Phrases: A Practical Overview
Quick Summaries
| Phrase Type | One-line definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Acts as a noun (subject, object, complement). | “The new deployment succeeded.” |
| Verb | Main verb + auxiliaries that show tense/aspect. | “CI has been running.” |
| Adjective | Describes a noun. | “A server full of logs crashed.” |
| Adverb | Modifies a verb, adjective, or clause. | “Build finished in record time.” |
| Prepositional | Begins with a preposition; shows relation. | “Data lives in the cloud.” |
| Gerund | -ing verb phrase working as a noun. | “Caching responses speeds APIs.” |
| Infinitive | to + base verb acting as noun, adj., or adv. | “We plan to migrate soon.” |
| Participle | -ing or -ed verb phrase acting as adj. | “Logs generated overnight filled disk.” |
| Absolute | Noun + participle; independent modifier. | “Tests complete, we deployed.” |
When to Choose Each Phrase
| Goal | Prefer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Name things or concepts | Noun | Packs info as one unit. |
| Show actions & timing | Verb | Carries tense/aspect clearly. |
| Add concise description | Adjective | Avoids extra sentences. |
| Specify manner, time, place | Adverb | Answers how, when, where. |
| Indicate spatial / logical link | Prepositional | Anchors ideas. |
| Treat actions as objects | Gerund | Enables short subject/object forms. |
| Express purpose or intent | Infinitive | Highlights reason quickly. |
| Embed background action | Participle | Keeps main clause clean. |
| Set scene or condition | Absolute | Adds context without conjunctions. |
Converting Gerund → Infinitive
- Replace -ing verb with to + base verb.
- Keep modifiers after the new verb.
- Check verb that governs the phrase—some prefer one form.
Gerund: “We enjoy logging events.”
Infinitive: “We prefer to log events.”
Converting Infinitive → Gerund
- Drop to; add -ing to the base verb.
- Re-evaluate sentence flow; move phrase if clarity improves.
Infinitive: “The goal is to reduce latency.”
Gerund: “Reducing latency is the goal.”