一个片语是一组不含主词和动词的相关字。(
如果这组相关字包含主词和动词，那么它被视为子句。) 英文有数种不同的片语。了解片语的结构组成以及它们在句子中的作用和功能，可提升我们写出结构完整、句型富变化之句子的信心。
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名词片语 (Noun Phrase) .
一个名词片语包含一个名词 (这还用说吗!?) 和任何相关的修饰语：
The long and winding
road A noun
phrase any associated
modifiers 讲到名词片语，有件事我们要必须注意，那就是冗长的复合名词片语；这种片语有时被称为「堆积」或「拥挤」(stacked or packed) 名词片语。我们经常会见到一个名词修饰另一个名词：student body, book cover, water commission. 但当我们创造了一长串当形容词用的名词 (attributive nouns) 或修饰语时，我们也成为「问题的制造者」：People who author web-pages have become aware of what is now known as the
uniform resource locator protocol problem. 在这个句子中，我们真的难以了解那个名词修饰那个名词。再者，读者一直在期待字串的结束，因此句子的能量 (和我们的注意力) 无法集中，重点强调不出来。在科技文章的写作中，这种片语特别常见。一般而言，一个冗长复合名词片语的解决之道是，将字串的最后一个名词拿到句子的开头并将至少一个修饰用的名词变成介系词片语 (这是一种把句子变得长一点可能比较好的情况)：The problem with the protocol of uniform resource locators is now recognized by people who author web-pages as. . .
呼格或称呼语 (vocative)通常是名词单字，但具有名词片语形式 。称呼语都被视为插入语句，因此以一个逗点或一对逗点 (如果它出现在句子中间的话) 与句子其他部分分开。称呼语与副词一样，几乎可以出现在句子的任何地方。然而，别养成在人名的地方加逗点的习惯；除非某一名字指的是甫被称呼的某人，否则它并非称呼语，因此就不必以插句的形式存在：
He told Jorge to turn the boat around.
Jorge, turn the boat around.
称呼语大致可分为四种：
1.
有头衔或没有头衔的单名：Mr. Valdez, Dr. Valdez, Uncle, Grandma. "
Dr. Valdez, will you please address the graduates?"
2.
人称代名词 you (不是一种礼貌的称呼) ："
You, put down that gun!" 第二人称代名词通常与其他字合用，但结果往往相当粗鲁无礼，因此从不在正式文章中使用 ("You over there, hurry up!" "You with the purple hair and silver nose rings, get back in line!")
不定代名词 (indefinite pronoun；如 some, any, somebody 等)也可作为称呼语："Call an ambulance,
somebody!" "Quick,
anybody! Give me a hand!"
3. 亲爱的称呼语 (Darling, Sweetheart, Love, My dear)："Come sit next to me,
my dear."
尊敬的称呼语 (Sir, Madam, Your Honor, Ladies and gentlemen)："I would ask you, Sir, never to do that again."
职业或地位的称呼语 (Professor, Mr. President, Madam Chairman,
Coach)：Please, Coach, let me play for a while.
4. 名词子句 (nominal clause)：
Whoever is making that noise, stop it now.
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介系词片语 (Prepositional Phrase)
一个介系词片语包含一个介系词、一个做为介系词之受词的名词或代名词 以及 (经常有的情况) 一个或两个修饰受词的形容词。
介系词片语通常在叙述时间或地点："in forty minutes," "in the sun, against the side, 等等" 。但介系词片语也可做其他功能：
Except Jo, the children were remarkably
like their father.
一个句子开头的介系词片语是一种前导修饰语 (introductory modifier)，后面通常接一个逗点；然而，除非前导介系词片语很长，否则我们鲜少在其后加逗点。你们可能已知悉以介系词做句子的结尾系严重违反文法规则。然而，它是一个很容易让人「上瘾」的写作规则。虽然我们通常可以轻易地修正此一违反文法的介系词，但有时则不能，因为修改的结果有时会产生笨拙的句子。根据零碎的历史先例，这规则本身是最新的写作规则。不过，不喜欢这个规则的人一定会非常怀念前英国首相，也是1953年诺贝尔文学奖得主的邱吉尔的一句话："That is nonsense up with which I shall not put." [那 (指上述新规则)
是我无法忍受的胡说八道]。
同位格片语 (Appositive Phrase)
同位格片语系它前面紧邻的一个字的补充、说明和铺陈。我们通常使用另一种片语来做为同位格片语。
My favorite teacher,
a fine chess player in her own right, has won several state-level tournaments.
[名词片语当同位格片语] The best exercise,
walking briskly, is also the least expensive. [动名词片语当同位格片语]
Tashonda's goal in life,
to become an occupational therapist, is within her grasp this year, at last.
[不定词片语当同位格片语] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
独立片语 (Absolute Phrase)
一个独立片语 (亦称为独立分词 nominative absolute -- 有人称为"独立主格" -- 片语)通常是 (并非总是)一组包含一个名词或代名词和一个分词以及任何相关修饰语的字。独立片语并非修饰主句中某一特定字，且跟它们都没有直接关系；反之，独立片语系修饰整个句子、附加资料。它们都被视为插入语句，因此用一个逗点或一对逗点 [有时是一个破折号 (--) 或一对破折号] 与句子的其他部分分开。注意：独立片语包含一个主词 (通常被分词所修饰)，但不含真正的动词。 Their reputation as winners secured by victory, the New York Liberty charged into the semifinals.
The season nearly finished, Rebecca Lobo and Sophie Witherspoon emerged as true leaders.
The two superstars signed autographs into the night,
their faces beaming happily.
当独立片语的分词是 to be 的型态时，如 being 或 having been，这个分词往往被省略，但其意自明。The season [being] over, they were mobbed by fans in Times Square.
[Having been] Stars all their adult lives, they seemed used to the attention.
另一种独立片语是位在一个被修饰的名词后面；它使主要子句语意所强调的重点凸显出来。这种独立片语可以介系词片语、形容词片语或名词片语的型态出现。The old firefighter stood over the smoking ruins,
his senses alert to any sign of another flare-up.
His subordinates,
their faces sweat-streaked and smudged with ash, leaned heavily against the firetruck.
They knew all too well how all their hard work could be undone --
in an instant.
独立片语中所提供的资讯有时是句子中最重要的。事实上，在叙述性文章中，最重要的部分往往被 "包裹成"具有独立片语型态的句子：Coach Nykesha strolled onto the court,
her arms akimbo and a large silver whistle clenched between her teeth.
The new recruits stood in one corner of the gym,
their uniforms stiff and ill fitting, their faces betraying their anxiety.
名词片语亦可以独立片语的形式出现：
Your best friends, where are they now, when you need them?
And then there was my best friend Sally --
the dear girl -- who has
certainly fallen on hard times.
参见「
错置的修饰语」(以后我会补充给各位)所做的解释可能对你有所帮助，因为弄清楚独立片语与错置的修饰语之间的差异是很重要的。
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不定词片语 (Infinitive Phrase)
一个不定词片语包含一个不定词 -- to + 原形动词 -- 及任何与其相关的修饰语或补语 (complements)。不定词片语可当作形容词、副词和名词。
Her plan
to subsidize child care won wide acceptance among urban politicians.
[修饰 plan，当作形容词] She wanted
to raise taxes.
[名词 -- 句子的受词] To watch Uncle Billy tell this story is an eye-opening experience.
[名词 -- 句子的主词] To know her is to love her.
[名词，当作主词补语] Juan went to college
to study veterinary medicine. [这个不定词片语告诉我们 Juan 为何要上大学，所以它是副词]
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动名词片语 (Gerund Phrase)
在动名词片语中，动名词 (动词加 ing，当名词用) 通常与修饰语和补语有关连。这些片语具备名词的所有功能。注意：其他片语，尤其是介系词片语，通常是动名词片语的一部份。
Cramming for tests is not a good study strategy.
[动名词片语当主词] John enjoyed
swimming in the lake after dark.
[动名词片语当受词] I'm really not interested in
studying biochemistry for the rest of my life.
动名词片语当介系词 in 的受词] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
分词片语 (Participial Phrase)
现在分词 (动词加 ing)和过去分词 [动词加 ed (对规则动词而言)或其他型态 (对不规则动词而言)] 结合补语和修饰语，形成重要的片语结构。分词片语都是当作形容词用。当分词片语放在句子的开头时，它们通常被一个逗点分开 (做为前导修饰语)；否则，如果分词片语是插入语句，那么它们要由一对逗点来分开。
The stone steps,
having been worn down by generations of students, needed to be replaced.
[修饰 "steps"] Working around the clock, the firefighters finally put out the last of the California brush fires.
[修饰 "firefighters"] The pond,
frozen over since early December, is now safe for ice-skating.
so tired 
