Notes on Phrases and Clauses

Phrase
A group of words that acts like a single part of speech It DOES NOT contain a subject and a verb; therefore, it cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Prepositional Phrase
a group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun
that noun or pronoun is called the object of the preposition answers the question what? or whom? about the preposition

acts like either an adjective or an adverb

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Prepositional Phrase
Example: The little girl rode around the block on her bicycle. Both act like adverbs telling where and how she rode

Participial Phrase
begins with a participlea verb form that ends in ing, -ed, d, n, or any other verb ending ends with the object of the participlea noun or pronoun that answers the question what? Acts like an adjective

Participial Phrase
Examples:
The teacher, trying to maintain order, raised her hand for quiet. The winner of the race, worn out from running, fell to the ground.

Appositive and Appositive Phrase

Noun or pronoun, along with its modifiers, that follows and renames another noun or pronoun Can also be a single word

Appositive and Appositive Phrase

Examples:
My sister Lisa is a phlebotomist, a type of vampire. Lisa, my sister, is a phlebotomist, a type of vampire.

Infinitive and Infinitive Phrase

an infinitive plus its modifiers and objects an infinitive consists of to plus a verb and can act like a noun, an adjective, or an adverb the object of an infinitive answers the question what? about the infinitive. An infinitive doesnt have to have an object.

Infinitive and Infinitive Phrase

Examples:
He likes to eat pepperoni pizza.
What does he like to eat? object = pizza

I want to watch TV.

What do I want to watch? object = TV

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Gerund and Gerund Phrase

Consists of a gerund plus its modifiers and objects A gerund is a verb form that ends in ing and acts like a noun The object of the gerund follows the gerund and answers the question what? about the gerund.
A gerund looks like a verb but acts like a noun.
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Gerund and Gerund Phrase

Examples:
Writing long essays can be fun.
Writing what?

I like eating pizza.

Eating what?

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Verb phrase
Consists of a main verb and all its helping verbs The main verb is the last word in the verb phrase The verbs that come in front of the main verb are the helping verbs Helping verbs assist in establishing the time of the verb
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Verb phrase
Examples:
I am swimming. I was swimming. I have been swimming.
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Examples of Phrases
around the block (prepositional phrase) trying to maintain order (participial phrase) swimming laps (gerund phrase) a poem about young love (appositive phrase) to become an archaeologist (infinitive phrase) Has been running (verb phrase)
Note: these do not begin with a capital letter, and they dont end with a period because they are not complete sentences.

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Phrase (continued)
If you try to disguise a phrase as a sentence, you only have a sentence fragment, an incomplete sentence. To exist, a phrase must be part of a larger group of words that expresses a complete thought.
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Phrase (continued)
Phrases most frequently act like: Nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions You can have the following types of phrases: Prepositional, participial, verb, noun, appositive, infinitive, and gerund.
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Clause

a group of words that contains a subject and a verb

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Two Kinds of Clauses

1. Dependent clause 2. Independent clause

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Dependent Clause
a group of words that contains a subject and a verb BUT it does not express a complete thought, and It cannot stand alone as a sentence. Can also be called a subordinate clause

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Dependent Clause (continued)

If you try to disguise a dependent clause as a sentence, you only have a sentence fragment, an incomplete sentence. To exist, a dependent clause must be attached to an independent clause. Dependent clauses act like nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
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Examples of Dependent Clauses

After we went to the mall When the dog ran down the street Because we didnt understand the questions While you were sleeping Before the bell rang, the classroom was quiet.
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Independent Clause
A group of words that contains a subject and a verb It expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence. It can also be called a main clause. The definition of an independent clause is basically the same as the definition of a sentence.
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Examples of Independent Clauses

We ate at Pizza Hut. He finished his homework assignments early in the afternoon. She wore her new dress to the Homecoming Dance. Alley caught the blue lizard.

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Four Types of Sentences:

classified according to structure 1. Simple sentencecontains one independent clause and no dependent clauses
Sue laughed. Jane cried.

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Four Types of Sentences:

classified according to structure 2. Compound sentencecontains at least two independent clauses
Sue laughed, and Jane cried. Sue laughed; Jane cried. Sue laughed; however, Jane cried.

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Four Types of Sentences:

classified according to structure 3. Complex sentencecontains one independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses
When Sue laughed, Jane cried. Sue laughed when Jane cried.

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Four Types of Sentences:

classified according to structure 4. Compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses plus one or more dependent clauses.
Sue laughed, and Jane cried because she was sad. Because she was sad, Jane cried; however, Sue laughed.
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