Phrases, Clauses & Sentences
(Basic Introduction)
Sentences
Sentence - a group of words which makes complete sense (meaning is complete).
He is in the kitchen.
A sentence must have a subject and a verb (predicate) - Subject-Verb combination.
It can be composed of one or more than one clause.
The four basic types of sentences — simple, compound, complex, and compound‐complex — use phrases and clauses in varying degrees of complexity.
Clauses
A clause is a group of words which forms part of a sentence.
Like a sentence they contain a Subject and a Verb (Predicate) - subject-verb combination
But unlike a sentence their meaning may or may not be complete.
- If the meaning is complete - Can stand on its own (Independent clause)
- If the meaning is incomplete - Cannot stand on its own (Dependent clause)
Dependent clause needs an independent clause to complete a sentence.
| Dependent/Subordinate Clause | Independent/Principal/Main Clause |
|---|---|
| Although he is rich, | he will not give her some of his money. |
| Whatever they decide, | I will raise an objection. |
Dependent clauses often begin with such words as although, since, if, when, while, whenever, whatever, before, after, unless and because.
We could easily turn independent clauses into complete sentences by adding appropriate punctuation marks.
Phrases
A phrase is a group of words which forms part of a clause/sentence.
Unlike a sentence, their meaning is not complete.
Also, unlike a sentence or a clause, subject-verb combination is missing.
Examples:
The boy in the blue shirt is my cousin. (noun phrase)
He will be working late. (verb phrase)
Nadal is afraid of the dark. (adjective phrases)
Usain bolt can run really fast. (adverb phrases)
- So, phrases can’t be used alone. They can be a part of a sentence or a clause, where they function as parts of speech.
A clause and a phrase may co-exist in a sentence.
He is jogging in the garden. (in the garden - phrase)
Early in the morning, he was jogging in the garden. (Early in the morning - phrase; in the garden - phrase)
While he was jogging in the garden, a stray dog chased him. (While he was jogging in the garden - clause; in the garden - phrase)
Summary
Extra Books and Tools
If you prefer to learn via books, or want some good English Grammar books for reference purposes, you may read this article which enlists some of the books recommended by us.