Download What is a Phrase? What is a Clause?

What is a Phrase?
 A phrase is a group of related words that
does not contain a subject and a verb.
 Common phrases:
 Prepositional Phrases
 Infinitive Phrases
 Participial Phrases
 Gerund Phrases
Prepositional Phrase
 Begins with a preposition (in, on, under,
over, around, of, about, through, etc.)
 Followed by an object and any modifiers
 Functions as an adjective or adverb
 Examples:
Everyone in the class wrote an essay.
The boys walked through the woods.
Infinitive Phrase
 Begins with an infinitive: “to” + verb
 Followed by an object and any modifiers
 Functions as a noun, adjective or adverb
 Examples:
To exercise every day is a good habit.
I was relieved to finish my project.
Participial Phrase
 Begins with a participle: verb ending in
“-ed,” “-en,” or “-ing”
 Followed by an object and any modifiers
 Functions as an adjective
 Example:
The marine biologist diving near a reef saw
a shark.
Gerund Phrase
 Begins with a gerund: verb ending in “-ing”
 Followed by object and any modifiers
 Functions as a noun
 Example:
Working in groups builds teamwork.
What is a Clause?
 A clause is a group of related words that
contains both a subject and a verb.
 Types of clauses:
 Independent Clause
 Dependent Clause
Independent Clause
 Contains a subject and a verb
 Makes a complete statement or idea
 Can stand alone as a sentence
 Example: This school is a technical college.
Dependent Clause
 Contains a subject and a verb
 Does not make a complete statement or
idea
 Cannot stand alone as a sentence
 Begins with a subordinating conjunction
(after, although, as, because, before, even
though, if, since, so that, until, when,
whenever, while) or a relative pronoun
(that, which, who, whom, whose)
 Examples:
Because the student prepared for the
exam, she answered all of the questions
correctly.
The uniform that I am required to wear is
green and brown.