Phrases

Groups of Words Acting as One

A single word can do a job, but sometimes a group of words is needed to do the job more precisely. 'Dog' is a noun, but 'the scruffy dog from next door' gives us much more information. This group of words, working together as a single unit without a subject-verb pair, is called a phrase. Phrases are the building blocks of clauses. Understanding them is key to understanding how sentences are constructed. This chapter will introduce you to the main types of phrases and their functions.

A phrase is a group of words that works together as a single unit in a sentence. It does NOT contain a subject and a verb.