CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
What is the grammatical status of 'having been warned repeatedly'?
A. Simple infinitive phrase
B. Noun phrase
C. Perfect passive participial phrase
D. Finite relative clause
Correct Answer: C
'Having been warned' is a perfect passive participial construction.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
What is the grammatical status of 'to have completed the task'?
A. Gerund phrase
B. Perfect infinitive phrase
C. Finite verb phrase
D. Simple prepositional phrase
Correct Answer: B
'To have completed' uses the perfect infinitive construction 'to have + past participle'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase can act as a supplement, loosely attached to the main clause?
A. Absolute phrase
B. Verb phrase
C. Determiner phrase only
D. Simple noun head
Correct Answer: A
Absolute phrases often add supplementary background circumstances without being syntactically integrated as ordinary complements.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase is functioning as a subject complement?
A. with great care
B. after the meeting
C. to the station
D. a brilliant scientist
Correct Answer: D
In a sentence such as 'She is a brilliant scientist,' the noun phrase follows a linking verb and identifies the subject.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
In 'the decision to postpone the match', what does 'to postpone the match' modify?
A. the
B. match
C. decision
D. postpone
Correct Answer: C
The infinitive phrase specifies the content of the noun 'decision' and functions as its postmodifier/complement.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which is an example of a premodifier in the noun phrase 'several extremely useful books'?
A. books
B. extremely useful
C. of grammar
D. on the shelf
Correct Answer: B
'Extremely useful' comes before the head noun 'books' and functions as a premodifier.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which is an example of a postmodifier in a noun phrase?
A. with the silver handle
B. the
C. three
D. beautiful
Correct Answer: A
A postmodifier follows the head noun; a prepositional phrase such as 'with the silver handle' can postmodify a noun.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
What is a non-finite phrase?
A. A phrase containing no verb of any kind
B. A phrase that must be a complete sentence
C. A phrase beginning only with a preposition
D. A phrase built around a verb form that is not marked for tense or person
Correct Answer: D
Infinitive, gerund and participial phrases commonly contain non-finite verb forms, which do not independently show tense/person agreement.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which expression is a phrase rather than a finite clause?
A. she completed the assignment
B. because he arrived late
C. having completed the assignment
D. when the meeting ended
Correct Answer: C
'Having completed the assignment' is a non-finite participial phrase, not a finite clause.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which expression is best analyzed as a noun phrase containing an embedded prepositional phrase?
A. very carefully
B. the roof of the old building
C. to leave early
D. having finished
Correct Answer: B
The entire expression is a noun phrase headed by 'roof'; 'of the old building' is embedded inside it.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase contains a complement rather than merely a modifier?
A. afraid of snakes
B. very tall
C. quite slowly
D. the old house
Correct Answer: A
In 'afraid of snakes', the prepositional phrase 'of snakes' completes the meaning of the adjective 'afraid' and functions as its complement.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
In the adverb phrase 'far too slowly', which word is the head?
A. far
B. too
C. far too
D. slowly
Correct Answer: D
The adverb 'slowly' is the head, while 'far' and 'too' modify its degree.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
In the adjective phrase 'extremely proud of her achievement', which word is the head?
A. extremely
B. achievement
C. proud
D. of
Correct Answer: C
The adjective 'proud' is the head of the adjective phrase; 'extremely' modifies it and 'of her achievement' complements it.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
In the noun phrase 'those three remarkably old buildings', which word is the head?
A. those
B. buildings
C. three
D. old
Correct Answer: B
The noun 'buildings' is the head; the other words determine or modify it.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
In phrase structure, what is meant by the 'head' of a phrase?
A. The central word that determines the phrase's grammatical category
B. The first word in every phrase
C. The longest word in the phrase
D. Any punctuation mark after the phrase
Correct Answer: A
The head is the central element of a phrase. It determines whether the phrase is nominal, adjectival, adverbial, verbal, and so on.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence uses "put up with" correctly?
A. I put the noise up on a shelf.
B. It means increase the noise.
C. It means create noise deliberately.
D. I cannot put up with this constant noise.
Correct Answer: D
"Put up with" means tolerate something unpleasant.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence uses "run out of" correctly?
A. We ran outside because fuel arrived.
B. It means we gained extra fuel.
C. We ran out of fuel before reaching the town.
D. We ran over the fuel.
Correct Answer: C
"Run out of" means use all of something so that none remains.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence uses "carry out" correctly?
A. They carried the experiments outside in boxes.
B. The researchers carried out several experiments.
C. It means cancel the experiments.
D. It means forget the experiments.
Correct Answer: B
"Carry out" means perform or complete a task, plan, or investigation.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence uses "look into" correctly?
A. The committee will look into the complaint.
B. The committee looked physically inside the complaint.
C. It means ignore the complaint.
D. It means write the complaint.
Correct Answer: A
"Look into" means investigate.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which sentence uses "put off" correctly?
A. The lights were put off the table.
B. He put off his shoes on the shelf.
C. It means the meeting was made earlier.
D. The meeting was put off until Monday.
Correct Answer: D
"Put off" commonly means postpone.