Phrase & Clause

Phrases are group of words that do not have a subject and verb. They act as a part of speech rather than a complete sentence. As such, they cannot stand alone but are necessary tools in writing. They include:

• Prepositional Phrase: A group of words that begins with a preposition and ends with a. noun, which is known as the object of the preposition. Prepositional phrases most often act as adjectives or adverbs, and occasionally as nouns. In these sentences, In the previous sentences, "in the gym" and "wherever he went" are prepositional phrases. A full list of prepositions is available on this web page.
   
• Verbal: A phrase that acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb. A verbal looks like a verb but doesn't act as a verb. The three kinds of verbal phrases are gerunds, infinitives, and participles.
  • Gerund: A gerund always ends in -ing and always acts as a noun. Example: Dancing is enjoyable.. Her cooking is delicious.
  • Infinitive: The verb form that begins with to. Infinitives can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Example: To dance is enjoyable. (noun and subject of sentence) Example: He works hard to make money. (adverb modifying work) Example: To dance is enjoyable. (noun and subject of sentence.)
  • Participial Phrase: The present participle is the -ing form of the verb (is sneezing; was sleeping). The past participle goes with have, and usually ends in -ed (have sneezed; have danced). A participle is the -ing or -ed part of the verb without its helper (sneezing, sleeping, sneezed, danced, slept). A participial phrase always acts as an adjective, usually describing the subject. Example: John, waiting in  line at the movies, was angry.

Appositives describe a noun or pronoun. In form they are nouns or noun equivalents:

• Example: John, an 18-year-old freshman, said he likes to play basketball.
• Example: Mary, the red-haired chemistry major, is also from Camillus. John said he likes to play basketball.
• Clauses are groups of words that have a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand by itself as a sentence:
  
• Independent Clause Example: The man fell.

A dependent or subordinate clause cannot stand by itself as a sentence.

• Dependent Clause Example: Because he slipped on a  banana peel, the man fell.

Dependent  or subordinate clauses may act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs:

• Noun clauses
  Example: I can't explain what he did.
• Adjective clauses
  Example: The man, who was is pain, was lying on the floor.
• Adverb clauses
  Example: John was angry when Mary stood him up at the movies.

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