Chapter VII

*THE PHRASE

36. The Phrase Defined. We have now discovered all the kinds of words which we use in expressing our ideas. We are now to see that sometimes a number of words unite to express a single idea, or the group of words may have the use of a single word in the sentence; as, The speaker stood on the platform. In this sentence the group of words, on the platform, expresses the idea of place. My brother arrived in the evening. In this sentence, the group of words, in the evening, expresses the idea of time. These groups of words are used in the sentence with the value of an adverb. A man of wealth may do much good. The group of words, of wealth, expresses one idea and the expression is used in the sentence with the value of an adjective.

We call such a group of words a phrase.

A phrase is a group of words, not having a subject, predicate, or copula, which is used in the sentence with the value of a single word; as, To succeed in life is his desire.

*NOTE: Pupils need not dwell long upon classes of phrases on the basis of the characteristic word.

37. Classes of Phrases. In the sentence, He came into the room. The group of words, into the room, is a phrase. The characteristic word of the phrase or the word that gives character or name to the phrase is the preposition, into; hence we call this kind of phrase a prepositional phrase.

In the sentence, William likes to visit his friends frequently, the expression, to visit his friends frequently, is a phrase. The characteristic word of this phrase is the infinitive, to visit; hence we call this kind of phrase an infinitive phrase.

In the sentence, The girl reading the book is my sister, the expression, reading the book, is a phrase. The characteristic word of this phrase is the participle, reading; hence we call this kind of phrase a participial phrase.

In the sentence, The boy should have hurried, the expression, should have hurried, is a phrase. The characteristic word of this phrase is the verb; hence we call this kind of phrase a verbal phrase.

38. Phrases on the Basis of the Characteristic Word Defined. We have seen now that we have four kinds of phrases on basis of the characteristic word, as follows:

1. A prepositional phrase is a phrase whose characteristic word is a preposition; as, The prisoner stood before the judge.

2. An infinitive phrase is a phrase whose characteristic word is an infinitive; as, To read Emerson requires concentration.

3. A participial phrase is a phrase whose characteristic word is a participle; as, Reading Hawthorne is a delightful pastime.

4. A verbal phrase is a phrase whose characteristic word is a verb; as, He had watched, with a beating heart, the departure of the troops under Dunwoodie. Harvey had been honest with his captors.

In the paragraph from Lord Macaulay, on page IOI, point out the phrases on the basis of the characteristic word.

39. Classes of Phrases on the Basis of Their Use in the Sentence. I. In the sentence, Throwing the hammer is good exercise, the expression, throwing the hammer, is a participial phrase, on the basis of the characteristic word. It is used as the subject of the sentence, that is, with the value of a substantive word; hence we call this kind of phrase a substantive phrase.

2. In the sentence, He believed himself to be the messenger of the Deity to the people of Athens, the expression, of the Deity, is a prepositional phrase, on the basis of the characteristic word. It is used in the sentence as an adjective, that is, with the value of an attributive word; hence we call this kind of phrase an attributive phrase.

3. In the sentence, Cromwell might have been King, the expression, might have been, is a verbal

phrase, on the basis of the characteristic word. It is used as the copula of the sentence, that is, with the value of a relational word; hence we call this kind of a phrase a relational phrase.

40. Phrases on the Basis of Their Use Defined. These may be defined as follows:

1. A substantive phrase is a phrase which is used in the sentence with the value of a substantive word; as, The Greeks sought to produce perfect form.

2. An attributive phrase is a phrase which is used in the sentence with the value of an attributive word; as, Suddenly a man wading breast-high through the water appeared.

3. A relational phrase is a phrase which is used in the sentence with the value of a relational word; as, The Spaniards had been outwitted.

41. Classes of Attributive Phrases. I. If we examine the phrases in the sentence, So confident was he in the conclusion of the Council that he had volunteered in the morning to go thither alone, we can see that attributive phrases are not all alike. The expression, of the council, on the basis of the characteristic word, is a prepositional phrase; and on the basis of use, it is an attributive phrase. It is used, however, with the value of an adjective; hence, on the basis of use, we can put it into a smaller class than attributive. We call such an attributive phrase an adjective phrase.

2. The expression, in the morning, is also a prepositional phrase, on the basis of the characteristic word; and on the basis of use, it is an attributive phrase. But it is used in the sentence with the value of an adverb; hence we call this kind of attributive phrase an adverbial phrase.

3. Again, if we notice the phrase, had volunteered, we can see that on the basis of the characteristic word, it is a verbal phrase; and on the basis of use, it is an attributive phrase. But it is used in the sentence with the value of an attributive verb. We call this kind of attributive phrase an attributive verb-phrase.

On the same basis of use in the sentence, then, we have the attributive phrase divided into the adjective phrase, the adverbial phrase, and the attributive verb-phrase.

42. Classes of Attributive Phrases Defined. These may be defined as follows:

1. An adjective phrase is an phrase is an attributive phrase which is used in the sentence with the value of an adjective; as, He took a house in the neighborhood of his native town.

2. An adverbial phrase is an attributive phrase which is used in the sentence with the value of an adverb; as, Athene went to the land of the Phoenicians.

3. An attributive verb-phrase is an attributive phrase which is used in the sentence with the