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Verb phrase. In linguistics, a verb phrase (VP) is a syntactic unit composed of a verb and its arguments except the subject of an independent clause or coordinate clause. Thus, in the sentence A fat man quickly put the money into the box, the words quickly put the money into the box constitute a verb phrase; it consists of the verb put and its ...
Clause. In language, a clause is a constituent or phrase that comprises a semantic predicand (expressed or not) and a semantic predicate. [1] A typical clause consists of a subject and a syntactic predicate, [2] the latter typically a verb phrase composed of a verb with or without any objects and other modifiers.
Verb phrase ellipsis. In linguistics, verb phrase ellipsis (VP ellipsis or VPE) is a type of elliptical construction and a type of anaphora in which a verb phrase has been left out (elided) provided that its antecedent can be found within the same linguistic context. For example, " She will sell sea shells, and he will <sell sea shells> too ...
The earliest use of the word clause in Middle English is non-technical and similar to the current everyday meaning of phrase: "A sentence or clause, a brief statement, a short passage, a short text or quotation; in a ~, briefly, in short; (b) a written message or letter; a story; a long passage in an author's source."
Ellipsis (linguistics) In linguistics, ellipsis (from Ancient Greek ἔλλειψις (élleipsis) 'omission') or an elliptical construction is the omission from a clause of one or more words that are nevertheless understood in the context of the remaining elements. There are numerous distinct types of ellipsis acknowledged in theoretical syntax.
Example: She made me a pie. This clause pattern is a derivative of S+V+O, transforming the object of a preposition into an indirect object of the verb, as the example sentence in transformational grammar is actually "She made a pie for me". Subject + Verb (transitive) + Object + Object Complement Example: They made him happy.
English clause elements are the minimum set of units needed to describe the linear structure of a clause. Traditionally, they are partly identified by terms such as subject and object. Their distribution in a clause is partly indicated by traditional terms defining verbs as transitive or intransitive. Modern English reference grammars are in ...
Phrase. In grammar, a phrase —called expression in some contexts—is a group of words or singular word acting as a grammatical unit. For instance, the English expression "the very happy squirrel" is a noun phrase which contains the adjective phrase "very happy". Phrases can consist of a single word or a complete sentence.