ constitute the infinitive
phrase

Exercise: Underline the infinitives and infinitive phrases used as nouns. Confirm your answer by
applying the ‘it’ test.
1. I needed to fix that flat tire.
Answer: I needed to fix that flat tire.
Confirmation: I needed to fix it.
2. Their main job is to protect the President.

3. For her to win so easily encouraged the whole team.

4. We expected to be done by now.

5. The best opportunity was for them to lead hearts.

6. To keep on smoking now seemed foolish.

7. He claimed to be a friend of hers.

8. I like to eat French fries with mustard.

9. For us to take such an early flight meant we left before dawn.

10. To do the right thing is important.

11. To miss an inch is to miss a mile.

b. Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases Used as Adjectives:

-They act like adjectives modifying nouns or pronouns.

Infinitives Infinitive Phrases

The need to sleep was almost unbearable. That is the attitude for them to encourage.

He was the last guest to leave. We marked the terms to be put on scale.

They picked some songs to sing. The best route for you to take to Detroit is the
freeway.

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-In order to identify infinitives and infinitive phrases used as adjectives, we use the pronoun replacement
test.

The pronoun replacement test for infinitives and infinitive phrases used as
adjectives. If a noun and a following infinitive or infinitive phrase, are BOTH
replaced by a single pronoun, then the infinitive or the infinitive phrases must
modify that noun.

Exercise: Underline the infinitives and infinitive phrases used as adjectives. Confirm your answer by
applying the pronoun replacement test.
1. The man for you to see will be back at noon.
Confirmation: He will be back at noon.
2. The schedule for us to go on field trips is posted on the door.

3. Here is a list of the drugs to avoid during the pregnancy.

4. I got the books to read for class.

5. The plot to overthrow the king was discovered.

6. I bought a gift for us to take to the housewarming.

7. That is the edition to get.

8. I set a goal for myself to reach.

9. They had quite a story to tell us.

10. We had the good fortune to be in just the right place.

11. She was the first woman to serve as governor.

c. Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases Used as Adverb:

-They act like adverbs modifying verbs or predicate adjective.

● Modifying Verbs:

Infinitives Infinitive Phrases

You must practice hard to win. They went to the post-office for Sally to get some
stamps.

I stayed up all night to finish. I went to the registrar’s office to drop a course.

We came here to relax. I need a doctor’s note for the druggist to fill my
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 prescription.

-Infinitives and infinitive phrases used as adverbs answer adverb questions. They act as adverbs of reason
because they answer the question ‘why?’

The ‘why’ test for infinitives and infinitive phrases modifying verbs. If an
infinitive or an infinitive phrase answers a ‘why’ question, then that infinitive
and infinitive phrase is used as an adverb modifying a verb.

You must practice hard to win. They went to the post-office for Sally to get some stamps.
Why must you practice hard? Why did they go to the post-office?
To win ➔ inf. Used as adv For Sally to get some stamps ➔ inf.ph used as adv

The adverb movement test for infinitive and infinitive phrases that modify
verbs. If an infinitive or an infinitive phrase can be moved to the beginning of
the sentence, then that infinitive or infinitive phrase modifies the verb.

To win, you must practice.

For Sally to get some stamps, they went to the post-office.

Exercise: Underline the infinitives and the infinitive phrases that modify verbs. Confirm your answer
by applying the ‘why’ test and the adverb movement test.

1. The president called a meeting to discuss the proposal.

Question test: Why did the president call a meeting? ➔ to discuss the proposal (infinitive phrase
modifying verb)

Movement test: To discuss the proposal, the president called a meeting.

2. He brought up the issue to provoke an argument.

3. The new drug shrinks the blood vessels to deprive the cancer cell of oxygen.

4. There had to be a consensus for them to reach an agreement.

5. We took the kids to the harbor for them to see the sailboats.

6. I turned off the water to fix a leak in a pipe.

7. We added some extra time for them to comply with the new regulations.

8. Congress raised salaries in the military to help retain more officers.

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 9. She is staying off her foot to give it a chance to heal.

10. We got a video camera for them to see what they were doing.

11. The judge delayed the trial for the defendant to get a new lawyer.

-In addition to the above two tests, there is another reliable test specifically for infinitives and infinitive
phrases that modify verbs, the ‘in order’ test.

The ‘in order’ test for infinitives and infinitive phrases modifying verbs. If
you can add ‘in order’ to the infinitives or the infinitive phrase, then that
infinitives and infinitive phrase is used as an adverb modifying verb.

Exercise: Underline the infinitives and infinitive phrases that modify verbs. Confirm your answer by

applying the ‘in order’ test.

1. I left work early to do some shopping.

Answer: I left work early in order to do some shopping.

2. France fought England to protect her colonies in America.

3. We sprayed the fruit trees to prevent rust and scale.

4. The committee called a recess for the negotiators to consult with their embassies.

5. Senator Fogg attacked his opponent to cloud the issues.

6. They needed a pump for them to drain the pool.

7. We closed the blinds for the children to fall asleep.

8. Wash them in cool water to prevent them from shrinking.

9. There was a fee for us to enroll in the program.

10. The pans were revised to make more space in the living room.

11. I sold the bonds to invest in a new mutual fund.

● Modifying Predicate Adjectives:

Infinitives Infinitive Phrases

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I am ready to go. They were happy to see us again.

They were glad to leave. We were anxious to start packing.

I am prepared to begin. It was silly to get so upset about nothing.

-These infinitives and infinitive phrases do not modify verbs. They fail both the adverb movement test and
the ‘in order’ test. They come right after predicate adjectives.

*To go, I am ready. (meaningless)

*To see us again, they were happy. (meaningless)

Exercise: Underline the infinitives and infinitive phrases. Label whether the infinitive or the infinitive
phrase modifies the verbs or the predicate adjectives. Use the tests to check.

1. I was happy to take the break. (inf.ph modifying predicate adjective)

2. They are ready for us to leave.

3. They took a trip to use up their frequent flyer miles.

4. I was not able to finish my paper on time.

5. The rules were put in place to ensure fair competition.

6. Nonsense, I am happy to do it.

7. We need a key to unlock the garage door.

8. It is rude for the hostess to call her guests bad names.

9. They retired early to take advantage of the buy-out.

10. I am pleased to make the following announcement.

11. It was nice to see them again.

Sources Used:
- Mark Lester’s Grammar and Usage in the Classroom, Second Edition.

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