phrases

What is a Phrase? Definition, samples of English Phrases

What are phrases? A phrase may be a group (or pairing) of words in English. A phrase is often short or long, but it doesn't include the subject-verb pairing necessary to form a clause.

Some samples of phrases include:

after the meal (prepositional phrase)

the nice neighbor (noun phrase)

were expecting the movie (verb phrase)

None of those examples contains a topic doing an action (subject-verb). Therefore, each example is simply a gaggle of words called a phrase.

A phrase will always be quite one word.

A phrase is any group of words that doesn't contain a topic completing an action.

When a gaggle of words contains a topic doing an action (subject-verb), it becomes a clause.

Phrases are often added to sentences to form them more complex.

Concepts can begin with one word and become a sentence.

Example:

meal (word)

after the meal (phrase)

that mom prepared (clause)

After the meal that mom prepared I felt full. (sentence)

After the meal that mom prepared, I felt full because I ate an excessive amount of . (complex sentence)

After the meal that mom prepared I felt full, but my brother was still hungry. (compound sentence)

More Phrase Examples

Before we enter differing types of grammatical phrases, let’s check out a couple of more samples of phrases.

In the air (prepositional phrase)

Beside the bed (prepositional phrase)

Along the road (prepositional phrase)

To live and breathe (infinitive phrase)

Looking stunning (participle phrase)

As you'll see, English phrases are often almost any combination of words goodbye as they are doing not contain a subject-verb pairing.

Different Types of Phrase

What is a noun phrase? Noun phrases contain a noun and its modifiers.

the nice neighbor

a soft, comfortable bed

Ways of explaining or clarifying

RELATED WORDS

after all PHRASE

used when giving a reason to elucidate what you've got just said

as ADVERB

used for giving the rationale for something

as a matter of fact PHRASE

used once you are getting to afflict or correct what has just been said

as if PHRASE

used once you are describing something and you imagine an evidence for it that you simply know isn't the important one

as much as anything PHRASE

used for saying that something is one among the most reasons for a situation, feeling, etc

at bottom PHRASE

used when explaining the essential cause or nature of something

because CONJUNCTION

MAINLY SPOKEN used for introducing facts that specify why you think that something is true

being... PHRASE

used for giving evidence of something

besides ADVERB

used once you are adding another stronger reason to support what you're saying

by extension PHRASE

used for explaining that a specific person or thing is suffering from something only because they're connected to what you've got just mentioned

can’t begin to imagine/understand/explain etc PHRASE

used for emphasizing that something is extremely difficult to imagine, understand, etc

due to unforeseen circumstances PHRASE

used in official statements for explaining that something unexpected went on which will prevent an occasion or situation from continuing normally

explain VERB

used once you want someone to know and forgive you

for example PHRASE

used when mentioning something that shows the sort of thing that you simply are talking about and helps to elucidate what you mean

for instance PHRASE

for example

for one reason or another PHRASE

used for saying that there's quite one reason for something

for one thing PHRASE

used when mentioning one reason for something as an example, when there are several reasons

for one thing...(for another thing) PHRASE

used for giving a reason for something

for reasons of economy/safety/security etc PHRASE

used for showing why a specific thing is completed

for want of a far better word/phrase/term PHRASE

used for saying that you simply cannot consider a more exact way of describing or explaining what you mean

i.e. ABBREVIATION

used once you are explaining exactly what you mean by something

I mean (to say) PHRASE

used for adding a comment or explaining what you've got just said

inasmuch as CONJUNCTION

FORMAL used for adding a comment that explains or makes clearer what you've got just said

inasmuch as CONJUNCTION

FORMAL used for adding a comment that limits what you've got just said

in case PHRASE

used for explaining why you're doing something

in other words PHRASE

used for introducing differently of claiming or explaining something, especially a more simple way

in that PHRASE

used for introducing evidence of what you've got just said, showing in what way it's true

in the first place PHRASE

used for stating the foremost basic reason for something

in the interest(s) of something PHRASE

in order to preserve, develop, or achieve something

I tell a lie PHRASE

used once you realize that something you've got just said isn't correct

it’s just that... PHRASE

used once you are explaining your reaction to something

it’s not that...it’s just that PHRASE

used once you are explaining why you're doing something

judging by/from something PHRASE

used for giving the rationale why you think that something is true

look at verb

SPOKEN used for giving an example that proves that what you're saying is true

mansplain VERB

SHOWING DISAPPROVAL when a person mansplains something, he explains it to someone, usually a lady, during a way that shows he believes he knows more about it than she does simply because he's a person

nay INTERJECTION

an old word used for correcting yourself once you consider a far better way of expressing something

no rhyme or reason PHRASE

used for emphasizing that there's no reason or explanation for something

on this/that account PHRASE

used when giving the rationale for something

precisely ADVERB

used for adding emphasis to a reason or explanation

pure and straightforward PHRASE

used for saying that there's no additional explanation for something

the rest is history PHRASE

used when explaining how something happened, to mention that you simply have reached the part of the story that everybody knows

since ADVERB

used when explaining why someone does something or why a situation exists

someone can only do something PHRASE

used for saying that you simply can only consider one explanation for something

so to talk PHRASE

used for showing that you simply have expressed something in an unusual way

that ADVERB

used when explaining why someone feels sad, angry, happy, etc

that is to mention PHRASE

used for explaining something that you simply have just said during a more exact way

that is (to say) PHRASE

used when explaining more clearly what you've got just said

that is (to say) PHRASE

used once you are getting to correct something that you simply have just said

thereby hangs a tale PHRASE

FORMAL used for saying that there's a story connected with the very fact that you simply have just mentioned

therein lies something PHRASE

FORMAL used for explaining the effect of a situation that you simply have just described