http://www.whitesmoke.com/grammar-rules-sentence-structure-phrases.html A phrase is a group of words that does not contain both a subject and a predicate and therefore cannot stand alone as a clause or a sentence. There are a few kinds of phrases. 1. A noun phrase functions as a noun in a sentence. The old Berlin zoo was established back in 1844. [noun phrase functions as a subject] During my last visit to Berlin, I liked the Berlin zoo the best. [noun phrase functions as a direct object of the verb like] 2. A verb phrase functions as the verb in a sentence. The old Berlin zoo was established back in 1844. During my last visit to Berlin, I couldn't stop admiring the Berlin zoo the best. 3. A prepositional phrase always starts with a preposition and functions as a modifier. During my last visit to Berlin in 2002, I took the train to the Berlin zoo. [during my last visit, to Berlin, in 2002 are three prepositional phrases modifying the verb took for time and place, to the Berlin zoo is a prepositional phrase modifying the verb took for place] 4. An absolute phrase usually contains a noun or pronoun and a present or past participle. It modifies the entire sentence that it is in. Zoos being top city attractions, the Berlin zoo is not to be missed. [absolute phrase contains present participle] Our trip nearly finished, we decided to spend our last day at the Berlin zoo. [absolute phrase contains past participle] 5. A verbal phrase contains a verb part that functions not as a verb, but rather as a noun or an adjective. Verbals are either infinitives, present participles, or past participles (non - finite verb forms). As opposed to absolute phrases, verbal phrases modify part of a sentence but not the whole sentence Visiting the Berlin zoo, we were amazed by the beauty of the exotically designed animal enclosures. [present participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying we] .

Those prases are titles that old kings and rulers used to have. "Cyrus the great" implies that Cyrus accomplished great things during his rule and was given the title "the great" after his name. "Great Cyrus" means the same thing as "Cyrus the great", but is not used.