Which option is a verb phrase?

Which option is a verb phrase?

• A. The moon
• B. a cat
• C. Has been
• D. In the park

Answer: (C)

A verb phrase is a group of words that functions as the verb of a clause, often including auxiliary (helping) verbs with the main verb. The phrase “has been” fits this, because it pairs the auxiliary “has” with the past participle “been,” forming a present perfect construction that indicates a tense rather than a noun or a modifier. This unit can act as the verb portion of a sentence (as in “She has been waiting”), whereas the other options are not verbs: “The moon” and “a cat” are noun phrases, and “In the park” is a prepositional phrase.

A verb phrase is a group of words that functions as the verb of a clause, often including auxiliary (helping) verbs with the main verb. The phrase “has been” fits this, because it pairs the auxiliary “has” with the past participle “been,” forming a present perfect construction that indicates a tense rather than a noun or a modifier. This unit can act as the verb portion of a sentence (as in “She has been waiting”), whereas the other options are not verbs: “The moon” and “a cat” are noun phrases, and “In the park” is a prepositional phrase.