Chapter 2
PHRASES
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the chapter students will be able to:
1. identify Phrases and the basic structure of phrases, Noun
phrases, Verb phrases, Adverb phrases, Adjective phrases,
Prepositional phrases
2. use Noun phrases, Verb phrases, Adverb phrases, Adjective
phrases, Prepositional phrase to communicate
3. identify the topic for final project
CONTENT
2.1 Phrases and the basic structure of phrases
2.2. Noun phrases
2.3 Verb phrases
2.4 Adverb phrases
2.5 Adjective phrases
2.6 Prepositional phrases
2.1. Phrases and the basic structure of phrases
2.1.1 Definition of phrase
- Phrase refers to more than one word (‘once upon a time’, ‘happy children’)
or single words (book, happiness) because they can be expanded to form
larger constituents
books
expensive books
expensive books about gardening
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2.1. Phrases and the basic structure of phrases
2.1.2 Types of phrase
Phrase types Example
1. Noun phrase (NP) books, expensive books, expensive
books about gardening
Main word: books
proud, very proud, very proud of her son
2. Adjective phrase (AdjP)
Main word: proud
recently, very recently, very recently indeed
3. Adverb phrase (AdvP)
Main word: recently
4. Prepositional phrase (PP) on time, exactly on time
Main word: on
was stolen, has been stolen
5. Verb phrase (VP)
Main word: stolen
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2.1. Phrases and the basic structure of phrases
2.1.3 The basic structure of phrases
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2.1. Phrases and the basic structure of phrases
2.1.3 The basic structure of phrases
- Head (main word): determines the phrase type and the only constituent that cannot
be omitted (or phrase is incompleted)
Eg: expensive books (Noun phrase)
very proud (Adjective phrase )
expensive books about
gardening.
complete
expensive books about
complete
Amy gardening.
incomplet
bought *expensive books about
e
gardening.
- Premodifier: Pre-head complete
- Postmodifier:expensive
Post-head books about
gardening.
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.1 Noun phrase Heads
Example
Common Noun: [young people from China] , [a new
movie about Vietnam]
Proper Noun: [clever Simon], [little Amy]
Independent pronouns: Give it to [ me], [ They] may
need help, [ That] was a great movie
Numerals: [ One of the students] is ill, [Two of the
chairs] are broken
Nominal adjectives: co-occur with the determiner the:
We must do more for [the homeless ].
Your account is in [the red ]
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.1 Noun phrase Heads
2.1.1.1 Identifying the Head
2.1.1.1.1 The number test: NP is the word that changes when the whole
phrase becomes plural
Singular Plural
a student from China -> students from China
a novel by Nam Cao ->
novels by Nam Cao
a pair of shoes -> pairs of shoes
a piece of cake -> pieces of cake
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.1 Noun phrase Heads
2.1.1.1 Identifying the Head
2.1.1.1.2 The agreement test: Head is the noun that agrees with the verb
when the whole NP is the Subject of a sentence:
Singular Plural
The boy in the car is my son -> The boys in the car are my boys
The story has been written by her->
The stories have been written by her
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.1 Noun phrase Heads
2.1.1.1 Identifying the Head
Type 1NPs Type 2NPs
PC (prepositional complement):
N sau preposition
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1. books on the shelf
2. Beauty contest.
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.1 Noun phrase Heads
2.1.1.1 Identifying the Head
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.2 Determiners and Determinatives
2.1.2.1 Determiners
All the last students
[What time] is it?
[Which other countries] are you
referring to?
[Either team] could win the game.
(= each team)
[Neither team] could win the game.
(= no team)
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.2 Determiners and Determinatives
2.1.2.1 Determiners
Put the following words in correct order:
1. students/all/almost
Almost all students
2. half/those/nearly/books/of
Nearly half of those books
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.3 Noun phrase Pre-modifiers
2.1.3.1 Adjective phrases
Analyse the following phrases
[black taxi ]
[crazy people ]
[very old buildings ]
[quite good weather ]
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.3 Noun phrase Pre-modifiers
2.1.3.2 Noun phrases
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.4 Noun phrase Postmodifiers
2.1.4.1 Prepositional phrases
Analyse the following phrases
a piece of cheese
a box of chocolates
the house on the hill
the road to Damascus
a shirt with long sleeves
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.4 Noun phrase Postmodifiers
2.1.4.2 Clauses
Relative clauses
the man who lives beside us
the food that he cooked
the book which he wrote
- ing clauses
anyone carrying a knife
the man waving his arms
-ed/-en clauses
vegetables grown in organic soil
the decision made by President Trump
to-clauses (4.2.1):
the first man to walk on the moon
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the best thing to do
2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.4 Noun phrase Postmodifiers
2.1.4.3 Adjective phrases
something cold
someone so stupid
anything smaller
the time available
the people concerned
2.1.4.4 Adverb phrases
Adverb phrases as NP Postmodifiers generally denote place or direction.
the way forward
the flight back
the paragraph above
the apartment below
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2.1. Noun phrase
2.1.5 Functions 6. Adjunct (trạng ngữ)
1. Subject: Last week, our freezer broke down.
A large tile fell from the roof. She’s going to Harvard next year.
Four people entered the room. One day you’ll regret quitting college.
2. Subject Complement (Cs) In phrase structure, noun phrases have the
Paul is my nephew. following major functions:
She is a teacher of English. 7. Prepositional Complement (PC: +N)
3. Direct Object (Od) over the moon
The plane left the runway. behind our house
Our teacher writes detective stories. at the cinema
4. Indirect Object (Oi) 8. Premodifier in another noun phrase
She told the chairman (Oi) the bad news (Od). a school uniform
I offered the girl beside me a drink. the computer screen
5. Object Complement (Co) a traffic accident
She (1) called him (o) a loser 3. 2=3 (C0)
They appointed him President of the Board 21
of Trade.
2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.1 Structure: They do not have Heads, Premodifiers, or Postmodifiers
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2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.2 Form and function:
Main verb functions as the Predicator (Pred) in the VP.
All other auxiliary verbs are simply labelled Aux (auxiliary). Pred: predicator
(vị từ)
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2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.3 The operator:
When an Operator is present, all other verbs (including the main verb) have
the base form, the -ing form, or the -ed/-en form
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2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.3 The operator:
When an Operator is present, all other verbs (including the main verb) have
the base form, the -ing form, or the -ed/-en form
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2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.3 The ordering of auxiliary verbs:
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2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.3 Finite verb phrases and non-finite verb phrases
Verbs that have tense marking (past or present form) are called finite verbs.
Everyone [likes Amy].
Your flight [has departed].
The old man [is feeding his dog].
I [was washing the dishes] when you phoned.
Verbs with any of the other three forms (base, -ed/-en, -ing) are called non-
finite verbs
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2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.4 Tense: expresses the concept of time (present tense and past tense)
- In regular verbs, present tense is expressed by the -s form of the verb, when
the Subject is third-person singular.
- Past tense: is indicated by an -ed ending, regardless of the Subject:
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2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.4 Expressing future time
no ending to indicate the future, expressed by using the present tense form of a
verb:
1. Modal auxiliary will
Peter will arrive next Friday. I am traveling to HN
Your flight will leave in ten minutes.
David will graduate in September.
2 Semi-auxiliary be going to (present tense)
Peter is going to arrive next Friday.
Your flight is going to leave in ten minutes.
3 Progressive auxiliary be (present tense) + -ing verb
Peter is arriving next Friday.
Your flight is leaving in ten minutes.
David is graduating in September. 29
2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.4 Mood: refers to distinctions in the form of a verb phrase that express the
speaker’s attitude towards what is said. There are three moods: indicative,
imperative, and subjunctive.
- Indicative mood is the most common mood in declarative, interrogative, and
exclamative sentences:
Paul enrolled in a music class.
Does Amy like her new school?
- Imperative is used in issuing orders or instructions:
Move over.
Stop that at once.
- Subjunctive mood is used when we refer to a non-factual or hypothetical
situation:
If I were you, I would accept the offer.
If Hilary Clinton were President of the USA, what would she do?
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2.2. Verb phrase
2.2.4 Mood:
- mandative subjunctive: used after a small number of verbs (ask, decide,
insist, recommend, and suggest)
The committee insisted that she resign immediately.
The lawyer asked that he be given more time to prepare his case.
- mandative subjunctive: used after the following adjectives (crucial, essential,
important, necessary, vital)
It is important that every room be properly ventilated.
It is vital that prisoners be supervised at all times.
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Quiz
Click the Quiz button to edit this object
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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References
[1] Nelson, G. (2019), English: An Essential Grammar (Third edition), Routledge
[2] Angela Downing (2015). English Grammar: A University Course (Third Edition). Routledge.
[3] Elbaum, S.N. (2021), Grammar in context 3 (Seventh edition), National Geographic Learning
[4] Quirk, R. (2016), A University Grammar of English, Pearson Education
[5] Martin Hewings (2013). Advanced Grammar in Use (Third Edition). Cambridge University
Press.
[6] Hopkins. D & Cullen. P (2007), Cambridge Grammar for IELTS, Cambridge University Press
[7] Mann, M & Taylore-Knowles. S (2008), Destination B2 Grammar and Vocabulary. Macmillan.
[8] Yule, G (2006), Advanced Oxford Grammar Practice, Oxford University Press.
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Vinh University
Foreign Languages Department
