Adjectival Phrases

As a learner of the English language, you must have been presented with words, phrases, and clauses. You must have gained an understanding of the different roles of words and how they act when utilized in the various sections of a sentence by studying the parts of speech.

Phrases and clauses are larger word chunks than words that are essential components of a sentence. Both phrases and clauses are categorized into distinct categories based on how they act when employed in a sentence. Adjective phrases are one type of phrase that can be used to offer detailed information about a subject or object.

This article will present you to adjective phrases, their meaning, definition, and usage, as well as examples. Read through the following subjects to gain an in-depth understanding of them.

Let us first understand the basics of an adjective phrases?

Adjective phrases are some of the various kinds of phrases which individuals utilise in their daily speaking and writing. Adjectives are often utilized to define or describe the nouns. Also, Adjective phrases are utilized to define or describe the adjectives. Furthermore, the adjectival phrases enhance the sentences by giving more colorful descriptions for the nouns.

Adjectival Phrases

The adjectival phrases are a blend of words in a sentence that define the nouns or pronouns.

In an adjectival phrase, the adjective might appear at the starting, ending, or middle of the phrase. In the statement, the adjective phrase might come prior to or post the noun or pronoun.

What Exactly Is an Adjectival Phrase?

It's simple to mix up an adjective and an adjectival phrase.

An adjectival phrase, also known as an adjective phrase, is a string of words whereby an adjective alters a noun or pronoun in a statement.

A combination of words in a phrase that incorporates an adjective is known as an adjectival phrase. It functions as an adjective by defining a noun;

For example, Winny is fluffier than most of the other dogs.

What Does an Adjectival Phrase Comprise Of?

The key to identifying an adjectival phrase is to look at the first word of the collection of words.

If it is an adverb or the preposition, it's an adjectival phrase made up of an intensifier and an adjective. When one adjective is insufficient to describe a noun, a sequence of adjectives can be used to form an adjectival phrase.

What Can an Adjectival Phrase Do in A Statement?

Employing adjectival phrases can assist the students in improving their writing abilities since they will give their statements more personality and character. Sometimes all that is needed is a single word to make the statement shine; however, employing adjectival phrases will boost the amount of detail supplied and get them truly interested in their writings.

Adjectival Phrases

What Is the Composition of An Adjective Phrase?

Let us just break down the composition of an adjective phrase to fully understand it. So, phrases can be defined as the combo of words which is really not a complete statement but conveys a coherent thought. They are utilised to provide context and lucidity in the sentences.

So here are some phrases to help you get going with the concept:

Up the hill
With no garnishes

An adjective is a term that explains a noun. Adjectives include the following:

Green
Small
Funny

The adjective phrases refer to the phrases which consist of an adjective; however, there is more to it; the adjective phrases are the phrase that function as the adjectives by characterizing the nouns.

Explore the bolded adjectival phrases in the following sentences:

They did not believe our team leader when he warned them about the extremely notorious creatures they had come across as they walked deeper into the forest.

He was smaller than his colleagues.

So, it is pretty evident from these examples, that the adjectival phrases may come prior or post the noun it is characterizing.

How to Recognize Adjective Phrases

Determine who or what the statement refers to. When looking for an adjective phrase in a statement, start with the noun. As an example, consider the following sentence:

After searching around for weeks, I finally got a reliable yet budget-friendly and used SUV.

This statement contains two nouns: the person speaking and the SUV. Next, search for adjectives, which are words that change nouns. Only one noun, the vehicle, is mentioned in our example statement: It's an old or used SUV

But, if you look closely, you'll notice that it's more than just a used vehicle?a it's reliable, yet budget-friendly, used SUV. "Reliable, yet budget-friendly, used" is an adjectival phrase since it gives descriptive information and more information about the noun "SUV."

We could remove this adjective phrase, and the statement's meaning would remain unchanged: After searching for weeks, I finally got a used SUV.

However, by presenting the entire phrase, we are more thoroughly detailing the particular type of vehicle the speaker desired, providing context for why they looked around for such a long period.

Search for phrases that might be removed from statements without altering their meaning but are kept since they give important background.

Here are a couple more bolded adjective phrases that fit the criteria :

  1. The horse's huge, intimidating eyes screamed a fight was impending.
  2. Your messy '90s bedroom desperately needs to be updated.
  3. I didn't enjoy the novel since it was too lengthy and confusing for me to follow.

An adjective phrase is intended to contain numerous words.

As the instances above show, more than one of them can be descriptors. When searching for an adjective phrase in a statement, seek for words that adhere to the Royal Order of Adjectives, which is the regular order in which English adjectives appear in phrases. Although you may not consciously consider the order in which adjectives must appear in a sentence, you will realize when they are out of order since the sentence will seem incorrect.

Attributive and Predicative Adjective Phrases

You will see that the adjective phrase occurs prior to the noun it is altering in some of the examples.

This is an example of an attributive adjective phrase. Here are some examples from the preceding sentences :

  • The residence complex has [quite big and costly] rooms for rent.
  • The [highly ambitious] legislator delivered a [really captivating] speech.

It is, however, a predicative adjective phrase if it appears after the noun. They are positioned after the verb rather than immediately after the noun. Here are a few instances from the preceding sentences :

  • Everybody was [very delighted] when the performance started.
  • The ancient book was [extremely cost], but it was worthwhile to purchase.

Despite the fact that the phrase occurs after the verb, it modifies the noun.

Prepositional Phrases as Adjective Phrases

Prepositional phrases can also function as adjective phrases.

They function as adjective phrases when employed to provide further details about a noun or pronoun in a statement. They will notify us which one or what sort it is.

It is also known as an adjective prepositional phrase, and it appears immediately after the noun or pronoun which it alters.

Consider the following sentences :

  1. Take the cab.
  2. The kid is good at soccer.
  3. Does the piano belong to you ?
  4. The huge register is mine.
  5. The performance is excellent.
  6. I want the treats.
  7. We rested at the hotel.
  8. The lady is his spouse.

The nouns can then be modified with adjective prepositional phrases:

  1. Take the cab behind the black car.
  2. The kid in the orange jersey is good at soccer.
  3. Does the piano on the table belong to you ?
  4. The huge register on the lowest shelf is mine.
  5. The performance after this one is excellent.
  6. I want the treat in the small jar.
  7. We rested at the hotel by the river.
  8. His lady with him is his spouse.

What Is the Difference Between the Adjectival Phrases and The Adjective Clauses?

A phrase is a string of words that cannot function as a sentence on its own because they lack the subject and the predicate. On the contrary the clauses often contain the subject(s) and the predicate(s). Also in certain instances, it can serve as the statement on its own.

  • An Adjectival clause and an adjectival phrase both provide the same goal, i.e they both help in describing the noun.
  • The adjectival clauses will mostly do this with the pronouns. On the contrary, the adjectival phrase are just some additional words that "enrich/ enhance and weigh up" the adjectives, whereas the adjectival clauses repeat the nouns.

Below are some instances of adjective clauses within sentences:

  1. The school, which has a very picky entrance procedure, has a big student community.
  2. It was pitch black, save for the mobile phone head torch that lit our physical surroundings.
  3. Kiara., who always wears hat, won't be coming to the party this week.

Below are some of the similar sentences with adjectival phrases substituted for the adjectival clauses:

  1. The very picky school has a big student community.
  2. It was extremely dark, save for the bright, short-range phone flashlight.
  3. Perpetually sunglasses-wearing, Kenny P. won't be attending the party this year.

Mistakes To Avoid in Adjective Phrases

Adjective phrases are quite effective with native English speakers. Adjective phrases are rarely misused. However, there is one noteworthy concern.

  • A hyphen should not be used with the adverbs ending in "-ly. "
  • The most frequently disputed question in relation to adjectival phrases is whether or not to employ a hyphen to connect the adverb to the primary or the main adjective. Several writers, for example, are unclear whether to write "professionally trained publisher" or "professionally-trained publisher? The quick answer is: do not use a hyphen.
  • Whenever an adverb ending in "-ly" modifies an adjective, do not add a hyphen to attach it to the adjectives. The hyphen is unnecessary (in the interest of writing efficacy).
  • However, if the adverbs can be confused with the adjectives, such as "well," "quick," "best," or "better," employ a hyphen to remove any ambiguities.
    Helen has beautifully-formed hands.
    (When the adverb ends in "-ly," the hyphen is unnecessary. )
  • Helen has well-formed hands. (The hyphen is appropriate to indicate that you are referring to the adverb "well," i.e., healthily, rather than the adjective "well," i.e., healthy. )

In reality, adverbs like "well," "quick," and "best" rarely have any genuine ambiguity, but the hyphen has become a matter of style, which is somewhat justified by the it-eliminates-ambiguity arguments. The similar thing can-not be said for "better" and "more." There is frequently ambiguity.

Consider the following examples:

  1. Alliteration produces better flowing statements.
    (There's some ambiguity here.) Are the statements better? Do they flow better? )
    Alliteration produces better-flowing statements. (Along the hyphen, it is evident that the intentional meaning is statements that flow better. )
  2. Jane has begun to consume more nutritional foods.
    (There's some ambiguity here.) Is Jane consuming more or the same quantity of food? )
    Jane has begun to consume more-nutritious food.(With the hyphen, it's evident that the intended message is the same quantity of food that is more healthy or nutritious. )

Tips and Points to Remember When Forming, Identifying, and Using Adjective Phrases

To learn how to compose an adjective phrase, you must first understand the many components that can comprise an adjective phrase. So, here is what you should know. An adjective phrase can include,

  • Adjectives ;
  • Adverbs ;
  • Prepositions/phrases with prepositions ;
  • Articles ;
  • Modifiers/Determiners.

Consider the following aspects while building and using adjective phrases:

Notice how the sentence serves as an adjective.

Also, keep in mind that eliminating the adjective phrase from the sentence doesn't alter its meaning because they are just required to provide additional information about the subject or object in the sentence.

When using numerous adjectives to build an adjective phrase, make sure to follow the sequence of the adjectives; else the sentence will look faulty and may change the meaning of the sentence. This will also change the priority you place on a specific quality of the subject or object.

Punctuating a sentence with an adjective phrase is not difficult. All you have to do is follow three easy rules.

  1. If an adjective phrase appears at the beginning of a sentence, it should be followed by a comma.
  2. If an adjective phrase shows up in the middle of a sentence, it must be enclosed by commas.
  3. If an adjective phrase appears near the conclusion of a sentence, no punctuation mark is required.
  4. Finally, you should be aware that multiple adjective phrases can describe the same noun in a sentence.

Here are some tips to help you recognize the existence of an adjective phrase in a sentence.

  1. The first step is to identify the nouns/pronouns/noun phrases in the sentence.
  2. After then, try looking for adjectives or other sets of words that describe the sentence's subject/object.
  3. Analyze phrases that provide descriptive characteristics and, even if deleted, make the statement appear full while not changing the meaning.

You may be wondering why there is an adjective phrase in the sentence at all if it has no influence on the meaning of the sentence even when omitted. Adjective phrases provide additional yet valuable information about the subject/object, which is why we use them in sentences.

Adjective Phrase Instances

Adjective phrases exist in a variety of forms. Some include comparative and superlative adjectives, as in the following examples:

  1. People witnessed the decade's most dangerous hurricane.
  2. Participants saw only the biggest stars through their zoom lenses.

Compound adjectives are also frequently used in adjective phrases :

  1. The film, simple and white walls, received criticism from scholars.
  2. The tracklist was too slow-paced for the audience that evening.

Adverbs can appear in adjective phrases :

  1. It was a delectably fantastic performance.
  2. His hair, astonishingly dyed red, amazed his relatives.
  3. The salesman who traveled abroad took the remaining of the week off.

They can also include prepositions :

  1. The youngsters, like popcorn, were hopping all over their swing set.
  2. My grandma from Brooklyn makes a lovely egg moisturizer.

An adjective phrase is often just a string of adjectives :

  1. My old, lumbering, gas-guzzling sedan finally died.
  2. They participated in a rigorous, time-consuming science course.

Whatever an adjective phrase comprises or where it comes in a sentence, it always makes the statement more detailed without changing the basic meaning of the sentence.

Conclusion

An adjective phrase is a valuable part of English grammar for conveying ideas and describing objects. It typically includes an adjective, adverb, and/or a preposition.

However, it is critical to remember the grammar rules for placement while employing an adjective phrase. An adjective phrase must always be placed after the noun or pronoun it modifies and before any additional words that explain the sentence's activity.

You can master producing descriptive sentences and significantly enhance your language skills with practice.






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