A verb phrase is the portion of a sentence that contains both the verb and either a direct or indirect object (the verb's dependents). We're going to take a look at what verb phrases are, and then view some verb phrase examples.
Verbs are words that demonstrate an action, like sing, dance, smell, talk, and eat. They serve as a link between the subject of the verb and information about that subject. The information is usually descriptive.
In order to show activities that can be done, active verbs are used, while linking verbs describe conditions.
Verb phrases take the verb one step further by comprising the verb, plus the complement, object, or adverb. Verb phrases, such as "She was walking quickly to the mall" comprise the verb (walking) and the complement (to the mall).
To learn more about verb phrases see Verb Phrase.
A verb phrase can be the predicate of the clause or sentence. A verb phrase can also be a phrase that functions as an adverb or adjective and contains a verb and its complements, objects, or modifiers.
Following are some verb phrase examples where the verb phrase is the predicate of a sentence. In this case, the verb phrase consists of the main verb plus any auxiliary, or helping, verbs.
Some verb phrases have a single function which means it can act like an adverb or an adjective. The phrase would include the verb and any modifiers, complements, or objects.
All of these different verb phrases demonstrate how the dependents of the verb provide important useful information for the reader about the action in the sentence. Verb phrases help to make your text more informative and meaningful and they are essential to clear writing.
MLA Style
APA Style