Here's why:
* Parts of speech are individual words that function in specific grammatical roles within a sentence (e.g., noun, verb, adjective, adverb).
* Phrases are groups of words that work together to convey a particular meaning, but they don't have a single grammatical function on their own.
Think of it like this:
* A brick is a building block. It has a specific function in construction. (Like a part of speech).
* A wall is made of many bricks, working together to create a larger structure. (Like a phrase).
Instead of being parts of speech, phrases can act as different parts of speech depending on their function in a sentence.
Here are some examples:
* Noun phrase: "The big red ball" acts as the subject of the sentence "The big red ball bounced."
* Verb phrase: "Is running" acts as the verb in the sentence "The dog is running."
* Adjective phrase: "Made of wood" acts as an adjective describing the table in the sentence "The table made of wood is very old."
* Adverb phrase: "With great care" acts as an adverb modifying the verb "walk" in the sentence "She walked with great care."
So, while phrases themselves aren't parts of speech, they are made up of words that are, and they play important roles in creating meaning and structure within sentences.