Phrase


 
 
Phrase

A phrase (Greek ?????, sentence, expression, see also strophe) is a group of words that functions as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence.

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For example the house at the end of the street (example 1) is a phrase. It acts like a noun. It contains the phrase at the end of the street (example 2), which acts like an adjective. Example 2 could be replaced by white, to make the phrase the white house. Examples 1 and 2 contain the phrase the end of the street (example 3) which acts like a noun. It could be replaced by the cross-roads to give the house at the cross-roads.

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Each phrase has a word called its head which links it to the rest of the sentence. In English the head is often the first word of the phrase.

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Phrases may be classified by the type of head they take

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~ Table of Content ~

Introduction
Formal definition
Complexity
Semiotic approaces to the concept of "phrase"
 
FR: Syntagme


 

~ Related Subjects ~

Greek (2) - Sentence (1) - Phrase (1) - Versification (1) - Strophe (1) - Word (1) - Syntax (1) -
 

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