It's easy to confuse participial phrases with appositive phrases. Both are groups of words that add additional information to a noun in a sentence. However, a participial phrase contains a participle, also known as a verbal.
Full Answer
What is an appositive phrase?
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that “renames” another noun phrase, simply by appearing directly after it in a sentence. Our instructor, a man in his mid-forties who had apparently never taught a class on corporate law before, stumbled in his attempt to answer the question. The phrase set off by commas is the appositive phrase.
What is the difference between commas and appositives?
Commas and Appositives. Appositive nouns and noun phrases are often nonrestrictive; that is, they can be omitted from a sentence without obscuring the identity of the nouns they describe. Another word for nonrestrictive is nonessential. Always bookend a nonrestrictive, appositive noun or phrase with commas in the middle of a sentence.
What is the difference between participial and absolute phrases?
A participial phrase is a group of words that starts with a participle and modifies a noun or a pronoun in a sentence, just as what an adjective or an adjective phrase does. An absolute phrase generally combines a noun and a participle; it is not a full sentence on its own.
What are participles and participial phrases?
Participial phrases are an interesting bunch. They're groups of words that act as adjectives. That is, they provide further information about the noun or nouns in a sentence. These phrases contain past or present participles. If they contain past participles, they'll likely end in -ed, -en, or -t.
Can participial phrases be Appositives?
Appositives are not the same as participle phrases, but they are created in much the same way, by deleting the relative clause word and form of “be” from an adjective clause. Participial phrases created from adjective clauses follow the same comma rule as adjective clauses and appositives! YAY!
What is an example of a appositive phrase?
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that clarifies, identifies, describes, or otherwise renames another noun or noun phrase. For example, the sentence My cousin Rebecca is a doctor contains the appositive noun Rebecca. The appositive Rebecca identifies the noun cousin and both words refer to the same person.
What is appositive phrase?
An appositive is a noun or phrase that renames or describes the noun to which it is next. For ex- ample: In the first sentence, the appositive “my brother” renames Richard, thus identifying who he is.
What is the difference between a participial phrase and an absolute phrase?
An absolute phrase (nominative absolute) is generally made up of a noun or pronoun with a participial phrase. It modifies the whole sentence, not a single noun, which makes it different from a participial phrase. Absolute phrases: Its branches covered in icicles, the tall oak stood in our yard.
How do you identify appositive phrases?
An appositive phrase usually follows the word it explains or identifies, but it may also precede it. A bold innovator, Wassily Kandinsky is known for his colorful abstract paintings. The first state to ratify the U. S. Constitution, Delaware is rich in history. A beautiful collie, Skip was my favorite dog.
How do you start a sentence with an appositive?
An appositive at the beginning of a sentence is usually followed by a comma. In each of the examples seen so far, the appositive has referred to the subject of the sentence. However, an appositive may appear before or after any noun in a sentence.
Do Appositives always have commas?
Rule: When an appositive is essential to the meaning of the noun it belongs to, don't use commas. When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive. Example: Jorge Torres, our senator, was born in California.
Do appositive phrases have verbs?
Some grammars refer to present participles that perform nominal functions as gerunds. Examples of verbs and verb phrases as appositives include the following: My favorite activity, reading books, is something that I need to do more often. (present participle)
What is a absolute phrase example?
While an absolute phrase often does contain a participial, it does not have to. Examples of Absolute Phrase: Marshall held onto the ball, his fingers squeezing it tightly. I will be back tomorrow, weather permitting.
What are some absolute phrases?
Examples of absolute phrases are given below.Weather permitting we shall meet in the evening.God willing we shall meet again.The weather being fine, we went out for a picnic.The sun having risen, we set out on our journey.It being a stormy day, we stayed inside the house.More items...•
What is difference between gerund and participle?
Remember, gerunds are words that are formed from verbs and used as nouns, always ending in -ing; participles are words created from verbs that can be used as adjectives or in adverbial phrases, also ending in -ing (unless expressing past tense); and infinitives are verbs that take the simple tense and follow the ...
What does absolute mean in grammar?
Updated on August 07, 2019. An absolute phrase is a group of words that modifies an independent clause as a whole. Its etymology is from the Latin, "free, loosen, unrestricted. An absolute is made up of a noun and its modifiers (which frequently, but not always, include a participle or participial phrase).
How do you use absolute in a sentence?
How to use Absolute in a sentence. Jonny has the key to absolute power. A sixth group was talking absolute nonsense. He'll have to trust you to maintain absolute secrecy.
Is the best an absolute?
Of, relating to, or being an adjective or pronoun that stands alone when the noun it modifies is being implied but not stated. For example, in Theirs were the best, theirs is an absolute pronoun and best is an absolute adjective.
What is the prepositional phrase in the sentence?
A prepositional phrase is a phrase that includes the object that the preposition in a sentence is referring to and any other words that link it to the preposition. Often, a prepositional phrase modifies a verb or a noun in a sentence.
What Is an Appositive Phrase?
An appositive noun phrase is a type of noun phrase that provides additional information about the subject or objects of a sentence. To understand appositive phrases, we need to define what a noun phrase is.
What Are the Two Types of Appositive Phrases?
There are two types of appositives and appositive phrases. Nonrestrictive appositives, also called nonessential appositives, provide information about the noun that is not essential to the sentence. The sentence will still make sense if you remove the appositive phrase.
What is an appositive phrase?
An appositive is a noun phrase that renames or restates the preceding noun or pronoun: An overpowering fragrance, apple trees in blossom, drifted through the open window. Appositive phrases are almost always punctuated as parenthetical elements of a sentence set off by commas.
What is a participatory phrase?
Participial phrases are adjectives. Participial verbals --words or phrases--are adjectives. They look like present participle ( -ing) or past participle (- ed or - en) verb forms. A past participle verb used in the predicate of a sentence must be accompanied by a helper verb such as has, had, or have; participles or participial phrases functioning ...
What are the different types of verbs?
There are three kinds of verbals: 1 Gerunds (-ing forms that function as nouns) 2 Participles (present or past participle verb forms that function as adjectives) 3 Infinitives (the root form of a verb preceded by to; it can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb)
What is a verbal?
1. Verbals are verb look-alikes. A verbal looks like a verb but does not act like a verb. In the following sentences, verbals are used as something other than verbs: Climbing El Capitan was out of the question. (Noun and subject of the sentence) The applauding crowd rose to its feet. (Adjective) I despise frozen peas.
What is a phrase in English?
A phrase is a group of words that lacks a subject, a predicate (verb), or both. The English language is full of them: under his supervision, apple trees in blossom, having completed the soccer season. You are probably familiar with prepositional phrases--they begin with prepositions, end with nouns (or pronouns), and they describe, or modify, ...
Is "above suspended" an adjective?
Above, suspended is a past participle form functioning as an adjective. Below, frozen and making introduce participial phrases:
Is "infinitive" a noun?
Infinitives (the root form of a verb preceded by to; it can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb)
How to make a participial phrase?
In order to make a participial phrase, you need to remove the conjunction and the subject, and then make a participle out of the verb in the subordinate clause.
What is the phrase "on the table"?
This phrase, “on the table” is modifying “the books”. One of the functions of adjectives is modifying the nouns. Thus, “on the table” in this particular situation is called an adjective phrase.
Is an absolute phrase the same as a participial phrase?
Absolute phrases are fundamentally the same as participial phrases except that they have different subjects from the ones in the main sentences, and depending on the situations, they take participles, past or present, or any related modifiers.
Is "to become a famous footballer" an appositive phrase?
Again, “to become a famous footballer” is an appositive phrase all right, but this time it's an infinitive phrase and to be exact, an adjective phrase that modifies “ambition”. Some say that this phrase in this case is a modifier essential to the meaning. Removing it may more or less influence the meaning. But there are others voicing different opinions. I'd like to adhere to keeping the phrase.
Is "flying above the lake" a noun?
A gerund is an embodiment of a verb and a noun all together, but in reality acts like a noun. ”Flying above the lake” is a noun phrase, and at the same time the subject of this sentence. Naturally, “flying” is an unmistakable gerund.
Is "on the table" an adverb?
The phrase “on the table” is classified as an adverbial.
Is "sleeping" a present participle?
A Sleeping Baby: This phrase describes a baby sleeping. Therefore, you can compose a sentence with this in mind as “A baby is sleeping.” “Sleeping” in this case is called a present participle.
What is an appositive?
Appositives—What They Are and How to Use Them. An appositive noun or noun phrase follows another noun or noun phrase in apposition to it; that is, it provides information that further identifies or defines it. Such “bonus facts” are framed by commas unless the appositive is restrictive (i.e., provides essential information about the noun).
When an appositive noun or noun phrase contains an essential element without which a sentence’s meaning?
When an appositive noun or noun phrase contains an essential element without which a sentence’s meaning would materially alter, do not frame it with commas.
What is a sentence with a nonrestrictive appositive?
Think of a sentence with a nonrestrictive appositive in it as a motorcycle with a sidecar attached to it. The sidecar is a lovely addition to the motorcycle and changes the overall experience of taking it for a spin, but the motorcycle could go on without it. The nonrestrictive appositive is your sidecar, and it needs punctuation to attach it to the motorcycle, which is your sentence.
What is restrictive appositive motorcycle?
This is the restrictive appositive motorcycle. If anyone wants to hitch a ride on this motorcycle, he or she will have to ride double behind the driver. With this type of appositive, there is no disconnection between the driver and the passenger; one has his or her arms around the other. The restrictive appositive motorcycle zooms out of sight—without commas.
What is the appose word?
Be the best writer in the office. Appose is a very old word that one doesn’t cross paths with much except in the realms of grammar and science. It came to English from Middle French via Latin, ...
Why is apposition used in medical science?
Apposition is used in medical science to describe how cell walls defend themselves by thickening themselves with layers of protection. In grammar, an element is said to be placed in apposition to another element if it provides an extra layer of description to it.
What does "appose" mean in science?
Appose is a very old word that one doesn’t cross paths with much except in the realms of grammar and science. It came to English from Middle French via Latin, and means “to put near, side by side, or alongside.”. It doesn’t quite mean the same as oppose, but it is quite close in meaning to juxtapose. Apposition is used in medical science ...
When do you recognize an appositive?
Recognize an appositive when you see one.
How do appositives work?
Appositives can be used to expand a sentence by adding information about a noun in the sentence.
What is sentence combining and sentence expanding?
This exercise will introduce you to sentence combining and sentence expanding -- that is, organizing sets of short, choppy sentences into longer, more effective ones or using prepositional phrases to add more detail to a sentence. However, the goal of sentence combining and expanding is not to produce longer sentences but rather to develop more ...
Why do we use prepositional phrases?
The two phrases provide information that helps us to understand the sentence. Prepositional phrases can be added to a basic sentence to expand its meaning. Prepositional phrases may do more than just add minor details to a sentence: they may, in fact, be needed for a sentence to make sense.
What does a prepositional phrase do in a sentence?
Understand what prepositional phrases do in a sentence. A prepositional phrase will function as an adjective or adverb.
What is a phrase in speech?
Phrase. A phrase is a group of related words that is used as a single part of speech and does not contain both a predicate and its subject. There are several different kinds of phrases: prepositional, appositive, and verbal.
Do prepositional phrases contain subject?
Remember that a prepositional phrase will never contain the subject of a sentence. Sometimes a noun within the prepositional phrase seems the logical subject of a verb. Don't fall for that trick! You will never find a subject in a prepositional phrase.
What Is a Participial Phrase?
A participle is a verb that functions as a modifier. Participles provide further information about the noun or nouns in a sentence, just like an adjective or adverb.
What does it mean when you remove participial phrases?
When participial phrases are separated from the sentence by a comma, they are non-essential. That means the sentence still makes sense if you remove the participial phrases. However, they do add important information that gives the reader a better idea of what is happening.
What are the two types of participles?
You'll see two main types of participles in participial phrases: present participles and past participles. These phrases sometimes come after linking verbs in different kinds of sentences. It's easy to tell the difference if you know how to tell your verb tenses apart!
What is a gerund phrase?
Gerund phrases are another type of verbal phrase that uses -ing verbs. But in gerund phrases, the phrase that starts with an -ing verb functions as a noun, not as an adjective.
Is "the dog crashed into the wall" grammatically correct?
"The dog crashed into the wall" is a grammatically correct sentence, but it helps the reader to know that the dog was running at a high speed.
Is a gerund phrase a participial phrase?
Unlike participial phrases, which can include past and perfect participles, gerund phrases only appear in present progressive words that end in -ing. If you can replace the phrase with another noun, such as "baseball" or "gymnastics," it's probably a gerund phrase. If not, you're likely looking at a participial phrase. Advertisement.
What is an appositive?
An appositive is a noun or pronoun — often with modifiers — set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it. Here are some examples of appositives (the noun or pronoun will be in blue, the appositive will be in red ). Your friend Bill is in trouble.
Why do we not put commas around the appositive?
Here we do not put commas around the appositive because it is essential information. Without the appositive, the sentence would be, "The popular US president was known for his eloquent and inspirational speeches." We wouldn't know who the president is without the appositive.
