Phrase vs Clause - JHS

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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 a clause?

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A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. It can be independent or dependent.

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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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Example of a phrase:

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"over the mountain" is a phrase because it does not have a subject-verb pair.

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Example of an independent clause:

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"I had a huge cup of coffee" is an independent clause because it expresses a complete thought.

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Example of a dependent clause:

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"Before I went to school" is a dependent clause because it does not express a complete thought.

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How can you identify a phrase?

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A phrase can be identified as it lacks a subject-verb combination and does not convey a complete idea.

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How can you identify an independent clause?

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An independent clause can be identified as it has both a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

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How can you identify a dependent clause?

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A dependent clause can be identified as it has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.