Verb Phrase

If you want to understand what a verb phrase is, you need to understand verbs and phrases first. Phrases will be explained, as well as sentence structure, and examples will be offered for all of them.  

What Is a Sentence?

A sentence is a group of words that has a subject and a predicate, which is a verb or verb phrase. It expresses a complete thought; so therefore, it is called an independent clause. The subject is the star of the sentence, what or who the sentence is about. It can be a noun or a pronoun. The predicate is the action, or what the subject is doing. It can also tell the subject’s state of being. It contains a verb, verb phrase, or linking verb. Simple sentence examples are: Sally ran. Jose slept.

Most verbs show action, like run, taste, fly, jump, crawl, or hit. Verbs link a word to the subject and are called linking verbs. These do not refer to an action, they express a state of being, like am, are, was, were, has been, etc. Other linking verbs are: seem, appear, become, taste, stay, and feel. Some verbs can pull double duty, and be active or linking depending on their use.  Here is an example:

• Active - Can you like to stay the night?  Linking - I want you to stay sweet forever.
• Active - I can taste the salt in this.  Linking - This tastes gross.

What Is a Phrase?

A phrase is a group of words that have a function in a sentence, but do not have a subject and verb. If it had a subject and a verb, it would be a clause. Phrases can function in the sentence like nouns, adverbs, or adjectives. Four of the main kinds of phrases are infinitive, participle, prepositional, and gerund. Here are definitions and examples.

• Infinitive: These phrases start with an infinitive plus a simple form of a verb. They can act like a noun, adjective, or adverb. Here is an example: She wanted to show off her new dress. The whole phrase is what she wanted, so it is acting like a noun. 
• Participle - This phrase will act as an adjective and begins with a participle. A participle is an adjective that has been made from a verb, like talked or swimming. Here’s an example: We have to replace the window broken by the hail. The phrase modifies the noun “window”, so it is functioning like an adjective. 

• Prepositional - These phrases start with a preposition and have an object of that preposition. They function as adjectives or adverbs. Example: The plane will fly over the clouds. The phrase tells where the plane will fly, so it is acting like an adverb.    
• Gerund - These phrases act like a noun and start with a verb ending with an “ing”. They can be subjects or objects. An example is: Lying to the IRS is never a good idea. The phrase acts as the subject in this sentence.   

What Is a Verb Phrase?

A verb phrase can be the predicate of a sentence or a clause. In this case, there will usually be a helping verb in addition to the verb. Here are some examples of a verb phrase as a predicate:

• The author is writing a new book.
• I must make an “A” in this class.
• The dog might eat the cake.
• He was walking to work today.
• We grew apart after high school.

A verb phrase can also be a phrase that functions as an adverb or adjective that has a verb and its complements, objects, or modifiers. Some examples are: 

• Running on the wet floor, she slipped and broke her arm.
• Fill up the gas tank to help it run better.
• To bake a cake, you need flour and sugar.
• Finally, I have saved enough to buy a car.