顾名思义，“非谓语动词短语”就是指由非谓语动词构成的短语，可能是“非谓语动词+宾语”，也可能是“非谓语动词+状语”等。按传统语法，“非谓语动词”包括不定式、现在分词、过去分词、动名词，所以“非谓语动词短语”也包括不定式短语、现在分词短语、过去分词短语、动名词短语。

一、不定式短语

1. He likes to study English.【to study English为不定式短语，由不定式to study后接宾语English构成】

2. My teacher tells me to study hard.【to study hard为不定式短语，由不定式to study后接状语hard构成】

二、现在分词短语

1. The boy crying hard is my brother. 【crying hard 为现在分词短语，由现在分词 crying 后接状语 hard 构成】

2. The boy sitting under the tree is my brother. 【sitting under the tree为现在分词短语，由现在分词 sitting 后接状语under the tree构成】

三、过去分词短语

1. He watched the heavy box carried out of the door.【carried out of the door为过去分词短语，由过去分词 carried 后接状语 out of the door 构成】

2. Taken in time, the medicine will be quite effective.【Taken in time为过去分词短语，由过去分词 Taken后接状语 in time 构成】

四、动名词短语

1. He left without paying his bill.【paying his bill 为动名词短语，由动名词 paying 后接宾 his bill 构成】

2. Getting up early is a good habit.【getting up early 为动名词短语，由动名词 getting up 后接状语 early 构成】

网友的句子：

It is an expression used about 400 years ago by the British writer in his play Othello.

其中的 used about 400 years ago by the British writer in his play Othello 为过去分词短语，作定语，修饰名词 expression。在这个过去分词短语中，used 是过去分词，其后的都是状语，包括 about 400 years ago, by the British writer, in his play Othello三个状语。