Verb phrase
A grammatical unit consisting of a main verb and any auxiliary verbs that modify it. The verb phrase functions as the predicate of a clause.
Real World
In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the repeated modal verb phrase "will be" projects certainty about a future that hadn't yet arrived, turning hope into conviction.
Exam Focus
Name the specific auxiliary verbs and state what they contribute — tense, aspect, modality, or voice — not just "verb phrase."
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