CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
A phrase that is required by the meaning of its head is commonly called what?
A. Adjunct only
B. Conjunction
C. Complement
D. Interjection
Correct Answer: C
A complement is selected or strongly licensed by the head and completes its meaning.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase contains a determiner, adjective, and noun in that order?
A. very difficult
B. the difficult question
C. under pressure
D. to answer quickly
Correct Answer: B
'The' is a determiner, 'difficult' an adjective, and 'question' the head noun.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase shows coordination within a phrase?
A. books and magazines
B. under the table
C. to read quietly
D. very carefully
Correct Answer: A
'Books and magazines' coordinates two nouns within a larger noun phrase.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase is headed by an adjective?
A. the certainty of success
B. with certainty
C. succeed with certainty
D. certain of success
Correct Answer: D
'Certain' is the head adjective; 'of success' complements it.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase is headed by a preposition?
A. the boundary
B. very distant
C. beyond the boundary
D. to cross the boundary
Correct Answer: C
'Beyond' is the head preposition governing the noun phrase 'the boundary'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
In 'a desire to succeed', the infinitive phrase functions most nearly as what?
A. An adverb of place
B. A complement/postmodifier of the noun 'desire'
C. The finite predicate
D. A coordinating conjunction
Correct Answer: B
The infinitive phrase completes or specifies the meaning of the noun 'desire'.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase contains a gerund followed by its object?
A. solving difficult problems
B. to solve difficult problems
C. problems solved quickly
D. has solved problems
Correct Answer: A
When 'solving difficult problems' functions as a noun, 'solving' is a gerund and 'problems' is its object.
CSS - PMS - Precis & Composition
Phrases
Which phrase contains a present participle functioning adjectivally?
A. to glow in the dark
B. glowing in the dark is useful
C. has been glowing
D. glowing in the dark
Correct Answer: D
When 'glowing in the dark' modifies a noun, the -ing form is participial and adjectival.
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.