English Grammar

Academic Year 2024-2025

2L- Semester 3
Lecture 02
Presented by: Souadkia M.

Phrases, Clauses, and Their Types

1) Phrases:
Definitions and Types:
A phrase is a group of words that works together in a sentence but does not contain a
subject or a verb. Often phrases are used for descriptions of people, things, or events.

Examples: (phrases are in bold)

Filled with joy, the girl jumped up and down.

The man with the red jacket is my father.

Phrases can also describe verbs or adverbs by explaining how or why something
happened.

Definitions from Dictionaries:

A phrase, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a small group

of words (usually without a finite verb) that together have a particular meaning and that
typically form part of a sentence. ‘the green car’ and ‘on Friday morning’ are phrases.”
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.”
Examples:

He performed the song with a smile on his face.

She continued to run while silently humming a tune.

He created the experiment to test the embryo’s sensitivity to outside light.

Types of Phrases with Examples

In English grammar, there are five main types of phrases. They are:
• Noun phrase
• Adjective phrase
• Adverb phrase
• Verb phrase
• Prepositional phrase
The focus is on the five types mentioned above; however, other types of phrases
include gerund phrase, appositive phrase, participle phrase and infinitive phrase.
• Noun Phrase (NP)
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary noun phrase is: “a phrase formed by
a noun and all its modifiers and determiners.
Broadly: any syntactic element (such as a clause, clitic, pronoun, or zero element) with a
noun's function (such as the subject of a verb or the object of a verb or preposition) —
abbreviation NP.”
Example of noun phrase in a Sentence:
In the sentence “I found the owner of the dog,” “the owner of the dog” is a noun
phrase.
Also: 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:
- My brother’s friend had come to visit him. (Used as a subject)
- Scented candles are my favourite. (Used as a subject)
- The students were asked to find the buried treasure. (Used as an object)

• Verb Phrase (VP)

 A verb phrase can be used just like a verb. It consists of a main verb and an auxiliary
verb.

For example:
- Students are practising hard in order to participate in the state tournament.
- Aaron has been writing multiplication tables for three hours.
- The dogs have been barking continuously.

• Adjective Phrase (AP)

An adjective phrase or an adjectival phrase is a group of words that consists of
an adjective. It can be used to 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 :
- Annu has silky, smooth hair.
- People, living in large cities, often find it difficult to reach in time.
- The team that made it to the final was congratulated in front of the whole school.

• Adverb Phrase (Adv.P)

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 :
- We are planning to finish our group project by the end of May.
- Later this evening, my cousins and I have planned to go to the park.
- They saw some abandoned puppies at the corner of the street.

• Prepositional Phrase (PP)

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:
- It was too hard for me to concentrate with the kids jumping around.
- The jewellery boxes were kept inside the cupboard.
 - On the way to New York, we caught sight of the famous Niagara falls.
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.
2) Clauses
Definitions and Types:
A clause is a major unit of grammar, defined formally by the elements it may
contain: subject (S), verb phrase (VP), object (O), complement (C), and adverbial
(A). All five elements of the clause are illustrated in:
We always found the teachers very helpful
We: S
Always: A
Found: V
The teachers: O
Very helpful: C

The verb phrase is the most central and crucial element of a clause, so it is helpful to
identify a clause by first identifying its main verb. As the above example shows, a clause
can be capable of standing alone as a complete sentence. Such clauses, called
independent clauses, are distinct from dependent clauses, which generally cannot stand
alone as a complete sentence and are marked by a signal or marker (for example a
conjunction such as if) showing their subordinate status. An example of a dependent
clause is:
 Conjunction S V O A

because no one has been Mars at close quarters.

Clauses are classified in various ways. We can classify main clauses on the basis of
their communicative function, as declarative, interrogative, imperative or exclamative (see
sentence types). We can also classify dependent or subordinate clauses (as nominal,
adverbial, relative, comparative). A third classification singles out the presence of a finite (or
‘tensed’) verb as crucial: on this basis, finite clauses are distinguished from non-finite clauses.
For example, in contrast to Her uncle has given her a book (where has is a finite verb), the
following are non-finite clauses: having given her a book and to give her a book. A further type
of clause is a verbless clause, apparently a contradiction in terms, lacking not just the finite
verb but the whole verb phrase, for example Whatever the reason in Whatever the reason, she’s
less friendly than she was. This clearly lacks the verb be which would be necessary to make its
meaning clear: Whatever the reason may be. Non-finite and verbless clauses are dependent
clauses, and cannot stand alone as a sentence except in unusual cases, for example in headings
and captions: How to make the headlines. Having the time of your life. (See finite clause;
independent and dependent clauses; main clause; non-finite clause; subordinate clause.)

Types of Clauses with Examples

According to how a clause behaves in a sentence, they can be classified into two types.
They are:

1- Main Clause or Independent Clause – A main clause is a group of words with a

subject and a verb. It is one that can stand alone and makes complete sense. That is why
it is called an independent clause.

2- 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

1- I know how to drive a car, but I enjoy riding bikes.

2- Today is Wednesday.
3- I was not keeping well, so I took a day off work.
4- When I met you, I did not think we would get this close.
5- It was my sister’s birthday yesterday; however, she did not want to celebrate.
Examples of Dependent Clauses

1- After we reached home, we watched a movie.

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

Types of Dependent Clauses

A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and predicate but cannot
stand alone to act as a simple sentence. A dependent clause is used as one of three parts
of speech: noun, adjective, or adverb.

The types of a dependent clause are as follows: noun clauses, adjective clauses, adverb
clauses, conditional clauses, relative clauses, comparative clauses, verbless clauses and
complementary clauses.

1. Noun clause: begins with that, what, which, who, whoever, whom, whomever,
whose, whatever, how, when, where; is used in any way a noun can be used: subject,
direct object, indirect object, object of preposition, object of a verbal, appositive.
Examples:

Please leave a message with whoever answers the phone. (object of preposition)
Whatever you want to eat is fine with me. (Subject)
I did not know that Mary and Tom are married. (Direct object)
Fred does whatever he can to make good grades. (Direct object)

2. Adjective clause: begins with that, which, who, whom; is used to modify a noun
or noun substitute; tells which one, what kind, or how many.

Examples:

The man who parked his car next to mine got a ticket. (Tells which man)
Dr. Thompson, who teaches geology, also enjoys a good game of golf. (Describes Dr.
Thompson)
This book, which I did not order, is available in our library. (Describes the book, or tells
which one)
The partner with whom you worked also made an A. (Tells which partner)

3. Adverb clause: begins with a subordinating conjunction (see list below); is used
to tell when, where, why, how, to what extent, under what conditions.

after in as much as than

although in case that though

as [far/soon] as in so far as unless

as if in that until

as though lest when, whenever

because no matter how where, wherever
before now that whether
even if once while
even though provided (that) why
how since so that
if supposing that
Examples:

Because I was very tired last night, I went to sleep while the news was on. (Tells why I
went to sleep)

After you finish your work, you may rest until dinner is ready. (Both clauses tell when
you may rest)

John ran as though he were racing the wind. (Tells how John ran)

Unless I get another job, I cannot pay all my bills. (Tells under what conditions the bills
cannot be paid)

If I don’t finish my chemistry lab, I cannot pass the class. (Tells why I cannot pass the
class or under what conditions I may not pass)
References
1. Leech, G. (2006). A Glossary of English Grammar. Edinburgh University Press.
2. Online Oxford Learner’s Dictionary.
3. Online Cambridge Dictionary.
4. The Online Collins Dictionary.
5. The Online Merriam-Webster Dictionary.