Verb Phrase
From TEFL World Wiki
A Verb Phrase is a verb plus an auxiliary.
Verb (not a verb phrase):
He sleeps.
Verb phrases:
He is sleeping.
He had slept.
A verb phrase works syntactically just like a single word verb.
Variations
The exact definition of a verb phrase can vary, however. According to different grammars a verb phrase can be a verb on its own or a verb with an auxiliary or a verb and everything (including adverbials) which go with it. Depending on which grammar or theory you subscribe to, the following in bold can be a verb phrase:
- He slept.
- He had slept.
- He managed to sleep through the night.
In this third example, the verb phrase is equivalent to the predicate.
