Phrases and Clauses

In this chapter, you will learn to identify phrases and clauses. You will also learn about independent and dependent clauses.

We combine the various parts of speech to write “word groups” that express our thoughts.

There are 2 major kinds of word groups: phrases and clauses.

1. Phrase--a phrase is a group of closely related words. This group of words makes some sense together, although it does not express a complete thought. A phrase is a fragment, or part of a complete thought. One common phrase you are familiar with is a prepositional phrase--to the store, around the corner, in the house, beyond the trees, after the play, etc. Notice how these groups of words make some sense to you, but they express only part of a larger idea.

1. Clause-- A clause, like a phrase, is a group of related words. The difference is that a clause

is a more complete expression--it contains a subject and a verb.

There are two kinds of clauses:

1. Dependent Clause—has a subject and verb and a dependent word (subordinate

conjunction). A dependent clause expresses only part of an idea, and relies upon some

other information in the sentence for complete meaning (hence the term "dependent").

We usually use dependent clauses in sentences to express thoughts that are additional or

accessory to our main thought in the sentence.

2. Independent Clause--an independent clause is a group of related words that has both a

subject (actor) and verb (action) and makes sense to us without needing any additional

information. Therefore, an independent clause is also known as a simple sentence. It is

not just part of a thought, but is complete on its own. When combined with phrases or

dependent clauses, independent clauses form the basis of compound and complex

sentences. Alone, an independent clause expresses one main complete thought.

Clauses and Simple Sentences

A clause is a group of two or more related words that has a subject and a verb. There are two kinds of clauses:

1. independent

2. dependent

The Independent Clause or Simple Sentence

An independent clause is a group of related words that has a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. An independent clause is also called a simple sentence.

Every sentence you write must have both a subject and verb, and these two parts go together. That is, whatever you identify as the subject must be performing the action of the verb. These two parts are not isolated; they work together to express an idea.

Also remember that verbs or can express actions (walk, see, run, eat, go type, sit, etc.) or states of being (am, is, are, was, were, appear, seem, etc.).

Examples:

I read all day Sunday. (subject = I; verb = read)

I am very happy. (subject = I; verb = am)

The Dependent Clause

A dependent clause has a subject and a verb, but it does not express a complete thought

because is has a dependent word. A dependent clause is not a sentence.

Example: While Dan was driving.

This clause does have a subject (Dan) and a verb (was driving), but it does not express a

complete thought. We still need more information to understand the whole idea. The writer

did not tell us what happened while Dan was driving.

Look at these two versions of the same idea:

Examples: The dog barked all night.

Because the dog barked all night.

The first sentence is complete, but the second sentence is not because it does not tell us the

result of the dog’s barking. We still need more information to understand the whole idea.

Both clauses, While Dan was driving and Because the dog barked all night, contain subjects and verbs, but do not express complete thoughts; therefore, both are dependent clauses.

The list of words on the following page are commonly used subordinate conjunctions and

relative pronouns. These words are clues to help us identify and write dependent clauses. It

may be easier for you to remember these words as “Dependent Words” because one of these

words always appears as the first word of a dependent clause. In other words, if a group of

 words that has a subject and a verb begins with one of these subordinate conjunctions or

relative pronouns (dependent words), the clause is a dependent clause.

Subordinate Conjunctions (also called “Dependent Words”)

after                 although                      since               whenever

as                     so                                that                  when

even though    as if                             though             where provided that

because            unless                         whether           whereas

except              until                             while               than

what                before that                  in order that

once (meaning “if” or “when”) if why

Relative Pronouns

that                  whoever                      which              whatever

whom              who                             whichever