Use a comma when the clause or phrase of reason is at the begging of the sentence. An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence. Dependent clause dc a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete idea. If the clause could stand by itself, and form a complete sentence with punctuation, we call the clause an independent clause. A phrase is a group of words that lacks a subject, a verb, or both.
A phrase is a group of related words that has no subject or predicate and is used as. In the sentence above, can we reduce the adverb clause to a modifying phrase. Noun, verb, adjective, adverb are formal labels assigned to words in isolation subject, object and complement are functional labels as they refer to the function words or phrase perform in a clause or sentences. The important point to remember about subordinate clauses is that they can. It should be noted, too, that a clause in a sentence is different from a phrase in that it must contain a subject and a verb. A phrase is a group of words without both a subject and predicate. If you are uncertain whether a part of a sentence is functioning as a noun clause, try replacing it with a pronoun. Noun clauses any clause that functions as a noun becomes a noun clause. Clauses of result when you want to indicate the result of an action or situation, you can use a clause of result. Complexity can also be increased by shifting clauses or phrases within the sentence. To begin experimenting with sentence shape, you must first know that different combinations of independent and dependent clauses produce four basic sentence types. I despise individuals of low character obediah simpson is uglier than a rabid raccoon we could easily turn independent clauses into complete sentences by adding. A complex sentence, according to structure, is a sentence that is made up of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Phrases, clauses, and sentences john keith 2 types of sentences a simple sentence has only one clause.
Jan 21, 2015 noun, verb, adjective, adverb are formal labels assigned to words in isolation subject, object and complement are functional labels as they refer to the function words or phrase perform in a clause or sentences. If we want to reduce to an adverb phrase, what must be the same in the. Hints in parentheses tell how to change word forms. For example, a participial phrase can include adjectives, nouns, prepositions and adverbs. On the other hand, a complete sentence contains a subject, verb, and expresses a complete thought. An essential clause or phrase cannot be moved to another sentence or omitted because the meaning of the sentence would change. Simple sentences may contain a simple or compound subject simple sentences may contain a simple or compound predicate. It is important to be able to recognize the difference to avoid sentence fragments in. All sentences must have at least one independent clause. An essential clause or phrase also called a restrictive, or necessary, clause or phrase appears after a noun and is essential in the sentence to complete the meaning. Gerund phrase verb ending in ing and is used as a noun.
Clause a group of words with a subject and a verb independent clause ic a clause that can stand alone as a complete idea ex. A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb and comes in two varieties. This clause, by definition, must be an independent or principle or main clause. Not all features must be present in every sentence you choose to study. Like gerunds, infinitive verbal phrases can function as subjects, objects, and complements in a sentence.
Some clauses are independent, and others are dependent. Combine the following short sentences by turning the second sentence into a subordinate clause and. Analyzing parsing a sentence and its components helps you understand the function of each of its nouns, verbs, and modifiers in the sentence so. Here the subject you is not mentioned but it is understood. Complexity can also be increased by adding elements to the sentence before the clause or phrase. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Sep 04, 2015 for each of the quoted sentences below, identify the various elements identifying elements of a sentence listed, which follow. Even though a clause can act as a sentence, its not always a complete sentence on its own.
Clauses and phrases for proper sentence structure purpose. The organization of phrases, clauses, utterances and sentences varies from one language. A simple sentence may also contain a phrase, which does not have a main verb. A habit of drawing the diagram of a sentence on paper soon transfers to being able to diagram mentally with the. Instead, the dependent clause is dependent upon another clauseit cant make a complete sentence by itself, even though it. Picking a strong sentence to focus on with students isnt as challenging as you may think.
Grammar and mechanics guidelines for connecting clauses. The adjective clause in a can be reduced to the adjective phrase in b. Absolute phrases usually consist of a noun followed by a participle or participial phrase. A compound sentence has two independent or more clauses joined by one of the fanboys. The words that are italicized in these examples are the subordinate clauses. The farlex grammar book english grammar syntax clauses dependent clauses noun clauses noun clauses what is a noun clause. Except for a command with an implied or understood subject, a word group punctuated as a sentence without a subject is a sentence fragment. Words are the smallest meaningful units of a sentence. At a more technical level, sentence combining is concerned.
Sentence diagram a sentence diagram is a chart that shows the relation of the words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence to analyze a fault in a sentence or whether the word who or whom is to be used. A noun clause is a type of dependent clause that is able to function grammatically like a noun in a sentence. Sentence diagram a sentence diagram is a chart that shows the relation of the words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence to analyze a fault in a sentence or. Using infinitives in a sentence infinitive verbal phrases are composed of to plus the verb and can act as a noun. Heres a checklist of things to consider when selecting a phrase, sentence, or set of sentences worthy of your attention and that of your students. Although a gerund phrase can function as the subject of a sentence, adding an ing to a verb does not make it a noun. Additional information regarding clause and phrase practice. Writing is the primary basis upon which your work, your learning, and your intellect will be judgedin college, in the workplace, and in the community. As you engage in sentence combining activities, you will learn how to vary sentence structure in order to change the meaning and style of what you write.
A sentence is made up of words put together to do a certain job. Because of this, noun clauses can perform all the roles. A phrase is a collection of words that may have nouns or verbals, but it does. Here is an example of a sentence fragment with a missing subject.
Clauses and phrases are the subunits of a sentence. Gerund and infinitive phrases university of texas at dallas. Some techniques for combining sentences prepared by. A sentence must have a subject expressed or not, a verb, and a complete thought or predicate supplied by a variety of constructions. An independent clause can stand alone in a sentence. For further details regarding clauses see alina preda, finite subordinate clauses revisited, in studia. Rockowitz writing center, hunter college, city university of new york grammar and mechanics using conjunctions a conjunction is the part of speech used to join or link words, phrases, or clauses to each other. A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Put a dependent noun clause on a stilt where it would go as a subject or object antecedents and write any subordinating conjunction on the stilt line.
Phrases, clauses and sentences free download as pdf file. You can also have phrases within phrases, as in the old dog that i saw yesterday seems all right, where the first phrase, the. How to tell the difference between a sentence, a clause, and a phrase. Clauses a clause is a group of words having a subject and a predicate and forming a part of a sentence. However, if you identify a fragment that is a phrase, you can always combine it with an independent clause to make a complete sentence.
Note that the word while has been added to the first example for clarity. The writing center sentence variation using sentence types. A word or phrase may perform a function or role in one clause or sentence and a different function or role in another clause or sentence. Phrases combine words into a larger unit that can function as a sentence element. Depending on the number of clauses that it contains, a sentence can express one or more ideas. Running out the door is a phrase the door isnt doing the running. The hints in parentheses tell you how to start the subordinate clause.
The word table stands for the table which instantiates the canonical format of definite. An introduction to sentence combining this is your new handout. Switching up the types of sentences you use is one way of achieving sentence variation. Words, phrases and clauses sentences ks3 english revision. Unlike phrases, a clause can sometimes act as a sentence this type of clause is called an independent clause. If, however, we revise dog and choose more specific words instead, the relative. For proper sentence structure social transformation. Of course, provided that the expressions have sense.
Correcting a sentence fragment with a missing subject. This isnt always the case, and some clauses cant be used on their own these are called subordinate clauses, and need to be used with an. On the other hand, a clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a working verb. Subject noun and predicate verb subject noun predicate verb. Using subordinate clauses combine the following short sentences by turning the second sentence into a subordinate clause and attaching it to the first. For increased variety, cut out individually, or in like groups, or draw similar letters on the board. Notes on phrases and clauses troup county school district. Nov 11, 2014 unlike phrases, a clause can sometimes act as a sentence this type of clause is called an independent clause.
Place the comma before and after the clause or phrase. Phrases, clauses and sentences phrase clause scribd. For a sentence to be complete, it must contain at least one independent clause. A phrase is a collection of words that may have nouns or verbals, but it does not have. Sentence structure basics all sentences consist of one or more clauses. The first step to students using the elements listed in the phrase and clause standard is for them to have a basic understanding of the difference between a phrase and a clauseand why they are both important to our writing. For example, please dont forget again to brand new crumpled jacket thats hanging up. The sentence the dog seems all right has three phrases.
A noun clause can always be replaced by a single pronoun such as you, he, she, it, they, there, etc. Phrases, clauses, and sentences john keith 1 phrase a phrase is a group of words working together. As such, it serves to name a person, place, or thing. The subject of a sentence usually comes first, but occasionally it is put after the predicate. Powerpoint of the variety of phrases, clauses, and sentences. Using sentence variety can make it easier for readers to read, understand, and engage with your paper. Certainly, the singleclause sentence is the best unit to begin teaching punctuation with. A phrase is used in place of a word to give more information about it. Phrase type definition example underlined clause type definition example underlined appositive phrase a noun and any modifiers that follows another noun and renames it john, a student at fms, won the award.
A sentence is composed of words grouped into phrases and clauses. So if its missing either one of the two, then its classified as a phrase. Helpful terms clause a phrase with a subject and a verb independent clause a clause that can stand alone as a sentence and expresses a complete. A clause is a verb, together with all its complements, so that the unit is grammatically correct. Jul 18, 2010 the subject of a sentence usually comes first, but occasionally it is put after the predicate. Dependent clauses have a subject doing a verb, but they have a subordinate. For each of the quoted sentences below, identify the various elements identifying elements of a sentence listed, which follow.
This isnt always the case, and some clauses cant be used on their own these are called subordinate clauses, and need to be used with an independent clause to complete their meaning. Since i cleaned my bedroom yesterday, i dont need to clean it today. Combine the following short sentences by inserting the phrase in italics into the first sentence. It contains a subject and a verb in its smallest form. The understanding of sentence structure is essential for communication with other people. Sentence combining, simply stated, is the strategy of joining short sentences into longer, more complex sentences. Pdf this section deals with the general definition of the phrase by giving. Phrases and clauses quick reference sheet phrase a group of words without a subject and a verb. A dependent clause needs another independent clause to make a sentence. Clause a group of words with a subject and a verb independent clause ic a clause that can. Guided practice ideas continued clause and prepositional phrase the contraction that has the tallest let clause with superlative adjective clauses and phrases with a map. My dog floyd, who eats too much pizza, has developed pepperoni breath. In general, sentence fragments can be corrected by rewriting the fragment as a complete sentence or connecting the fragment to an independent clause. Dependent clauses have a subject doing a verb, but they have a subordinate conjunction placed in front of the clause.
Underline the phrases in the following sentences and identify the type of phrase. Note that the combination of a phrase and an independent clause does not technically constitute a complex sentence. Subject the uses of adversity, predicate are sweet in imperative sentences, the subject is usually left out. Four basic sentence types and modifying phrases you know the difference between independent and dependent clauses.
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