+299.+ We have studied about the independent parts of speech, that is,
the nouns and pronouns and verbs. These are independent because with
them we can form sentences without the help of other words. And these
are the only three parts of speech which are so independent--with which
we can form complete sentences. Then we have studied also the words that
modify,--that is, the words that are used with nouns and pronouns and
verbs to describe and explain more fully the ideas which they express.
So we have studied adjectives, which modify nouns and pronouns; and
adverbs, which modify verbs or adjectives or other adverbs.
+300.+ The adjectives and adverbs which we have studied thus far are
single words; but we find that we may use little groups of words in
about the same way, to express the same idea which we have expressed in
the single adjective or adverb. For example, we may say:
Strong men, _or_, men of strength.
City men, _or_, men from the city.
Jobless men, _or_, men without jobs.
Moneyed men, _or_, men with money.
These groups of words like, _of strength_, _from the city_, _without
jobs_, and _with money_, express the same ideas that are expressed in
the single adjectives, _strong_, _city_, _jobless_ and _moneyed_.
You recall that we defined any group of words used as a single word as a
_phrase_; so these groups of words are phrases which are used as
adjectives. The phrase, _of strength_, modifies the noun _men_, just as
the adjective _strong_ modifies the noun _men_. So we may call these
phrases which modify nouns, or which may be used to modify pronouns
also, _adjective phrases_, for they are groups of words used as
adjectives.