MGH Workbook  Ex. 4-7  page 125               Identifying Phrases

 

  1. The early success of Casablanca had more to do with WW II than reviews by critics:            

prepositional phrase

 

  1. Just two weeks before the movie opened, Allied forces invaded French North Africa, focusing American attention on the film’s locale.

 

subordinating conjunction introducing an adjective clause, not a phrase, because of the subject/verb pattern: movie = subject; opened = verb.

 This is an error in the book.

 

  1. The film’s general release came in January 1943 during the famous Casablanca Conference.

Prepositional phrase

 

  1. Warner Brothers could not afford to buy the free publicity the title of their movie received in headlines and news reports.

 

Infinitive phrase

 

  1. In 1979 The China Syndrome, a film depicting an accident in a nuclear power plant, was released.

Prepositional phrase

  1. Accepting the movie’s premise seemed to violate common sense because most people thought the plants were safe.

 

Gerund phrase

 

  1. Newsweek published an article criticizing the film as being unrealistic.

 

Gerund phrase

 

  1. Days later the worst nuclear accident in American history occurred at Three Mile Island.

Prepositional phrase

 

  1. Overnight, the movie became popular, the public being suddenly aware of the possible dangers.

Absolute phrase

 

  1. Unfortunately for Jill Claybourgh, her film about the first woman being nominated to the Supreme Court was upstaged by Reagan’s appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor.

Prepositional phrase

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