Phrase and Clause What is the difference?

Phrase--Definition A phrase is a group of words that is used as a single part of speech that does NOT contain a verb and its subject Examples: with soft brown fur under the dining table after the high school football game

A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and its subject Clause--Definition A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and its subject The stallion tossed his mane happily. Examples: The barbed-wire fence guards the house. After the last sailboat crossed the finish line

Clause—Definition (cont.) TWO MAIN TYPES OF CLAUSES: Dependent clause (also called subordinate clause) Cannot stand alone as a sentence Must be attached to an independent clause Independent clause Can stand alone as a sentence Expresses a complete thought The stallion tossed his mane happily. After the last sailboat crossed the finish line (cannot stand alone) The barbed-wire fence guards the house.

Examples Phrase Clause After school, the two friends rode their bikes to the beach. Riding quickly, the boys arrived at the shore. Clause Dependent clause Independent clause After the school day ended, the boys rode their bikes. Independent clause Dependent clause They swam at the beach until their mothers called them.

Clause and Phrase: Practice Identify the bold-faced words in each sentence. With every step, her pace quickened. a. phrase b. clause Before the rain fell, she quickly planted her flowers. a. phrase b. clause The girls saw a shooting star while they were camping. a. phrase b. clause We saw an elephant at the zoo in the city. a. phrase b. clause You try it: On separate paper, Write 3 sentences and identify the phrases and clauses.

Verb Verb—a word that tells of an action or a state of being Examples of action verbs: run, drive, sweep Examples of being verbs: is, am are, was, were

Subject Subject—the word or words in a sentence that tells the person, place, thing or idea that is spoken about in the rest of the sentence Examples of subjects: Simple subject is underlined. Complete subject is boldfaced. The girl with the brown hair was sitting on the bench at the park. After school, the two friends rode their bikes to the beach.

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