College Composition

College Composition Study Guide

Prepositional phrase used as an adverb odifying a verb: • Sarah ran down the hill . • Adrian spoke in a calm voice . Appositive phrases: Appositive phrases function as an adjective modifying a noun. Appositive phrases are a group of words that redefine or explain another word. These phrases can sometimes function as an adverb modifying a verb. • American Idol, the popular TV show • Matt Damon, the award-winning actor • Carol, the emergency room nurse Appositive phrase used to modify a noun: • Mardi Gras, the annual celebration , draws tourists from around the world. • Jason, the defense lawyer , argued that the judge was biased. Absolute phrases: Absolute phrases modify the entire sentence rather than one individual word. These phrases are usually formed by combining a participle with a noun and its modifiers.

• Tires squealing , the car raced out of the parking lot. • Wallet emptied , he left the store with several bags. Infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb: • She chews gum to quit smoking . Infinitive phrase functioning as a noun: • To buy a car is Edward’s first goal. Infinitive phrase functioning as an adjective: • She needed an excuse to leave early .

Avoid wordiness: Writers use phrases to make their writing more interesting. Use of a variety of phrase types can make reading more enjoyable. However, too many phrases in a row can cause confusion for the reader. It can make it hard to determine which phrase is modifying which word. • The driver raced his classic Corvette tires squealing out the parking lot, close behind him the police followed wanting to arrest him for a crime he committed in another state not here. This paragraph has too many phrases strung together. Is the parking lot close behind him? The police were behind wanting? Who’s not here? Rewriting can clarify the details the writer wants to convey. • Tires squealing, the driver raced his classic Corvette out of the parking lot. The police, following close behind, wanted to arrest him for a crime he committed in another state.

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