## [The function of phrases](/hypergrammar-2/the-function-of-phrases)
## Avertissement
Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement.
[Phrases](building-phrases) may function as [verbs](what-is-a-verb), [nouns](what-is-a-noun#noun), [adverbs](what-is-an-adverb) or [adjectives](what-is-an-adjective#adjective).
## Verb phrases
A verb phrase consists of a verb, its [direct](objects-and-complements) and/or [indirect objects](objects-and-complements), and any adverbs, adverb phrases or [adverb clauses](using-clauses-as-nouns-adjectives-and-adverbs#adjcls) that modify it. The [predicate](subject-and-predicate#predicate) of a [clause](building-clauses) or [sentence](subject-and-predicate#sentence) is always a verb phrase:
- Corinne *is trying to decide whether she wants to go to medical school or to go to law school*.
- Joe *did not have all the ingredients the recipe called for*; therefore, he *decided to make something else*.
- After she *had learned to drive*, Alice *felt more independent*.
- We *will meet at the library at 3:30 p.m.*
## Noun phrases
A noun phrase consists of a [pronoun](what-is-a-pronoun#whatispronoun) or noun and any associated [modifiers](modifiers), including adjectives, adjective phrases, [adjective clauses](using-clauses-as-nouns-adjectives-and-adverbs#adjcls) and other nouns in the [possessive case](noun-and-pronoun-characteristics#poscase).
As is the case with nouns, a noun phrase may act as a [subject](subject-and-predicate#subject), the [object](objects-and-complements#objects) of a verb or [verbal](verbals#verbals), a [subject complement](objects-and-complements#subcom) or [object complement](objects-and-complements#objcom), or the object of a [preposition](what-is-a-preposition#whatispreposit), as in the following examples:
**Subject** *Small children* often insist that they can do things by themselves. **Object of a verb** To type quickly and accurately is *Eugene’s goal*. **Object of a preposition** The Arctic explorers were caught unawares by *the spring breakup*. **Subject complement** Frankenstein is *the name of the scientist, not the monster*. **Object complement** I consider Loki *my favorite cat*.## Noun phrases using verbals
Since some verbals—in particular, the [gerund](verbals#thegerund) and the [infinitive](forming-and-using-verb-tenses)—may act as nouns, they may also form the nucleus of noun phrases:
- *Ice fishing* is a popular winter pastime.
However, since verbals are formed from verbs, they may also take direct objects and be modified by adverbs. Gerund phrases and infinitive phrases are noun phrases consisting of a verbal, its modifiers (both adjectives and adverbs) and objects:
- *Running a marathon in the summer* is thirsty work.
- Bridget is planning *to buy a house next month*.
## Adjective phrases
An adjective phrase modifies a noun or pronoun. Adjective phrases are often constructed from [participles](verbals#particip) or prepositions together with their objects, as in the following:
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| I was driven almost mad by the sound *of my neighbour’s constant hammering*. | The prepositional phrase *of my neighbour’s constant hammering* acts as an adjective modifying the noun *sound*. |
| My director locked his keys in the trunk *of a borrowed car*. | The prepositional phrase *of a borrowed car* acts as an adjective modifying the noun *trunk*. |
| We saw Peter *dashing across the parking lot*. | Here the participle phrase *dashing across the parking lot* acts as an adjective describing the [proper noun](what-is-a-noun#propnoun) *Peter*. |
| We picked up the records *broken in the scuffle*. | The participle phrase *broken in the scuffle* modifies the noun phrase *the records*. |
## Adverb phrases
A prepositional phrase may also be an adverb phrase that functions as an adverb, as in the following:
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Joe bought some spinach when he went *to the corner store*. | The prepositional phrase *to the corner store* acts as an adverb modifying the verb *went*. |
| Lightning flashed brightly *in the night sky*. | The prepositional phrase *in the night sky* functions as an adverb modifying the verb *flashed*. |
| *In early October*, Giselle planted twenty tulip bulbs; unfortunately, squirrels ate the bulbs and none bloomed. | The prepositional phrase *in early October* acts as an adverb modifying the entire sentence. |
| We will meet at the library *at 3:30 p.m.* | The prepositional phrase *at 3:30 p.m.* acts as an adverb modifying the verb phrase *will meet*. |
| The dogs were sniffing *about the letter carrier’s feet*. | The prepositional phrase *about the letter carrier’s feet* acts as an adverb modifying the compound verb *were sniffing*. |
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© Département d’anglais, Faculté des arts, Université d’Ottawa
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## Liens connexes
- [HyperGrammar 2](/fr/hypergrammar-2/index-fra) (page d’accueil)
- [Outils d’aide à la rédaction](/fr/outils-tools/index-fra)
- [Navigateur linguistique](/fr/navigateur-navigator) (permet de trouver rapidement des conseils linguistiques)
- [TERMIUM Plus®](http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-fra.html?lang=fra)
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