In everyday speech, a phrase may be any group of words, often carrying a special idiomatic meaning; in this sense it is roughly synonymous with expression. In linguistic analysis, a phrase is a group of words (or possibly a single word) that functions as a constituent in the syntax of a sentence—a single unit within a grammatical hierarchy. A phrase appears within a clause, although it is also possible for a phrase to be a clause or to contain a clause within it.
There is a difference between the common use of the term phrase and its technical use in linguistics. In common usage, a phrase is usually a group of words with some special idiomatic meaning or other significance, such as "all rights reserved", "economical with the truth", "kick the bucket", and the like. It may be a euphemism, a saying or proverb, a fixed expression, a figure of speech, etc.
In grammatical analysis, particularly in theories of syntax, a phrase is any group of words, or sometimes a single word, which plays a particular role within the grammatical structure of a sentence. It does not have to have any special meaning or significance, or even exist anywhere outside of the sentence being analyzed, but it must function there as a complete grammatical unit. For example, in the sentence Yesterday I saw an orange bird with a white neck, the words an orange bird with a white neck form what is called a noun phrase, or a determiner phrase in some theories, which functions as the object of the sentence.
Hypothetical is the fifth studio album by British progressive metal band Threshold. The album was released on 20 March 2001 (see 2001 in music). This is the first album to feature current drummer Johanne James, who had previously played with the band on tour.
Let me paint a hypothetical
Please don't be hypercritical
This kind of thing might happen to you
Though it's situational
And largely conversational
This kind of thing might happen to you
She went out drinking with her friends
Until her head began to spin
Her ears were ringing from the yell for last call
She fell into a cab and said
My neighborhood is straight ahead
She broke her heel as she struggled with the door
Let me paint a hypothetical
Please don't be hypercritical
This kind of thing might happen to you
Though it's situational
And largely conversational
This kind of thing might happen to you
She fell in through a window sill
Ran to the bathroom to get ill
Took off her clothes and then she passed out on the floor
She woke up the next day
In an unfamiliar place
Having made a mess on someone else's wall
Let me paint a hypothetical
Please don't be hypercritical
This kind of thing might happen to you
Though it's situational
And largely conversational
This kind of thing might happen to you
Sun through the blinds
Hits her eyes at dawn
Heavy head hung
She steps barefoot through the lawn
So let me paint a hypothetical
Please don't be hypercritical
This kind of thing might happen to you
Though it's situational
And largely conversational