Phrases
English Language: AQA GCSE, topic 1.1.8
Key Terms for English Language - Phrases
You need to know the following key terms for your English Language exam:
Adverbial phrase
- An adverb phrase is simply two or more words that act as an adverb. It can modify a verb, adverb, or adjective and can tell “how”, “where”, “why”, or “when".
- E.g. We strolled through the garden.
Cliché
- A phrase or opinion that is overused and portrays a lack of original thought.
- E.g. Frightened to death.
Idiom
- A metaphorical phrase which has a specific, well-known meaning, but the meaning does not explicitly link to the meanings of the individual words.
- E.g. A penny for your thoughts.
Noun phrase
- A small group of words which contains a noun and other words to describe it (such as adjectives) but does not contain a verb.
- E.g. Delicious, cold ice cream.
Parenthetical remark
- A parenthetical remark is one that explains or qualifies something.
- E.g. “I’m hungry, but I only want to eat chips.”
Pun
- A joke which exploits the different possible meanings of a word - it makes fun of the fact that there are other words that have similar sounds but mean something different.
- E.g. In the joke, 'The best way to communicate with a fish is to drop them a line', the pun comes from the double meaning of 'a line' - it can be either a fishing rod or a telephone.
Test yourself on Phrases
What does a noun phrase NEVER contain?
What is the technical term for the phrase in bold?
She walked as quickly as she could.What is the phrase 'beat around the bush' an example of?
What technique does this sentence use?
I was struggling to figure out how lightning works then it struck me.