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I> DEFINITION

II> STRUCTURE

III> FUNCTIONS OF PHRASES IN ACLAUSE

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Clause is a group of words which forms agrammatical unit and which contains a subject anda finite verb. A clause forms a sentence or part of asentence and often functions as a noun, adjective,or adverb. [Richards et al. 1999:52].

E.g.: -He hurried home.

-He hurried home because he was late.

I> DEFINITION

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Clauses are composed of phrases: Phrases: noun phrase, verb phrase,adjective phrase, adverb phrase,prepositional phrase.

EX: Indeed, he appeared very satisfied

ADVP NP VP ADJP

in the classroom.

PREPP

II> STRUCTURE

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most commonly filled by a noun phrase.Eg: My mother seems very happy

Subject is the thing or person performing theaction.

VP (non-finite):Swimming is good exercise.PrepP: Behind the wall is something

strange.

II>FUNCTION of PHRASES:

Subject, verb, object, complement, adjunct

II.1> Subject

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II.2> Verb

-only filled by finite verb phrase

E.g.: I love you.

He loves you.

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-Object is person or thing affected by the action

described in the verb.-2 types: direct object & indirect object

1) Direct object: noun , pronoun , group of words

acting as a noun; receive the action of a transitiveverb; answer the question whom or what.E.g.: -The teacher reads the story.

( What does the teacher read?)

-Mary burned the toast. (What did Mary burn?)

II.3> Object

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2) Indirect object

-Noun , pronoun , group of words that expresses actionof intransitive verb; answer the question to whom/ to

what or for whom/ for what.E.g.: -I gave hima book (=I gave a book to him)

IO DO-I bought my sistera present (=I bought a present

IO DO

for my sister

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-can be filled by:

+a noun phrase: I like red roses.+a prepositional phrase: He is looking up thesky.

+non-finite verb phrase:

She enjoys reading books.

I prefer to stay up late at weekends.

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A complement:may be either a subject complement( with the

same reference as the subject)

or an object complement ( with samereference as the object).

II.4> Complement

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usually follows the verb (to be)

or follows other verbs having the meaning

of Be expressed (called copular (linking) verbs)

She is a doctor.

That smells cool.The students are feeling dazed and

confused.

Eg

:

(SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT)

Subject complement

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Eg: Football makesmevery happy.

The voters electedClintonpresident of the USA.

(SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT + COMPLEMENT)

Object complement

usually follows the direct object & tells us more

about the object by means ofthe verb

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-may be filled either bya noun phraseEg: Jim has become a qualified engineer. (SC)The class elected him President. (OC)

- byan adjective phrase

E.g.: Jim seems quite pleasant.(SC)

My father painted the roomsblue.(OC)-by non-finite verb phrase

E.g.: My hobby istravelling.(SC)

The clown made the children very excited.(OC)-by Prepositional phrase:E.g.: He is in the garden. (adverbial complement)

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An adjunct is part of a sentence and

modifies the verb to show time, manner,place, frequency and degree.

Adjuncts are normally optional elements inclause structure and may be freely added toany clause, giving circumstantialinformation (time, place, manner, cause.)about the action or event that clause refers

to.

II.5> Adjunct

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may be filled either byan adverb phraseE.g.: They walked very quickly.

or by a prepositional phraseJohn killed his opponent in Central Park.In my opinion, listening is more difficult thanspeaking.

or noun phraseE.g.: He works every weekend.

Next summer, we're going to Spain. Non-finite verb phraseE.g.:To open the window, you have to climb a ladder.Rather than leave the child alone, I brought him to

work with me.

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Exercise 17, page 31 (Analyzing English)

1.The farmer(S:NP) was eating(V:VP) his

lunch(O:NP) in the cornfield(A:PrepP).

2.The committee(S:NP) considers(V:VP) yourproposal(O:NP) rather unworkable(C:AdjP).

3.The transport manager(S:NP) could not decideon(V:VP) a new bus(O:NP).

4.Jim(S:NP) passed(V:VP) the salt(O:NP) down the

table(A:PrepP).

5.The delinguent(S:NP) received(V:VP) areprimand(O:NP) from the magistrate(A:PrepP)

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6. The milk(S:NP) has gone(V:VP) sour(C:AdjP).

7. Gordon(S:NP) sent(V:VP) his apologies(O:NP) to

the meeting(O:PrepP/A:PrepP).