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Topics
 Phrase
 Types of phrase
o Noun phrase
o Adjective phrase
o Adverb phrase
o Verb phrase
o Prepositional phrase
o Gerund phrase
o Infinitive phrase
o Absolute phrase
 Clause
 Types of clause
o Independent clause
o Dependent clause

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Phrase
What Is a Phrase?
A phrase is a group of words that forms a grammatical
component. It can be used to communicate something. It is a
part of a sentence and cannot stand on its own. Phrases
provide more information about whatever the sentence is
speaking about.

Definition of a Phrase
A phrase, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is
defined as “a group of words without a finite verb, especially
one that forms part of a sentence.” According to the
Cambridge Dictionary, a phrase is defined as “a group of
words that is part of, rather than the whole of a sentence.” The
Collins Dictionary defines a phrase as “a short group of words
that people often use as a way of saying something. The
meaning of a phrase is often not obvious from the meaning of
the individual words in it.” It is also defined as “a small group
of words which forms a unit, either on its own or within a
sentence.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a phrase
as “a word or group of words forming a syntactic constituent
with a single grammatical function.”

Types of Phrases with Examples

In English grammar, there are five main types of phrases.
They are,

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1. Noun phrase
2. Adjective phrase
3. Adverb phrase
4. Verb phrase
5. Prepositional phrase
6. Gerund phrase
7. Infinitive phrase
8. Absolute phrase
Other types of phrases include gerund phrase, appositive
phrase, participle phrase and infinitive phrase.

1. Noun Phrase
A noun phrase is a group of words that have a noun or
pronoun. It is used to modify the noun. In other words, it can
be said that a noun phrase can function as a subject, an object
or a complement in a sentence.
For example:
1) The tall tree provided shade on a hot summer day.
2) My sister bought a new laptop for college.
3) The red car sped down the highway.
4) His favorite book is a classic novel.
5) I saw a group of children playing in the park.

2. Adjective Phrase
An adjective phrase or an adjectival phrase is a group of
words that consists of an adjective. It can be used to

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complement it. It provides more information about the noun

or pronoun in a sentence. In other words, it can be said that it
functions just like an adjective in a sentence.
For example:
1) She wore a very elegant dress to the party.
2) The extremely hot weather made everyone seek shade.
3) He looked at her with intense blue eyes.
4) The movie had an incredibly suspenseful plot.
5) She had a beautiful smile that lit up the room.

3. Adverb Phrase
An adverb phrase or an adverbial phrase is a group of words
that includes an adverb and other modifiers. It performs all the
functions of an adverb. It can be placed in any part of the
sentence, with respect to the part of speech they modify.
For example:
1) She ran quickly to catch the bus.
2) They walked slowly along the beach.
3) He speaks fluently in Spanish.
4) She sings beautifully in the choir.
5) They worked diligently on their project.

4. Verb Phrase
A verb phrase can be used just like a verb. It consists of a
main verb and an auxiliary verb.
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For example:
1) She ran a marathon last weekend.
2) They built a sandcastle on the beach.
3) He cooked dinner for his friends.
4) She played the guitar at the concert.
5) They wrote a poem for their loved ones.

5. Prepositional Phrase
A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and an object.
It works just like an adjective or an adverb. It relates the
subject and the verb in a sentence. It is used to modify the
nouns and verbs in a particular sentence.
For example:
1) She sat on the park bench and enjoyed the sunshine.
2) They went to the movies to watch the latest blockbuster.
3) He hid under the table during the game of hide-and-
seek.
4) She hung the picture above the fireplace in the living
room.
5) They walked along the riverbank and admired the
scenery.

6. Gerund Phrase
A gerund phrase can be said to be a phrase consisting of a
gerund, its objects and other modifiers. According to the
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Cambridge Dictionary, a gerund is defined as “a word ending

in “-ing” that is made from a verb and used like a noun”, and
“a noun in the form of the present participle of a verb (that is,
ending in -ing)”, according to the Oxford Learner’s
Dictionary. So any phrase having a gerund and performing the
role of the subject or object in the sentence can be considered
a gerund phrase.
For example:
1) Running marathons requires endurance and dedication.
2) She enjoys painting landscapes in her free time.
3) Playing basketball is his favorite hobby.
4) I couldn't resist eating the delicious cake at the party.
5) Singing in the choir brings her joy and fulfillment.

7. Infinitive Phrase
An infinitive phrase is a group of words that start with an
infinitive followed by other modifiers
including nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions a
nd conjunctions. Just like an infinitive, the infinitive phrase
can perform the functions of an adverb, an adjective and a
noun.
For example:
1) She hopes to travel the world someday.
2) His goal is to become a successful entrepreneur.
3) We need to finish our project before the deadline.
4) The children were excited to visit the amusement park.

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5) She decided to pursue her passion for photography.

8. Absolute phrase
An absolute phrase is a grammatical construct that consists of
a noun or pronoun followed by a participial phrase. It
provides additional descriptive information about the main
subject of a sentence. The absolute phrase is not
grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence and can be
separated from the main clause by a comma. It adds context,
details, or further characterization to the sentence.
For example:
1) The sun setting over the horizon, the sky turned a
beautiful shade of pink.
2) The game lost, the players walked off the field in
disappointment.
3) His homework completed, he finally had some time to
relax.
4) The rain pouring heavily, she hurriedly ran for cover.
5) The children asleep, the parents enjoyed a quiet evening
together.

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How to Use Phrases? – Rules and Points to

Remember
There are some things that you have to remember when using
phrases.
Phrases are just a part of the sentence and cannot stand alone.
They do not give complete meaning if taken out of context.
They are mostly used to provide extra information about the
subject, object or other components in a sentence.
There can be more than one phrase in a sentence.
Make sure that the phrase gives your sentence clarity and does
not simply accumulate the sentence with information.

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Clause
What Is a Clause?
A clause is a combination of words that makes up a sentence.
It consists of a subject and a predicate. It can also be said that
a clause should have a subject and a verb. Now, take a look at
the definitions of clauses given by different dictionaries to
understand what a clause is.

Definition of Clause
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a clause is
defined as “a group of words that includes a subject and a
verb, and forms a sentence or part of a sentence.” The
Cambridge Dictionary defines a clause as “a group of words,
consisting of a subject and a finite form of a verb.” “A clause
is a group of words containing a verb”, is according to the
Collins Dictionary. According to the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary, a clause is defined as “a group of words
containing a subject and predicate and functioning as a
member of a complex or compound sentence.”

Types of Clauses
According to how a clause behaves in a sentence, they can be
classified into two types. They are:
Main Clause or Independent Clause – A main clause is a
group of words with a subject and a verb. It is one that can

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stand alone and makes complete sense. That is why it is called

an independent clause.
Subordinate Clause or Dependent Clause – A subordinate
clause is a group of words that consists of a subject, a verb
and a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun. Unlike
main clauses, subordinate clauses cannot stand alone or
convey complete meaning when taken separately from the
sentence it is a part of. Dependent clauses can be divided into
types based on their function. The types of dependent clauses
are noun clauses, adjective clauses, adverb clauses,
conditional clauses, relative clauses, comparative clauses,
verbless clauses and complementary clauses.

Examples of How to Use a Clause in a

Sentence
Clauses can be placed in the different parts of a sentence.
Take a look at the following examples to understand how
clauses are formed and can be used.

Examples of Independent Clauses

I know how to drive a car, but I enjoy riding bikes.
Today is Wednesday.
I was not keeping well, so I took a day off work.
When I met you, I did not think we would get this close.
It was my sister’s birthday yesterday; however, she did not
want to celebrate.

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Examples of Dependent Clauses

After we reached home, we watched a movie.
Everybody knows the boy who won the Best Outgoing
Student Award.
My mom asked me to call her as soon as I boarded the bus.
While we were waiting at the bus stop, we saw a monkey
snatching a snack from a little boy.
Though Malcom did not find the movie interesting, he
stayed until the end of the movie.

Independent and Dependent clause

Sentences
1. Naomi’s mother was out of town, so she took care of
everyone at home.
Independent clause – Naomi’s mother was out of town
Dependent clause – She took care of everyone at home
2. I could not study as the lights went out.
Independent clause – I could not study
Dependent clause – As the lights went out
3. Since she was absent for over a month, she found it hard
to catch up with all that was going on at the office.
Independent clause – Since she was absent for over a
month

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Dependent clause – She found it hard to catch up with all

that was going on at the office
4. If you are not able to do it yourself, please feel free to
take help from anyone here.
Independent clause – Please feel free to take help from
anyone here
Dependent clause – If you are not able to do it yourself
5. Have some pancakes in case you are hungry.
Independent clause – Have some pancakes
Dependent clause – In case you are hungry

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