15.1 Introduction

A sentence is made up of phrases and clauses. Understanding the difference between them is essential for mastering English grammar.

• Phrase: A group of words that work together but do not have both a subject and a verb.
• Clause: A group of words that do contain both a subject and a verb.

✅ Example:

• Phrase: “in the morning” (no subject or verb)
• Clause: “She wakes up early” (has a subject: “She” and a verb: “wakes up”)

Let’s explore both in detail!

15.2 Phrases

What is a Phrase?

A phrase is a group of words that act as a single part of speech. It does not have both a subject and a verb.

Types of Phrases

1️⃣ Noun Phrase (Acts as a noun)

✅ Example:

• The tall boy won the race. (“Tall boy” is the noun phrase acting as the subject.)
• She wants to buy a new phone.

2️⃣ Verb Phrase (Contains the main verb and helping verbs)

✅ Example:

• She has been working since morning.
• He will call you soon.

3️⃣ Adjective Phrase (Describes a noun)

✅ Example:

• The house with red doors is mine.
• She is very intelligent.

4️⃣ Adverb Phrase (Describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb)

✅ Example:

• He ran very fast.
• She replied in a rude manner.

5️⃣ Prepositional Phrase (Begins with a preposition and acts as an adjective or adverb)

✅ Example:

• The book on the table is mine.
• She walked through the park.

15.3 Clauses

What is a Clause?

A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a verb.

✅ Example:

• She loves music. (Independent clause)
• Because she was tired. (Dependent clause)

Types of Clauses

1️⃣ Independent / Main Clause (Can stand alone as a sentence)

✅ Example:

• I like coffee.
• She went to the market.

2️⃣ Dependent / Subordinate Clause (Cannot stand alone; needs an independent clause)

✅ Example:

• Because it was raining, we stayed inside.
• Although she tried hard, she lost the match.

15.4 Types of Dependent Clauses

1️⃣ Noun Clause (Acts as a noun)

A noun clause replaces a noun in a sentence. It usually begins with that, what, who, where, how, why, if, whether, etc.

✅ Example:

• What she said is true. (Noun clause as subject)
• I don’t know where he lives. (Noun clause as object)

2️⃣ Adjective Clause (Acts as an adjective)

An adjective clause describes a noun. It usually starts with who, whom, whose, which, that, when, where, why.

✅ Example:

• The girl who won the race is my friend.
• I bought a book that has colorful pictures.

3️⃣ Adverb Clause (Acts as an adverb)

An adverb clause modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It starts with although, because, since, unless, until, while, when, as, before, after, if, etc.

✅ Example:

• Because it was late, we left early.
• He ran as fast as he could.

15.5 Difference Between a Clause and a Phrase

Exercises

A. Identify whether the following are phrases or clauses:

1. Walking in the park
2. Because he was sick
3. The tall boy
4. When the rain started
5. Runs very fast

B. Identify the type of clause in the following sentences:

1. I don’t know where he went.
2. The car that I bought is expensive.
3. We stayed inside because it was raining.
4. He will succeed if he works hard.
5. The man who helped me was very kind.

Answers

A. Phrases or Clauses?

1. Walking in the park → Phrase
2. Because he was sick → Clause
3. The tall boy → Phrase
4. When the rain started → Clause
5. Runs very fast → Phrase

B. Types of Clauses

1. I don’t know where he went. → Noun Clause
2. The car that I bought is expensive. → Adjective Clause
3. We stayed inside because it was raining. → Adverb Clause
4. He will succeed if he works hard. → Adverb Clause
5. The man who helped me was very kind. → Adjective Clause