Phrases and Clauses

Front

What is a phrase?

Back

A phrase is a group of words that does not contain a subject-verb pair and does not express a complete thought.

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What is a clause?

Back

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. It can express a complete thought (independent clause) or an incomplete thought (dependent clause).

Front

What is an independent clause?

Back

An independent clause is a clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence because it expresses a complete thought.

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What is a dependent clause?

Back

A dependent clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence because it does not express a complete thought.

Front

Can a phrase contain a subject and a verb?

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No, a phrase cannot contain both a subject and a verb that work together to express a complete thought.

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Give an example of a phrase.

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An example of a phrase is 'the quick brown fox'.

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Give an example of an independent clause.

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An example of an independent clause is 'The sun is shining'.

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Give an example of a dependent clause.

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An example of a dependent clause is 'because it was raining'.

Front

What is the difference between a phrase and a clause?

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The main difference is that a clause contains a subject and a verb and can express a complete thought (if independent), while a phrase does not.

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What role do phrases play in sentences?

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Phrases can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in sentences, providing additional information.