Phrases
* Definition: A group of related words that does not contain a subject and verb. They act as a single unit within a sentence.
* Examples:
* "In the garden" (prepositional phrase)
* "Running quickly" (participial phrase)
* "The big, red ball" (adjective phrase)
Clauses
* Definition: A group of words that contains a subject and a verb. They express a complete thought.
* Types:
* Independent Clause: Can stand alone as a complete sentence. (Example: "The dog barked loudly.")
* Dependent Clause: Cannot stand alone; needs an independent clause to make sense. (Example: "Because the dog barked loudly, the cat ran away.")
The Relationship
* Phrases are building blocks of clauses: Phrases often act as parts of a clause.
* Example: "The big, red ball" (adjective phrase) is the subject of the independent clause "The big, red ball bounced high."
* Clauses are building blocks of sentences: Clauses combine to form longer, more complex sentences.
* Example: "The dog barked loudly" (independent clause) and "because it was scared" (dependent clause) combine to make the sentence "The dog barked loudly because it was scared."
Key Differences
* Complete thought: Clauses express complete thoughts, while phrases do not.
* Subject and Verb: Clauses have both a subject and a verb, while phrases lack one or both.
In Summary
Think of phrases as ingredients and clauses as dishes. You need ingredients (phrases) to make a dish (clause), and you can combine dishes (clauses) to make a complete meal (sentence).