Question

We will be reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar this spring.

Identify the verb phrase in the sentence.

A. will be reading

B. be reading

C. will be

D. reading

Answer 1

A. Will be reading.

Step-by-step explanation:

Verb phrases are those words or groups of words that are an auxiliary or helping verbs, a predicate or a clause. They can also act as an adverb or an adjective, with a double verb in a sentence.

The verb phrase in the sentence

We will be reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar this spring

is "will be reading". The main verb is "reading" while the helping verb is "will be". The two verbs together make up the "verb phrase". Thus, the verb phrase in the sentence is

"will be reading".

Answer 2

Answer: A. will be reading

If we consider "verb phrase" in its narrowest sense, it includes those words that are strictly "verbal" (words that describe and modify an action), such as main and auxiliary verbs, plus infinitive and participle constructions. The main verb always comes at the end of a verb phrase. In this sentence, that would mean including "will be reading," as those are all the words serving the function of the verb.