Kinds of phrase II

5.The participial phrase

A participial phrase is made up of the participle (verb and adjective combined) and words that modify (change) the participle or completes its meaning.(Both present participles and past past participles can be used in participial phrases.)

• Telling me about the price of the TV,the shopkeeper gave me the voucher (receipt).
  The students listened to the lecture prepared after great research.
  Delighted at the beauty of the song,we jumped in out seats.

Note on the present participle and past participle
(a)A present participle ending in "ing" is used with the verb "to be" to form continuous tenses such as playing-they are playing.The "ing" is also used an adjective:in the playing field.
(b)A past participle is verb that ends in "ed," "en," etc. and is used with the verb "have" to form perfect tense as "she has gone," "they have fallen."

6.The infinitive phrase

1. An infinitive phrase is made up of the infinitive (which often starts with "to" and functions as a noun,an adjective or an adverb),its complements (words which complete its meaning) and any modifiers (words that give additional information about it).
2. It can occur in the active voice without "to" when we use "bid,hear,make,need,dare,see,let,etc."

• He bid them write (told them to write) their homework.(modern tense forms:bid-bid-bid)
  Passive:They were bid to write their homework.(All active forms are not amenable to passive.)
  How did you dare come in?You need not worry.

7.The verb phrase

A verb phrase is one or more helping verbs and a main verb together.

• are sleeping,had met,will have left

A verb phrase is made up of a main verb and one or more helping verb (auxiliary) verbs coming before it.Helping verbs are all the forms of "be" like,is,has,had,will,shall,should,may,must,might,etc.

• will come,may go,are trying,is raining,were moving,will be attacking,have been sleeping,will have been done,etc.

8.The gerund phrase

1. The gerund is a verb form,which ends in -ing.It is verb and noun combined.
• playing,swimming,touring,thinking,laughing,eating,drinking,sweeping,writing
  Visiting new places is his hobby.I like composing new tunes.
  (A participle is part verb and part adjective,decorated house,educated person)
2. Further,gerunds,like nouns,are used as subjects,predicate nominatives or predicate adjectives,direct objects or objects of prepositions.
• Riding is enjoyable.(subject)
  Her job is cooking.(predicate nominative-qualifying the subject-subject complement)
  Sheila is fond of joking.(object to the preposition "of")
3. Gerunds work as nouns,so adjectives and adjective phrases can qualify (tell about) them.

• The spectators watched the strange jumping of the athletes.(adj. phrase)
  Of the best order was their singing.(adj. phrase)

Definition of the gerund phrase

A gerund phrase is made up of a gerund and its complements (a word or phrase that describes it) and modifiers (words which give extra information about it).
• A most horrible thundering,incomparable with any heard earlier,sent us into the cave.