Identifying Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences

What are the basic components of a sentence?

• Subject and object

• Subject and verb

• Verb and adjective

• Noun and pronoun

What is a phrase?

• A single word

• A series of words that add description

• A punctuation mark

• A complete sentence

Can a phrase exist on its own?

• Yes, it can

• Only if it has a verb

• No, it needs to be part of a sentence

• Only if it has a subject

What is a noun phrase?

• A phrase that contains a pronoun

• A phrase that contains an adjective

• A phrase that contains a noun

• A phrase that contains a verb

What is a verb phrase?

• A phrase that describes a pronoun

• A phrase that describes an action

• A phrase that describes a noun

• A phrase that describes an adjective

What happens when you combine a noun phrase with a verb phrase?

• You get a more interesting sentence

• You get a clause

• You get a simple sentence

• You get a fragment

What is a clause?

• A series of words without a subject

• A series of words without a verb

• A series of words with both a subject and a verb

• A series of words with neither a subject nor a verb

What additional information does a clause provide?

• It provides a detailed description of a verb

• It provides a detailed description of an adjective

• It provides more information about the subject

• It provides a detailed description of a noun

What is the moral of the sentence 'The cat with the extraordinarily long tail ran through the courtyard singing show tunes but he didn’t make it to the bus on time'?

• Never run through courtyards

• Cats should not sing

• Save your singing for the shower

• Always run fast

How can knowledge of phrases and clauses improve your writing?

• It makes your sentences more complex

• It makes your sentences longer

• It makes your sentences more interesting and fun to read

• It makes your sentences harder to understand