Phrases and Clauses:

 

               Phrases and Clauses:

 

A sentence in English language can divided into various parts. Each part of a sentence serves its relative purpose and has some specific characteristics. While all of this seems simple, there is still a lot of confusion that arise between different parts of a sentence. One of the most puzzling pair of speeches is a clause and a phrase.

Clauses and phrases are two very different parts of a sentence but some of their similar features make it difficult for the learners of English language to distinguish between the two. In this article, we will discuss both clauses and phrases and what separates the two of them. More importantly, we will talk about some easy ways to tell the both of them apart.

There are many different types of phrases and clauses. The first step to identifying the different types, though, is to understand the difference between a phrase and a clause.

A phrase is a related group of words. The words work together as a "unit," but they do not have a subject and a verb.

 

Examples of Phrases

1. the boy on the bus (noun phrase)

2. will be running (verb phrase)

3. in the kitchen (prepositional phrase)

4. very quickly (adverb phrase)

5. Martha and Jan (noun phrase)

 

A clause is a group of words that does have both a subject and a verb. Some clauses are independent, meaning that they express a complete thought. An independent clause is the same as a complete sentence. Some clauses are dependent, meaning that they cannot stand alone. They do have a subject and a verb, but they do not express a complete thought. Another word for dependent is subordinate.

 

Examples of Clauses

1. When I get home (dependent or subordinate clause)

2. The lights are not on. (independent clause)

3. When you wake up (dependent or subordinate clause)

4. Put it on the shelf. (independent clause-understood subject "you)

5. Since it fell on the floor (dependent or subordinate clause)

 

Difference Between Phrase & Clause
Phrase	Clause
A group of words standing together as a conceptual unit and do not have a subject and a verb	A grammatical arrangement that contains a set of words having a subject and a verb.
Phrase is component of a clause	Clause is a component of a complete sentence
Each word of a phrase has a meaning but collectively it does not form complete sense like a sentence. i.e. it does not give a complete meaning when standalone	Clause gives complete meaning and can even be a complete sentence when standalone
A part of sentence without the two parts of speech i.e. Sentence and Predicate and  (does not convey any idea)	A part of sentence having the two parts of speech i.e. Subject and Predicate (gives complete idea)
Phrase Example –  Fish Swims in the Water She is sleeping on the floor They will meet at the concert Over the horizon She is sketching on the Wall	Clause Example –  Fish Swims in the water She is sleeping on the floor They will meet at the concert He smiled She is sketching on the Wall

Noun Phrase -

 "The crazy old lady in the park feeds the pigeons every day." A noun phrase consists of a noun and all of its modifiers, which can include other phrases (like the prepositional phrase in the park). More examples. o Appositive Phrase - "Bob, my best friend, works here" or "My best friend Bob works here." An appositive (single word, phrase, or clause) renames another noun, not technically modifying it. See this page from the Armchair Grammarian for everything you ever wanted to know about appositives. o Gerund Phrase - "I love baking cakes." A gerund phrase is just a noun phrase with a gerund as its head. o Infinitive Phrase - "I love to bake cakes." An infinitive phrase is a noun phrase with an infinitive as its head. Unlike the other noun phrases, however, an infinitive phrase can also function as an adjective or an adverb. More examples.  Verb Phrase - The verb phrase can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence (I was watching my favorite show yesterday) or just the verb or verb group (was watching).  Adverbial Phrase - The adverbial phrase also has two definitions; some say it's a group of adverbs (very quickly), while others say it's any phrase (usually a prepositional phrase) that acts as an adverb -- see this second definition.  Adjectival Phrase - As with adverbial phrases, adjectival phrases can either refer to a group of adjectives (full of toys) or any phrase (like a participial or prepositional phrase) that acts as an adjective -- see this second definition.  Participial Phrase - "Crushed to pieces by a sledgehammer, the computer no longer worked" or "I think the guy sitting over there likes you." A participial phrase has a past or present participle as its head. Participial phrases always function as adjectives. ELAGSE9-10L1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. b. Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations. Notes on Phrases and Clauses  Prepositional Phrase - "The food on the table looked delicious." A prepositional phrase, which has a preposition as its head, can function as an adjective, adverb, or even as a noun.  Absolute Phrase - "My cake finally baking in the oven, I was free to rest for thirty minutes." Unlike participial phrases, absolute phrases have subjects and modify the entire sentence, not one noun. Almost a clause, the absolute phrase can include every sentence element except a finite verb. For example, "My cake finally baking in the oven" would be its own sentence if you just added one finite verb: "My cake was finally baking in the oven." See Absolute Phrase for more.