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What are noun phrases, verb phrases, and adjective phrases?
A phrase is a small group of words that forms a meaningful unit within a clause. There are several different types, as follows:
Noun phrase
A noun phrase is built around a single noun, for example:
A vase of roses stood on the table.
She was reading a book about the emancipation of women.
Verb phrase
A verb phrase is the verbal part of a clause, for example:
She had been living in London.
I will be going to college next year.
Adjective phrase
An adjective phrase is built around an adjective, for example:
He’s led a very interesting life.
A lot of the kids are really keen on football.
Adverbial phrase
An adverbial phrase is built round an adverb by adding words before and/or after it, for example:
The economy recovered very slowly.
They wanted to leave the country as fast as possible.
Prepositional phrase
In a prepositional phrase the preposition always comes at the beginning, for example:
I longed to live near the sea.
The dog was hiding under the kitchen table.
Of course, we also use the word phrase to refer to a short group of words that have a particular meaning when they are used together, such as rain cats and dogs, play for time, or a square meal. This type of phrase is often referred to as an idiom.
Back to sentences, clauses, and phrases.
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