Phrases vs. Clauses: Definition of Clause and Phrase

LESSON THREE (03)
PHRASES vs. CLAUSES
In order to punctuate sentences correctly and avoid fragments, we need to know the
difference betweentwo kinds of word groups: phrases and clauses.
We can see the difference in the following two groups of words:
1. the bus to Eastmont Mall

2. the bus goes to Eastmont Mall
In the second group of words, we can identify a subject-verb unit, while in the first we
cannot.
To find the subject-verb units in sentences, follow these two steps:
1. First find the verb by applying the time test: change the time or tense of the
sentence; the wordyou change is the verb.
In number 2, we can change:
The bus goes to Eastmont Mall.

to: The bus went to Eastmont Mall. (yesterday)
or: The bus will go to Eastmont Mall. (tomorrow)
When we change the time, we have to change goes to went or to will go, so to go is
the verb.
2. To find the subject, ask "Who or what does the action of the verb?” What “goes?”
The answer is:
the bus, so the bus is the subject of the verb.
(Alternatively, one can ask what is the first noun in the sentence, and that is almost
always going tobe the subject of the sentence.)
DEFINITION OF CLAUSE AND PHRASE:
• A clause is a group of words with a subject-verb unit; the 2nd group of words
contains thesubject-verb unit the bus goes, so it is a clause.
• A phrase is a group of words without a subject-verb unit. If we try to change the

time or tense ofthe lst group of words, we cannot, because it contains no word that
changes to show time ortense. It has no verb, so it can't have a subject-verb unit. It is a
phrase.
HOW TO FIND A PHRASE vs A CLAUSE
To find out if a group of words is a complete sentence, you can use this trick: Add Is
1
it true that before thewords. If the question does not make sense, the group of words is
a sentence fragment. If the questiondoes make sense, the group of words is a complete
sentence. Consider the examples below.
1. Is it true that the bus to Eastmont Mall?

2. Is it true that the bus goes to Eastmont Mall?
The first question above does not make sense. It does have a subject (“the bus”). But
it does not have averb, and it is not a complete idea. It is a phrase, and hence a
sentence fragment.
However, the second question does make sense. It has a subject and a verb and is a
complete idea.
Therefore, “The bus goes to Eastmont Mall” is clause, and it is also a complete
sentence.
PHRASE PRACTICE
Which of the following groups of words are phrases? Which are clauses? Following
the guidelines forfinding subject-verb units in sentences, label each one. If there is no
main verb, it is a phrase.
Example:
my cousin in Richmond phrase
Is it true that my cousin in Richmond?
The question doesn’t make sense; it is a phrase.
my cousin lives in Richmond clause

Is it true that my cousin lives in Richmond?
The question makes sense, and is a clause
1. a melodic new single

2. he released a melodic new single
3. some rappers have no sense of melody at all
4. rappers with no sense of melody at all
5. the last single from Lil Wayne
6. the last single from Lil Wayne failed commercially
7. a one-man corporation
8. Lil Wayne is a one-man corporation
9. He was in a coma for six frightening days in 2013
10. Carter gave a thumbs up to TMZ cameras.
11. he sounds terminally bored
12. on the last release
PHRASES (CONTINUED)
Special Kinds of Phrases:

Our goal here is to fix fragments, run-ons, and comma splices, and to fix all of these,
2
we have toknow the difference between a phrase and a clause. Here are two kinds of
phrases thatsometimes look like clauses.
1) -ing phrases: When you look for verbs in sentences, remember that the -ing form
of a wordcannot be a verb all by itself, so the group of words ‘succeeding in school
despite working full time’ is a phrase, not a clause.
To make this phrase into a clause, we need to complete the verb byadding a form of
the verb be:
The student was succeeding in school despite working full time.
We can make sure that an -ing word is part of a main verb by checking to see if the -
ing wordfollows a form of the verb to be (am, is, are, was, were, will be, has been,
have been, had been, willhave been).
Examples:
Trevor is working as a security guard.
Trevor was working as a security guard last year.
Trevor has been working as a security guard for three years.
2) another kind of phrase: It's obvious that "happy people" is a phrase. But so is
"people who arehappy." A special kind of phrase follows this pattern:
noun + who people who are happy

noun + which habits which annoy me
noun + that dog that lives next door
Even though these structures contain a verb, they are still considered phrases because
the nounbefore the who, which, or that does not have its own verb. These phrases
modify nouns insentences:
People who are happy often have creative hobbies.

My brother has many habits which annoy me.
The dog that lives next door is friendly to everyone.
These phrases set off by words like who, which, or that (relative pronouns) do not
count as clauses.

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LESSON THREE (03)

PHRASES vs. CLAUSES

We can see the difference in the following two groups of words:

1. the bus to Eastmont Mall

To find the subject-verb units in sentences, follow these two steps:

The bus goes to Eastmont Mall.

the bus, so the bus is the subject of the verb.

DEFINITION OF CLAUSE AND PHRASE:

• A phrase is a group of words without a subject-verb unit. If we try to change the

HOW TO FIND A PHRASE vs A CLAUSE

1. Is it true that the bus to Eastmont Mall?

my cousin lives in Richmond clause

1. a melodic new single

Special Kinds of Phrases:

The student was succeeding in school despite working full time.

noun + who people who are happy

People who are happy often have creative hobbies.

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