AboutRosemary Lenc Expertise I am a retired Middle School teacher. I am an expert in grammar (structure of the English
language) and writing. I have been a volunteer with AOL Ask A Teacher and have
submitted many articles and special collections (one on diagramming sentences and one
with worksheets and answers so students can check their own practice on grammar skills)
to their knowledge database. I still am with them but would like other work where I can
help students with their English study. I have time to help you with this, if you want me. I
can help with grade school, middle school and high school grammar & writing and can
also look up information on literature (reading) for students and help them with it.
Please let me know if I can be of help in these areas. Thank you.
Rosemary Lenc
Experience
Past/Present clients Have helped many, many students in grade school language arts, middle school and high
school grammar and writing in both the chat rooms (live help that AOL use to have) and
message board answers plus the many students i have taught as a teacher.
Question I am completely lost on the subject of participles, participial phrases, prepositional phrases that are used as adjective or adverb phrases. PLEASE help me understand.
Thank you
Answer Dear Katie,
Phrases are groups of related words. One of the first phrases that you ever learned was the verb phrase ( helping verbs with a main verb, such as "have been learned".
A prepositional phrase is a group of related words that start with a preposition and end with the object of a preposition (a noun or pronoun.)
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun and answers the questions which one, what kind, how many.
So an adjective prepositional phrase is a prepositional phrase that answers the same questions as an adjective answers.
Examples: The blue-eyed girl in my classroom is my cousin.
"blue-eyed" is an adjective describing the girl answering the question, which one.
Adjective prepositional phrase: The girl with blue eyes in my classroom is my cousin. "with blue eyes" is a prepositional phrase describing the girl and answers the question, which one.
An adverb is a word that describe a verb or an adjective or another adverb. It answers the questions, when, where, how, and to what degree.
Example: John is playing outside. Outside is an adverb. It tells where John is playing. It modifies the verb, is playing.
Prepositional phrase:
John is playing outside the school. Outside the school is a prepositional phrase describing where John is playing. Therefore it answers where he is playing and is an adverb prepositional phrase.
There is more explanation and list of prepositions and kinds of prepositional phrases at my website which is at the end of this note to you. Go there and you will find examples and practice plus answers to the practice so you can check your knowledge.
Participles are one of the verbals. A verbal is a form of the verb used as another part of speech. Participles a a verb form ending in -ing or -ed and act as adjectives. (Recall what question an adjective answers above)
Therefore an example of a participle is:
The trained guide lead us through the forest.
"trained" is a participle (form of the verb, train, and is acting like an adjective in the sentence telling which guide (answering the question, which one).
Another example:
Chilled and exhausted, the climbers returned to the base.
Chilled, exhausted are describing the climbers, so they are acting like adjectives and thus participles.
Participial Phrase:
A participial phrase is a group of related words (like a prepositional phrase, right?) that starts with a participle and modifies a noun/pronoun.
Example: Sitting in his office, he reread the instructions.
"Sitting in his office" is the participial phrase, describing the pronoun, he.
Jon, waving goodbye, drove away.
"waving goodbye" is the participial phrase modifying Jon.
There is more explanation, practice and answers on recognizing participles and participial phrases at my website also.
Click on grammar. Then at the side bar you will see preposition phrases.
Click on that for practice on prepositions and prepositional phrases.
For Participle and participial phrases click on Verbals
I hope the above will be helpful to you.
Thanks for using AllExperts.
Mrs. Lenc
