Download Clauses, Phrases, and their Effects on Writing

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Clauses, Phrases, and their Effects on Writing
By Ryan Friend
Phrases vs. clauses
Phrases are small groups of words standing together as a conceptual unit. They can be as
short as one word.
Clauses are phrases that have a subject and a predicate. Every complete sentence has a main
clause, or independent clause. Many sentences also have subordinate clauses, or dependent
clauses.
Main clauses
Main/independent clauses are the main subject, verb, and (if applicable) object of the
sentence, with the articles that modify them.
Suzie rode her bicycle.

“Her” modifies “bicycle” and is a pronoun article.
Subordinate clauses
Subordinate clauses have a subject and verb (and sometimes object) but do not stand alone.
Adverbial subordinate clause: When Suzie rode her bicycle to the store, she fell down and
scraped her knee.

Adverb phrase modifying the compound verb “fell” and “scraped.”
Adjectival subordinate clause: Suzie, who was riding her bicycle to the store, fell down and
scraped her knee.

Adjective clause modifying the subject “Suzie”
Placement of clauses
Clauses can occur at the beginning, middle, and end of the sentence.
Beginning: When Suzie rode her bicycle to the store, she fell down and scraped her knee.
Middle (between subject and verb): Suzie, when she rode her bicycle to the store, fell down
and scraped her knee.
End: Suzie fell down and scraped her knee when she rode her bicycle to the store.

All of these are adverb clauses modifying the compound verb “fell” and “scraped.”
Noun
Noun clause
Clauses can function as nouns in the sentence.
Subject
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What Suzie said surprised her mother.
Direct object
Suzie’s mother asked her when she would ride her bicycle to the store.

“When she would ride…” is a noun clause acting as the direct object of “asked.” “Her”
is the indirect object.
Adverb
Clauses can act as adverbs.
Kinds of Adverbial Clauses
How?
1. Manner
Suzie rode her bike as if the Nazgul were after her.

Modifies “rode”
The hobbit packed his bags exactly the way he wanted them to be.
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Modifies “packed”
2. Concession
Suzie kept riding, even though her knee hurt from falling off.
Modifies “kept riding”
The hobbit couldn’t bring his cooking pots, though he wanted to.
Modifies “couldn’t bring”
3. Comparison
Suzie could ride her bike as fast as her older sister could.
Modifies “fast”
One hobbit was much fatter than the other was.
Modifies “fatter”
When?
4. Time
When Suzie rode her bicycle to the store, she fell off and scraped her knee.


Modifies “fell” and “scraped”
The hobbits were amazed when they heard the elves sing.
Modifies “were amazed”
Where?

5. Place
Suzie rode where she had fallen off the day before.
Modifies “rode”
Wherever the hobbits got hungry, they stopped and had a snack.
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Modifies “stopped” and “had”
Why?
6. Condition
If Suzy falls off her bike again, her mother will not let her ride to the store.
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Modifies “will not let”
The world would have ended if the hobbits hadn’t finished their quest.
Modifies “would have ended”
7. Purpose
Suzy rode to the store to buy some milk.
Modifies “rode”
In order to save the world, the hobbits walked to Mordor.
Modifies “walked”
8. Reason
Suzy fell off her bike because her shoelaces got caught in the chain.
Modifies “fell”
Since they were too heavy to carry, Samwise had to leave his cooking pans.
Modifies “had”
9. Result
Suzy’s shoelace got so tangled that she fell off her bike.
Modifies “got tangled”
The hobbits showed such bravery that they were honored by the king.
Modifies “showed”
Kinds of adverbial phrases
(Remember that phrases can be just one word. Practice figuring out what each adverb
modifies.)
1. Manner
Suzie rode her bike quickly.
The hobbit packed his bags meticulously.
2. Place
Suzie fell off her bike there.
The hobbit invited the wizard inside.
3. Time
Suzie came home late.
The hobbits ate then.
4. Duration
Suzie rode her bicycle for hours.
The hobbits ate then.
5. Frequency
Suzie rode her bicycle every day.
Hobbits like to eat six times a day.
6. Focusing
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7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
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Suzie only rode her bicycle.
Hobbits mostly do not like adventures.
Degree
Suzie did not knot her shoelaces enough and they tangled in her bike.
Hobbits are extremely brave.
Certainty or necessity
Suzie will probably be more careful next time.
The hobbits certainly enjoyed their adventure.
Evaluative
Luckily, Suzie only skinned her knee.
The hobbits unfortunately did not see any dragons.
Viewpoint
Personally, I think that Suzie rides her bike too fast.
The hobbits obviously wanted to save the world.
Linking
Suzie therefore learned to ride more carefully.
The hobbits nevertheless were happy to go home.
Adjective
Kinds of adjective clauses
Adjective clauses are also known as relative clauses.
Adjective clauses always begin with a relative pronoun (who, whom, whose, that, which).
Adjective clauses can also begin with a relative adverb (when, where, why, how).
Modifying the subject:
Suzie, who was riding her bicycle to the store, fell off and scraped her knee.
The hobbits, who would have preferred to stay peacefully at home, were swept off into an
adventure.
Modifying the direct object:
Suzie rode her bicycle, which she had gotten for her birthday.
The hobbits stopped at the resting spot where they had seen the elves.
Modifying any other noun
Kinds of adjective phrases
Modifying the subject:
Suzie, sprawled on the pavement, realized she should have tied her shoelaces tighter.
The hobbit in his hole did not know a wizard was outside his door.
Modifying the direct object:
Suzie rode her bright pink bicycle.
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The hobbit threw a long-expected party.
Modifying any other noun
Adjective phrases and clauses modifying pronouns
Indefinite pronouns
The hobbit thought he was nobody special.
Bring with you someone whom you can trust.
Predicate phrases

Used with copulative verbs
Predicate nominatives (nouns)
He was a mess.
He looked a mess.
Clause: He was who I was looking for.
Predicate adverbs
He was outside.
He looked outside.
Clause: It was when we went to summer camp.
Clause: He looked how he wanted.
We’ll roll ourselves down the counter, out of the window, off the awning, into the bushes,
across the street, and into the harbor. –Gill from Finding Nemo
The lightning ball struck our house, cut the telephone wires, burnt the window frame, and then buried itself in
a tub of water which was underneath. (Alternative construction that does not use adverbs)
Predicate adjectives
He was tired
He looked tired.
Predicate adjective clause
(I don’t think a predicate adjective clause exists.)
Prepositional phrases
Like predicate phrases, prepositional phrases can act as adjectives, adverbs, and nouns.
Adjective
The Dalek with the green paint job said ‘Exterminate! Exterminate!’
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Adverb
He looked around the house.
Noun
She asked about the preposition party.
Participial Phrases
Adverbial
Suzie pedaled, pulling the wagon behind her.
The hobbits trudged along, dragging their packs.
Adjectival
Suzie, mashing her brakes with her hands, skidded to a halt.
Heaving a sigh, the hobbit stood up.
Really terrible ones
Sobbing uncontrollably, the bicycle lay on top of Suzie’s twisted ankle. (dangling modifier)
Reaching into the larder, the hobbit pulled out a large ham. (impossible sequence of events)
Effects
Phrases and clauses
Phrases and clauses slow down the sentence and draw attention. This is great if this is the
effect you are going for. But be careful that you do not slow your sentences down for a meaningless
word or idea.
Phrases, especially prepositional phrases, can give rhythm as well. Example: We’ll roll ourselves
down the counter, out of the window, off the awning, into the bushes, across the street, and into the harbor. –Gill
from Finding Nemo. This can help your flow.
Speed index: Slowest
Adverbs
Adverbs slow down the sentence as well, but single-word adverbs do not slow the sentence
down as much as adverb phrases and clauses.
In most writing, adverbs are lazy. They cover for an author not picking the right verb in the
first place. Don’t say He ran quickly, say, He sprinted. Don’t say, He breathed heavily, say, He wheezed. 90%
of the time if you are tempted to modify a verb with an adverb, you need to choose a better verb.
This doesn’t apply if you are using adverbs to slow down your writing. For example, She
neatly folded the letter, slid it slowly into its envelope, and carefully fixed a stamp exactly in the right-hand corner. In
this sentence, the adverbs reflect the slow, deliberate actions in the sentence.
Not all adverbs are bad. But most adverbs are used badly.
Speed index: Second slowest
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Adjectives
Adjectives modify nouns and are therefore much quicker and punchier than adverbs. They
are also usually not representative of lazy writing.
He is a madman with a big blue box.
Speed index: Second fastest
Nouns
Nouns are fast and punchy. Write verbs and nouns and the pages will flip themselves. Need
proof? Read these four sentences.
Speed index: Fastest
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