Participle phrase? Adjective phrase?

Question

Hello everyone! A real quick one for you...

I came across this sentence recently: "The video, exclusively revealed by The Free Thought Project was shot by Angela Fisher-Herrera from the passenger seat of a car, showing the violent arrest of Antony Page, her friend who was driving the vehicle."

First of all, it seems to me that the sentence is missing a comma. The phrase "exclusively revealed by The Free Thought Project" seems to be non-essential no matter what kind of phrase it is, and so I imagine that it would warrant a comma after "Project" and before "was." Correct?

But more to the point: For the life of me, I cannot figure out what type of phrase it is. I want to say that it is a participle/participial phrase, adding additional, non-essential information to the noun-phrase "The video," but the adverb "exclusively" is throwing me for a loop. I've been taught that participle phrases always begin with either an -ing (present) or -ed (past) participle of the verb. Can one begin with an adverb before the participle?

The only other thing that I can think of is that maybe it is an adjective phrase? But a participle phrase is an adjective phrase, no? At least, a participle phrase is a type of adjective phrase in that they function as adjectives. Anyway... For my own sanity, if someone could just tell me what kind of phrase this is, it would be much appreciated!

Thanks everyone!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

anonymousFirst of all, it seems to me that the sentence is missing a comma. The phrase "exclusively revealed by The Free Thought Project" seems to be non-essential no matter what kind of phrase it is, and so I imagine that it would warrant a comma after "Project" and before "was." Correct?

Correct.

anonymousI cannot figure out what type of phrase it is. I want to say that it is a participle/participial phrase

Correct. The past participle is 'revealed'.

anonymousI've been taught that participle phrases always begin with either an -ing (present) or -ed (past) participle of the verb.

You were given bad information.

anonymousCan one begin with an adverb before the participle?

Yes.

anonymousThe only other thing that I can think of is that maybe it is an adjective phrase?

It's a reduced relative clause. It has the same modifying function that adjectives have, but that doesn't make it an adjective phrase. The reduction consists of the omission of 'which was'.

The video, which was exclusively revealed by The Free Thought Project, was shot ...

CJ

BillJ · Answer

The video, exclusively revealed by The Free Thought Project, was shot by Angela Fisher-Herrera from the passenger seat of a car, showing the violent arrest of Antony Page, her friend who was driving the vehicle.

I partially agree with CJ, but I would call it a 'supplement', not a reduced relative clause.

Supplements are not modifiers; rather, they have a semantic 'anchor' that they refer to. In this case the anchor is the noun phrase "the video". Supplements do not combine with the anchor to form a syntactic constituent, but sit apart as an interpolation (as in your example) or an appendage. They form a separate unit of information, typically set off by punctuation, such as commas, and a slight pause in speech.

Note that it is not a phrase, but a non-finite gerund-participial clause. Like most non-finite clauses, it is subjectless, but we understand the subject to be "the video". The adverb "exclusively" is a modifier in clause structure, i.e. in the supplementary clause.

Clausal supplements like this are semantically non-restrictive just like non-restrictive relative clauses which are also supplements and non-modifying.

Participle phrase? Adjective phrase?

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