PHRASE AND CLAUSE
A PHRASE is any group of words hanging together as a unit but without a subject-predicate pair. Here are four phrases of different kinds:Examples:
a gray suit
in the birchwood box
to eat a huge meal
is still sleeping
A CLAUSE is any group of words containing a subject-predicate pair. The following three clauses illustrate this definition:
Examples:
If I should die
before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Difference Between Phrase and Clause
| Clauses | Phrases |
| 1. Clauses is a group of words | 1. Phrases is a group of words |
| 2. Clauses have both a subject and a predicate. | 2. Phrases do not have a subject or predicate. Examples: · Excellent idea · Great job · Wonderful idea |
| 3 Clauses can be independent. Independent clauses are full sentences. | |
| 4. Clauses can be dependent. Dependent Clauses are not full sentences. Examples:
|
Independent Clause
In independent clause is a clause that can stand on its own, by itself. It does not need to be joined to any other clauses, because it contains all the information necessary to be complete sentences.
Independent clauses have three components:
- They have a subject- they tell the reader what the sentence is about
- They have an action or predicate- they tell the reader what the subject is doing
- They express a complete thought- something happened or was said.
An independent clause can be as simple as a subject and a verb:
Example: Ali reads.
Ali is the subject. Reads is the action or verb. A complete thought was expressed- something was said, and the reader now knows that Ali likes to read.
Dependent Clause
A dependent clause is a clause that is lacking either a subject or an action, or does not express a complete thought
A clause can be dependent because of the presence of a:
- Marker Word (Before, after, because, since, in order to, although, though, whenever, wherever, whether, while, even though, even if,)
- Conjunction (And, or, nor, but, yet)
Dependent clauses MUST be joined to another clause, in order to avoid creating a sentence fragment.
- Because I forgot my home.
- This is a sentence fragment. We have a “because” but not a “why” or anything accompanying and following what happened “because” they forgot.
- Because I forgot my homework, I got sent home. Here, the error is corrected. “I got sent home” is an independent clause. “I” is the subject, “got” is the verb, “sent home” is the object. A complete thought is expressed.
The Sentence
A group of words which expresses a complete sense or thought is called a sentence.
Examples:
- He goes to school.
- Ali is a good boy.
- He is the same man that stole my pen.
- Where do you live?
- What a pleasant weather it is!
Note: A sentence always begins with a capital letter and ends with a full-stop, question mark or the mark of exclamation.
CLASSIFICATION OF SENTENCES
Sentences may well be classified according to their purpose as well as their structure.
(A) Classification by Purpose
Your sentences reflect your purpose as a speaker or a writer. According to their purpose, sentences may be classified as declarative, imperative, interrogative, negative, exclamatory and optative.
A declarative sentence makes assertion or states an idea without expecting a reply.
Examples:
- He goes to school daily.
- We read a book.
- He offers his prayer.
An imperative sentence gives a command, makes a request or expresses a piece of advice.
Examples:
- Polish the shoes.
- Open the door.
- Untie the knot.
An interrogative sentence asks a question and is always followed by a question mark.
Examples:
- Where do you live?
- How does she touch you?
- Have you attended the classes?
A negative sentence is used to negate something.
Examples:
- He is not reading a book.
- It is not my book.
- We did not write a letter.
An exclamatory sentence expresses strong feelings of joy, sorrow and wonder.
Examples:
- Hurrah! We have won the match.
- Oh! Now the battery is dead.
- Alas! He is dead.
An optative sentence is used to pray or wish.
Examples:
- May God bless you!
- May you live long!
- Would that I was your friend.
(B) Classification by Structure
According to structure we may classify sentences into four kinds, simple, compound, complex and compound-complex.
(i) Simple Sentence
A simple sentence has one independent clause and no subordinate clause and it has only one subject and one verb.
Examples:
- He went to school.
- We played cricked.
- I wrote my first novel last year.
- It has been raining since morning.
(ii) Compound Sentence
A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses but no subordinate clause.
A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
Examples:
- I came and he went.
- We played hockey and they played cricket.
(iii) Complex Sentence
A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one subordinate clause.
A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which.
Examples:
- He is the man who stole my pen.
- He said that he had never visited the zoo.
- There are dreams that cannot die.
(iv) Compound-Complex / Multiple Sentence
A compound complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. It is also called multiple sentences.
Examples:
- I went to my village and met my old friends who reminded me my childhood.
- Life is a race and we are runners which most of us understand.
- When he opened the door, he found an old man there who asked her if she could give him some money.
(B) Parts of A Sentence
A sentence has two parts; Subject and Predicate.
Ali goes to school.
Subject Predicate
Lahore is a big city.
Subject Predicate
1. THE SUBJECT
A word or a group of words in a sentence about which any information is given called subject.
Kinds of Subjects
The subject with all its words is called complete subject.
A complete subject may have one or more than one word.
Examples:
- The Principal of our college is a rich man.
- The manager of our factory announces bonus for the labour.
- Lahore is called the city of gardens.
In the above given examples the italicized; The principal of our college, The manager of our factory and Lahoreare complete subjects.
The key word in the complete subject is called simple subject.
Examples:
- The Principal of our college is a rich man.
- The manager of our factory announces bonus for the labour.
In the above given examples the italicized; The principal and The manager are simple subjects.
A compound subject consists of two or more words which are joined by using conjunction.
Examples:
- Ali and Aslam are good players.
- The principal and the members of staff are attending the meeting.
- Her shoes and ankles were covered with mud.
In the above given examples the italicized; Ali and Aslam, The principal and the members of staff and Her shoes and ankles are compound subjects.
2. THE PREDICATE
The part of the sentence that says something about the subject is called predicate.
Ali goes to school.
Subject Predicate
Kinds of Predicates
The Predicate with all its words is called complete predicate. A complete predicate may have one or more than one word.
Examples:
- They laughed.
- They built a new house.
- Ali wrote a letter.
In the above given examples the italicizedlaughed, built a new house and wrote a letter are complete predicates.
The verb in the complete predicate is called simple predicate.
Examples:
- He prefers milk to tea.
- They built a new house.
- Ali wrote a letter.
In the above given examples the italicized;prefers, built and wrote are simple predicates.
A compound predicate consists of two verbs which are joined by conjunction.
Examples:
- Ali wrote the letter and posted it.
- We completed our work and went home.
- He wrote a book and published it.
In the above given examples the italicized wrote the letter and posted it, completed our work and went home and wrote a book and published it are compound predicates.
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