Separating Phrases from Clauses
Phrases don't have subjects and verbs. Clauses do.
Basic independent clauses are simple sentences. No phrase is EVER a sentence. They add detail, connect things, further an idea, but they should never stand alone.
Phrase Types:
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Prepositional
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Infinitive
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Participial
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Appositive
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Absolute
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Gerund
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Prepositional Phrases connect things and often show spatial relationships -- they show "where" and "when" things are...
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under the bed, in the air, behind my desk, into the night ("Where")
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in the morning, after I eat, before going to work ("When")
Infinitive Phrases add details and ALWAYS start with the word "to." They are verbal phrases that show a furtherance of an action.
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I love to eat cheesecake.
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He always tries to finish his work before dinnertime.
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She shops online to relieve stress from her job.
Gerunds & Participles (look-alikes):
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Participial Phrases add detail to sentences, and they start with a verb that's been turned into an adjective.
Present Participles add an -ing to a verb, making it an adjective.
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Running through the woods, I ran into cobwebs and tripped over roots repeatedly.
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The man looked suspicious, walking nervously along the edge of the house, glancing left and right frequently, looking for observers.
Past Participles do the same thing, but they use the past tense of the verb (still acting like adjectives).
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The toast, burnt and crispy, tasted awful.
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Printed on old-fashioned papyrus, the document was fragile.
Gerund Phrases look just like present participles, but they act like nouns. They can be found acting like the subject or object in a sentence.
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Exercising in the mornings is a common activity. (subj. of the sentence)
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He always likes finishing his work before dinnertime. (object of "likes")
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Shopping online is stress relief for her. (subj. of sentence)
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Learn More:
https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/participle_phrases.htm
https://www.basic-concept.com/c/difference-between-participle-and-gerund
https://www.thoughtco.com/identifying-verbals-in-english-grammar-1689699
Appositive & Absolute Phrases:​
Appositive Phrases always add details but show equality with the noun that precedes them. In the following sentences, the phrases are italicized and the nouns they modify are bolded.
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The dog, a brindled bulldog, intimated everyone walking by, but it was really a sweet, loving pet.
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The car drove by slowly, a '67 mustang with oversized tires.
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https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=appositive
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Absolute Phrases add details but do it differently that any other phrases. They start with nouns, which is why they're often called nominative absolutes. The nouns beginning the absolute phrases have been bolded in the following examples.
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She snuck into class late and sat down quietly, her eyes on the floor, a blush on her cheeks.
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She quickly pulled out books and pen, glancing towards the teacher, an expression of shame clear on her face.
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