Clauses & Phrases

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What is a clause?

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A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. It can be independent (able to stand alone) or dependent (cannot stand alone).

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What is a phrase?

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A phrase is a group of words that does not contain a subject-verb pair and functions as a single part of speech.

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What is an independent clause?

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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?

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

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What is a subordinate clause?

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A subordinate clause is another term for a dependent clause; it provides additional information but cannot stand alone.

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What is an appositive phrase?

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An appositive phrase is a noun or noun phrase that renames or provides additional information about another noun.

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How are commas used with appositive phrases?

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Commas are placed on both sides of an appositive phrase when it is non-restrictive (not essential to the meaning of the sentence).

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What is a prepositional phrase?

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A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun, providing additional information about time, location, or direction.

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What is the function of a phrase in a sentence?

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A phrase functions as a single part of speech, such as a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb, and adds meaning to the sentence.

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What is the difference between a clause and a phrase?

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A clause contains a subject and a verb and can be independent or dependent, while a phrase does not contain both and cannot stand alone.