1. Verb Phrase: This is the most likely interpretation. A verb phrase is the part of a sentence that contains the verb and any helping verbs (auxiliary verbs). It expresses the action or state of being of the subject.
* Example: "The dog is sleeping in the sun." (The verb phrase is "is sleeping")
* Example: "She has been running for hours." (The verb phrase is "has been running")
2. Verbal: This refers to a verb form that acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb. There are three types of verbals:
* Participles: These are verb forms ending in "-ing" or "-ed/-en" that function as adjectives.
* Example: "The smiling child waved." (The participle "smiling" describes the child)
* Gerunds: These are verb forms ending in "-ing" that function as nouns.
* Example: "Swimming is my favorite activity." ("Swimming" is the subject of the sentence)
* Infinitives: These are verb forms preceded by "to" that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
* Example: "I want to eat." (The infinitive "to eat" is the object of the verb "want")
3. Verb Tense: This refers to the form of a verb that shows when an action took place.
* Example: "I walked to the store" (past tense)
* Example: "I am walking to the store" (present continuous tense)
If you could provide more context about where you encountered the term "verbal phase," I might be able to give a more specific answer.