A phrase is a collection of words without a subject or predicate. The phrase is the fundamental building block of English grammar.
An Adjective Phrase is a group of words that work as an adjective.
Adjective Phrase Definition
An adjective phrase is a group of words that act as adjectives to qualify a noun or pronoun. It can be the subject part or the predicate part.
Adjective Phrase Examples
- I saw a woman with long hair.
- John is a man of kind nature.
- Yesterday, I met an old man too weak to walk.
- A girl with blue eyes met me yesterday.
Adjectives and Adjective Phrases
| Adjective | Adj. Phrases |
| A black coat. | A coat of black colour. |
| A golden crown. | A crown made of gold. |
| A blank page. | A page with no writing on it. |
| The American flag. | The flag of America. |
Uses of Adjective Phrases
A. Adjective phrases do the job of an adjective. It qualifies the noun.
B. Adjective phrases are introduced by some prepositions; For examples
- Tom is without fear. [Without fear is an adj. phrase used predicatively]
- The books on the table are old. [The adj. phrase ‘on the table’ qualifies ‘books’ ]
- I saw the women of the village. [The adj. phrase “of the village” defines ‘women’]
- The boy with curly hair is my brother. [The adj. phrase “with the curly hair” qualifies as ‘boy’.]
C. Sometimes adjective phrases begin with a present participle; For examples
- Bring us the glass containing water. [“Containing water” is an adj. phrase. It begins with the present participle containing and qualifies glass.]
- We saw three birds building a nest. [The present participle ‘building a nest’ is an adj. phrase defining birds.
- The woman wearing a green sari is my mother. [The present participle ‘wearing a green sari’ is an adj. phrase that qualifies woman.]
D. Adj. phrases may begin with a past participle; For examples
- We took the cakes baked by your aunt. [‘Baked by your aunt’ is an adj. phrase. It begins with the past participle baked. It qualifies as cakes.]
- We felt sorry for the deer killed by the hunter. [“Killed by the hunter” is a past participle adj. phrase qualifying deer.]
Also, Read
Noun Phrase
Types of Phrases
Wh Words
