Teaching and learning material

 Phrases and clauses 

February 03, 2023

What is a phrase?

In grammar, a phrase is a group of words that act together as a single unit but don’t contain the things needed to form a sentence: a subject and a predicate. Phrases may contain nouns and verbs, but they cannot function by themselves as complete sentences. If used alone, a phrase would be a sentence fragment and not a sentence. For example, the phrase shiny gold watches is clearly not a complete sentence as it doesn’t have a predicate.

There are several kinds of phrases in English that each serve different grammatical functions. Some examples of different kinds of phrases include:

• Noun phrase: A noun and the words that modify the noun, such as an article and adjectives. Example: the smelly socks
• Gerund phrase: A gerund, its object(s), and any modifiers. Example: hitting nails with a hammer
• Verb phrase: A main verb and other words that act with it to form a predicate, such as helping verbs or adverbs. Example: has been peacefully sleeping
• Prepositional phrase: A preposition, its object(s), and additional modifiers. Example: of my favorite movies
• Adjective phrase: An adjective and its modifiers, usually adverbs. Example: really small

  Examples of phrases in a sentence

  Different kinds of phrases are often used to make more complex sentences.

  • Running laps around the jogging track is really good exercise.
  • The tired, old cat can’t catch mice anymore.
  • Thinking quickly, we put out the fire with a hose.
  • His last Christmas gift to her was a partridge in a pear tree.
  • She quizzically rubbed her chin, thinking about how best to answer the question.

  What is a clause?

• Unlike a phrase, a clause does have both a subject and a predicate, and a clause may be able to stand alone as a complete sentence. For example, the clause Mice eat cheese has both a subject (mice) and a predicate (eat) and would be grammatically correct as a standalone sentence.There are two major types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses. An independent clause can stand by itself as a complete sentence while a dependent clause cannot. Typically, a dependent clause begins with a connecting word, such as a conjunction or a pronoun, that connects it to the rest of the sentence. For example

• • Independent Clause: I am allergic to peanuts
  • Dependent Clause: since I am allergic to peanuts