Clauses and 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 express a complete thought (independent clause) or an incomplete thought (dependent clause).

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What is an independent clause?

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An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence. It has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

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What is a dependent clause?

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A dependent clause is a group of words that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.

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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 does not express a complete thought.

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What is an adjective clause?

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An adjective clause is a dependent clause that modifies a noun or pronoun, providing more information about it.

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What is an adverb clause?

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An adverb clause is a dependent clause that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb, explaining when, where, why, or how something happens.

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What is an adjective phrase?

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An adjective phrase is a group of words that describes a noun or pronoun but does not contain a subject and verb.

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What is an adverb phrase?

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An adverb phrase is a group of words that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb, indicating how, when, where, or to what extent.

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Example of an independent clause:

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"She loves to read books." This can stand alone as a complete sentence.

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Example of a dependent clause:

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"Because she loves to read" cannot stand alone and needs an independent clause to form a complete sentence.