Here's a breakdown:
* Group of words: A phrase is made up of two or more words.
* Functions as a single unit: It acts as a single part of speech, like a noun, adjective, adverb, etc.
* No subject and verb: Unlike a clause, it lacks a subject performing an action (verb).
Let's see some examples:
* "On the table" is a prepositional phrase acting as an adverb, modifying the verb "placed."
* "The beautiful flower" is a noun phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence "The beautiful flower bloomed."
* "Running very quickly" is an adverbial phrase modifying the verb "ran."
Understanding phrases is crucial for sentence structure and grammatical accuracy.