Difference Between Phrase and Clause

Difference between Phrase and Clause for English Language: Using phrases and clauses is fundamental to writing because they enable the writer to construct complex sentence frameworks. Both of those things are collections of words. The primary distinction between a phrase and a sentence is that the latter includes neither a subject nor a predicate, whereas the former does. A phrase, on the other hand, does contain a predicate.

Difference between Phrase and Clause

If you’re getting ready for government exams, take the time to read about the difference between phrases and clauses. English is an important part of many government exams, so understanding this topic can help you in your preparation.

What is a Phrase?

One definition of “phrase” is “a combination of multiple words that are related to one another and act as a single unit but do not contain a subject-verb pairing.” A phrase can consist of anywhere from two to ten syllables. It is incorporated into a phrase or statement elaborating on a topic by providing additional information.

When added to a clause, a phrase does not contribute any new information to the meaning of the sentence because it lacks a subject and a verb; however, it does clarify the context of the sentence.

Types of Phrases

• Noun Phrase: A noun sentence elaborates on the meaning of the word it refers to. It consists of a word as well as distinguishing adjectives and adverbs. 
• Adjective Phrase: A collection of words that describe a term or pronoun in a statement is known as an adjective phrase.
• Adverb Phrase: A collection of sentences that performs the function of an adverb is referred to as an adverb phrase.
• Prepositional Phrase: The information prepositional sentences provide can be broken down into three categories: time, place, and circumstance. Always at the beginning of the sentence is where you’ll find the preposition.

Examples of Phrases in a Sentence

•  The disabled boy was left out of the entire journey.
• The deceased person was gentle and smart.
• The last time you ate anything since morning.
• You might enjoy a meal with us.
• He was excited to become the leader of the group.

What is a Clause?

In contrast to phrases, clauses always include both a subject and a predicate; sometimes, a clause can function as a fully-fledged sentence. For instance, the phrase Mice consume cheese would be grammatically accurate if it were to be used as a standalone sentence because it contains both a subject and a dependent in the form of the word “eat.”

There are primarily two categories of clauses, which are known as independent clauses and dependent clauses. In contrast, a dependent clause cannot function independently as a complete statement and must always be accompanied by an independent clause.

Types of Clauses

• Dependent clause: A dependent clause, also known as a subordinate clause, is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
• Independent clause : An independent clause, also known as a main clause, is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence. 
• Noun clause : A noun clause is a type of dependent clause that functions as a noun within a sentence. It acts as a single unit and can serve various roles such as the subject, object, complement, or the object of a preposition.
• Relative clause: A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that provides additional information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause of a sentence. 
• Adverbial clause: An adverbial clause is a type of subordinate clause that functions as an adverb within a sentence.

Examples of Clauses in a Sentence

• These boys never do anything but sleep. 
• My mother loves cold drinks.
• I finished the book.
• The boys’ teacher scolds them when they go to sleep.
• Since my brother loves cold drinks, I bought two bottles of cola.

Identifying a Phrase or a Clause

Investigate the possibility that the group of words in question constitutes a sentence by looking for a subject in addition to a verb. When both of these things are found, you will have a condition. Even if you can only identify one, it is still considered a sentence. Consider the following straightforward illustration: Dark and lychee dessert is scrumptious.

Even though the complete statement consists of a clause (particularly the primary clause), there is still an expression within the clause. The phrase “Dark and lychee dessert” does not have a word because it is only the sentence’s subject. To put it another way, it is a statement. On the other hand, there are a lot of different expressions and sentence structures, which makes differentiation challenging. It requires some experience to determine whether a given text is a sentence or a clause. The most straightforward way to acquire the skill is to engage in repeated practices of looking at a series of words and dissecting it into their parts to determine which features are sentences and which are clauses.

Difference Between Phrase and Clause

What are the key differences between a sentence and a clause, and how can you identify them? It is not too difficult. A subject and a predicate are the two components that make up a sentence. An issue is absent, and an adjective is in a sentence.

Therefore, if you look at a collection of words and can’t identify the subject or the predicate, you are working with a phrase rather than a sentence. For example, the phrase “ten sleepy sheep” is a word collection that contains no verbs. Because of this, it does not have an antecedent. This collection of words can only be a sentence because it lacks an ancestor.

	Phrases	Clause
Definition	A group of words that does not contain a subject and  a verb, and functions as a single unit within a sentence.	A group of words that contains a subject and a verb and can function as a complete sentence (independent clause)  or as part of a sentence (dependent clause).
Subject	Don’t have a subject	Has a subject.
Verb	Does not have a verb.	Has a verb.
Function	Can function as a single part of speech  (e.g., noun phrase, prepositional phrase, adjective phrase, etc.).	Can function as a complete sentence or as part of a sentence,  providing additional information or  performing a specific grammatical role.
Independence	Does not express a complete thought on its own. It depends on other parts of the sentence for meaning.	Can express a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence (independent clause),  or it can depend on the main clause (dependent clause).
Types	Examples: noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, adjective phrase, adverbial phrase, etc.	Examples: independent clause, dependent clause, noun clause, adjective clause, adverbial clause, relative clause, etc.
Punctuation	Does not require specific punctuation to separate it from the rest of the sentence.	May require punctuation (e.g., commas, conjunctions) to separate it from the main clause or other clauses within the sentence.

Conversion of Phrases Into Clauses

The first thing to do when constructing a full statement is to turn sentences into clauses. To turn a sentence into a clause, you must first consider including a subject and a verb in the expression you want to turn into a clause. Let’s start with a sentence, which is a compilation of terms that does not have a subject or an action to go along with it.

In the sentence “in the village,” neither a subject nor a word is specified. This reveals that it is in the form of a statement. It is necessary for there to be a subject at this point so that it can act as the primary emphasis of the sentence. The issue of a declaration can be anything from a person to a location to an animal or even an object. Let’s say the phrase “a herd of goats” is the subject of this sentence. Last, we must incorporate a word, an activity that the ‘herd of goats’ will carry out. For this particular sentence, we will use the word “live.”

Examples of Phrases in Sentences

1. It’s a good habit to read books.
2. Only a few people think that match will happen. 
3. We’re sad that she’s leaving.
4. Alex is a good person.
5. He is a kind and helpful person.
6. Ruby is a woman of gorgeous style.
7. Brooks, a guy I went to school with, always skipped class.
8. Mr. Robinson, who works with him, likes tea.
9. Jeremy, the cop on duty, wrote the speeding ticket.

Examples of Clause in Sentence

1. How cute is that baby?
2. What a beautiful voice you have!
3. Wasn’t he great?
4. I went to see her show, but Gemma couldn’t make it.
5. No one clapped for you, even though everyone was cheering for you.
6. Without his glasses, he can’t see well.
7. The people who signed up for the course want to learn.
8. My science project, “Newton’s Cradle,” won first place.

Practice Questions on Phrase and Clause

Here’s an exercise to help differentiate between phrases and clauses. For example Identify weather it is phrase or a clause –

1. She did her work under the street light.
2. Put the cups down on the desk.
3. He took a look out the window.
4. A woman I know who works for the Delhi Police.
5. Without oxygen and clean air, we can’t live.
6. She wears a band on her wrist, which is made of silver.
7. They can’t go anywhere while it’s snowing.
8. I am trying to figure out what he did with the money.
9. The farmer’s wife whom I met on the subway is a teacher.
10. All of the planets revolve around the sun.

Answers

1. Phrase
2. Phrase
3. Phrase
4. Clause
5. Phrase
6. Clause
7. Clause
8. Clause
9. Clause
10. Phrase

Conclusion

By separating the words into their different components of speech, it is simple to determine whether a group of words constitutes a sentence or a clause. If the group of words in question includes both a subject and a verb, then we refer to it as a sentence; otherwise, we refer to it as a phrase.

FAQs on Phrase and Clause

Q1. What is the Difference between a Phrase and a Clause?

A collection of words that includes a subject and a verb unit is called a clause. Since the second group of words contains the subject-verb unit the bus proceeds, we can call it a clause. A sentence is a collection of syllables that do not include a subject-verb block.

Q2. How to Identify a Phrase or a Clause?

A collection of words that includes a subject and a verb unit is called a clause. Since the second group of words contains the subject-verb unit the bus proceeds, we can call it a clause. A sentence is a collection of syllables that do not include a subject-verb block.

Q3. How do you turn phrases into clauses?

To transform phrases into clauses, you must first give the substance words by including a subject and a verb in the construction of the phrase.

Q4. What are the Kinds of Phrases and Clauses?

The common types of phrases are-

• Noun phrase.
• Adjective phrase.
• Adverb phrase.
• Verb phrase.
• Prepositional phrase.

The common types of clauses are

• Independent or Main.
• Dependent or Subordinate.
• Relative or Adjective.
• Noun Clause.
• Adverbial Clause.
• Conditional Clause.

Q5. How To Recognize A Phrase Or A Clause?

How to Recognize Whether Something Is a Phrase or a Clause. Examining a group of words for the presence of a subject and a verb is the simplest method to determine whether the group of words in question is a sentence or a clause. If both of those things are present, then what you have is a condition. It must be a sentence if you can’t locate the two possibilities.

Q6. What are the Phrase and Clause examples?

Phrases:

1. Noun Phrase: The old book on the shelf.
2. Prepositional Phrase: Under the bridge.
3. Gerund Phrase: Swimming in the lake.
4. Infinitive Phrase: To read the novel.

Clauses:

1. Independent Clause: She enjoys reading books.
2. Dependent Clause: Because it was raining.
3. Adjective Clause: The car that is parked in the driveway is mine.
4. Adverbial Clause: After the rain stopped, we went for a walk.