What is a phrase?

A phrase is a group of words that works together in a sentence but does not contain a subject or a verb. Often phrases are used for descriptions of people, things, or events.

Examples:

Filled with joy, the girl jumped up and down.

The man with the red jacket is my father.

Phrases can also describe verbs or adverbs by explaining how or why something happened.

Examples:

He performed the song with a smile on his face.

She continued to run while silently humming a tune.

He created the experiment to test the embryo’s sensitivity to outside light.

Additional Resources:

• View the recorded webinar "Mastering the Mechanics Part 2: Compound and Complex Sentences" for more discussion of phrases and clauses.
• What is a clause?

Further Questions?

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