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In linguistics, a verb phrase (abbr. VP) is a syntactic structure composed of the predicative elements of a sentence and functions in providing information about the subject of the sentence.
VPs in the Generative Grammar framework
In the Generative grammar framework, the verb phrase is a phrase headed by a verb. A verb phrase may be constructed from a single verb; often, however, the verb phrase will consist of various combinations of the main verb and any auxiliary verbs, plus optional specifiers, complements, and adjuncts. For example, consider the following sentences:
(1) a. The baby cried. b. Mary saw the man through the window. c. John gave Mary a book.
Example (1a) contains the verb phrase made up only of the verb to cry. Example (1b) contains the main verb see, the noun phrase (NP) complement the man, and the prepositional phrase (PP) adjunct through the window. Additionally, example (1c) contains the main verb give and two complements noun phrases, Mary and a book, both selected by the verb in this case.
Note that according to this definition, the verb phrase corresponds to what is commonly called the predicate.
VPs narrowly defined
Verb phrases are sometimes defined more narrowly in scope to allow for only those sentence elements that are strictly considered verbal elements to form verb phrases. According to such a definition, verb phrases consist only of main verbs, auxiliary verbs, and other infinitive or participle constructions. For example, in the following sentences only the bolded words would be considered to form the verb phrase for each sentence:
(2) a. John gave Mary a book. b. They were being eaten alive. c. She kept screaming like a maniac. d. Thou must not kill.
This more narrow definition is often applied in functionalist frameworks and traditional British and European reference grammars.
See also
"Verb phrase"