In an ADJECTIVE PHRASE (AP), the Head word is an adjective. Here are some examples:
Susan is [AP clever] The doctor is [AP very late] My sister is [AP fond of animals]
The pre-Head string in an AP is most commonly an adverb phrase such as very or extremely. Adjective Heads may be followed by a post-Head string:
[AP happy to meet you] [AP ready to go] [AP afraid of the dark]
A small number of adjective Heads must be followed by a post-Head string. The adjective Head fond is one of these. Compare:
My sister is [AP fond of animals] *My sister is [fond]
Adverb Phrase (AdvP)
In an ADVERB PHRASE, the Head word is an adverb. Most commonly, the pre-Head string is another adverb phrase:
He graduated [AdvP very recently] She left [AdvP quite suddenly]
In AdvPs, there is usually no post-Head string, but here's a rare example:
[AdvP Unfortunately for him], his wife came home early
Prepositional Phrase (PP)
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES usually consist of a Head -- a preposition -- and a post-Head string only. Here are some examples:
[PP through the window] [PP over the bar] [PP across the line] [PP after midnight]
This makes PPs easy to recognise -- they nearly always begin with a preposition (the Head). A pre-Head string is rarely present, but here are some examples:
[PP straight through the window] [PP right over the bar] [PP just after midnight]
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