Adjectives: Grammar – Phrases and Clauses
Sentence
A sentence expresses a full thought and is the basic structure of language.
A sentence is a group of words that conveys a statement, a question, an exclamation, or a command. It typically has a subject and a predicate and usually has a main clause with one or more supporting clauses.
Phrases and Clauses
Let us first define what a “phrase” is.
A phrase is a collection of words employed as a single unit of speech without a subject or verb.
It can be categorized into a variety of kinds depending on the type of function it performs, including the following:
- Noun Phrase
- Verb Phrase
- Adverb/Adverbial Phrase
- Prepositional Phrase
- Adjective/Adjectival Phrase
Examples:
- My friend is a good football player.
In the above example, the two groups of words “my friend” and “a good football player” are phrases.
- James and Jackal (noun phrase)
- Have been searching (verb phrase)
- Beside the trees (prepositional phrase)
- Extremely well (adverb phrase)
- The building is on 2nd Street (noun phrase)
Let us now examine what a clause is.
A set of words known as a clause has both a subject and a predicate (or a verb).
A clause’s subject may be revealed or left unmentioned, but the verb must be clear and distinct.
A clause may function as a whole or partial sentence.
Depending on what function they perform in a sentence, they can be split into two categories. The various clause varieties include:
- Main Clause or Independent Clause
- Subordinate Clause or Dependent Clause
Note: A sentence can have more than one clause.
Examples:
- As soon as I reach home (dependent or subordinate clause)
- I did not bring my umbrella. (independent clause)
- When the little boy saw his mother (dependent or subordinate clause)
- Collect your parcel from the courier office. (independent clause)
- Though we left home early (dependent or subordinate clause)
Difference between Phrase and Clause
A phrase is a component or a part of a sentence that is made up of several words that add details about the subject, action, or event being discussed. In addition, unlike phrases, a clause is a part of a sentence that consists of a subject and a verb.
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