These three structures are a common part of English, and are all composed of groups of words. Clauses, phrases and sentences are very similar, but they do have different roles. Learning the difference between them will help you make a lot more sense of English grammar, and will be very useful to improve your written English.
What is a phrase?
Words can be grouped together, but without a subject or a verb. This is called a phrase.
Because a phrase has neither subject nor verb, it can’t form a ‘predicate’. This is a structure that must contain a verb, and it tells you something about what the subject is doing.
Phrases can be very short – or quite long. Two examples of phrases are:
“After dinner”
“Waiting for the rain to stop”.
Phrases can’t be used alone, but you can use them as part of a sentence, where they are used as parts of speech.
What is a clause?
Clauses are groups of words that have both subjects and predicates. Unlike phrases, a clause can sometimes act as a sentence – this type of clause is called an independent clause. This isn’t always the case, and some clauses can’t be used on their own – these are called subordinate clauses, and need to be used with an independent clause to complete their meaning.
An example of a subordinate clause is “When the man broke into the house”
An example of an independent clause is “the dog barked at him”
While the independent clause could be used by itself as a complete sentence, the subordinate clause could not. For it to be correct, it would need to be paired with another clause: “When the man broke into the house, the dog barked at him.”
What is a sentence?
A complete sentence has a subject and predicate, and can often be composed of more than one clause. As long as it has a subject and a predicate, a group of words can form a sentence, no matter how short.
E.g. “You ate fish.”
More complex sentences can combine multiple clauses or phrases to add additional information about what is described. Clauses may be combined using conjunctions – such as “and”, “but” and “or”.
E.g. “He went out to dinner but didn’t enjoy the meal.”
This example is composed of two independent clauses, “he went out to dinner” and “he didn’t enjoy the meal”, combined with a conjunction- “but”.
Your turn
While clauses, phrases and sentences might seem very similar at first, on closer look you can start to see how they function very differently. To make sure you use them correctly, it’s important to practice identifying them.
Try reading different materials, and spotting the phrases, clauses and complete sentences in a piece of text. Then try to write your own examples of them! And if you would like to learn English with people from all over the world — check out our range of language courses abroad at Eurocentres.com
1. What is a Phrase?
A phrase is a group of two or more words that work together but don’t form a clause. In truth, “phrase” is a very broad term that we often use as a name for sayings, quotes, or other parts of every day speech, but this article will discuss phrases as they work in grammar.
It’s important to know the difference between a phrase and a clause. As you might know, a clause must include a subject and a predicate. A phrase, however, doesn’t contain a subject and a predicate, so while it’s found within a clause, a phrase can’t be a clause. Instead, a phrase can be made up of any two or more connected words that don’t make a clause. For example, “buttery popcorn” is a phrase, but “I eat buttery popcorn” is a clause.
Because it isn’t a clause, a phrase is never a full sentence on its own.
2. Examples of Phrases
Phrases are a huge part of speaking and writing in English. Here are a few you are probably familiar with, and their types, which will be explained later:
- Once in a blue moon (prepositional phrase)
- Reading a book (present participle phrase)
- To be free (infinitive phrase)
- Totally delicious food (noun phrase)
- Running water (gerund phrase)
As you can see, none of the groups of words above are full sentences, but they still work together—which is why we have phrases!
3. Types of Phrases
The English language has an endless number of phrases. Different types of phrases serve different purposes and have different functions within sentences. All of the types here are both important and used all of the time in our everyday language. In fact, you probably use all of these types and just don’t know their names!
a. Prepositional Phrase
A prepositional phrase is a phrase that begins with a preposition and ends with a noun, pronoun, or clause (called the object of the preposition). For example,
The dog is at the county fair.
In this sentence, “at the county fair” begins with a preposition (at) and ends with a noun (carnival), making it the prepositional phrase.
b. Participle Phrase
A participle phrase begins with a past or present participle, and is usually combined with an object or modifier. Present participles always end in ing, but past participles vary; regular verbs end in ed while irregular words are different. Participle phrases work like adjectives, describing something in the sentence:
- I saw the dog running towards the county fair (present participle)
- The dog ran towards the county fair. (past participle)
In the first sentence, the participle phrase “running towards the county fair” works as an adjective. It combines the present participle “running” with “towards the county fair” to describe the dog. In the second, the past participle “ran” does the same. Here are two more examples:
- Eating popcorn, the dog was very happy.
- The dog’s belly was stuffed with popcorn.
The participle phrase underlined in the first sentence describes the dog, and the participle phrase in the second describes the dog’s belly.
c. Noun Phrase
A noun phrase has a noun or pronoun as the main word, and acts like a noun in a sentence. Sometimes it includes a modifier, like an adjective, for example “big dog” and “brown fur.” Or, a noun phrase can be longer, like “the big dog with brown fur.” Here’s a full sentence:
The big dog with hot popcorn ran to the county fair.
You can tell that the underlined phrase acts as a noun because you could switch it with a single noun, like dog, and the sentence would still be correct. Here’s another example:
I bought a neon green ten-speed bicycle.
Again, let’s switch out the underlined phrase with a single noun to make sure the noun phrase works properly:
I bought a bicycle.
So, you can see that replacing the noun phrase with the single noun “bicycle” still gives us a correct complete sentence.
d. Infinitive Phrase
Quite simply, infinitive phrases start with an infinitive (to + simple form of a verb), and include modifiers or objects.
The dog likes to eat popcorn.
The phrase above uses the infinitive “to eat” combined with the object “popcorn.” Here’s another:
I want to pet the dog.
e. Gerund Phrase
A gerund phrase begins with a gerund (a word ending in ing), and includes modifiers or objects.
The dog ate steaming popcorn.
Here, the gerund “steaming” is combined with the object “popcorn” to create a gerund phrase. Here’s another example:
Running water is hard to find in this small village.
Like noun phrases, gerund phrases always work as nouns, and that’s how you tell the difference between a gerund phrase and a present participle phrase. A gerund phrase can replace a noun, while a participle phrase works like an adjective. Compare these two sentences:
The dog ate steaming popcorn. Gerund phrase showing what the dog eats (noun)
The dog was steaming popcorn for the party. Participle phrase describing the dog’s action (adjective)
f. Appositive Phrase
An appositive phrase is a noun or noun phrase that gives another name to the noun next to it. It makes a sentence more descriptive:
- The dog’s favorite food, popcorn
- The dog’s favorite food, hot, salty, buttery popcorn
In both lines above, the underlined parts are appositive phrases that give another name to the noun phrase “the dog’s favorite food.” Here’s are two more:
- The popcorn-eater was a big fluffy beast, a dog.
- The popcorn-eater was a dog, a beagle.
The first sentence describes the dog, and then names what it is. The second sentence says dog, and then specifies what type of dog. Appositive phrases always follow this form.
g. Absolute Phrase
An absolute phrase combines a noun, a participle, and sometimes other modifiers or objects that go with them. It is used to modify a whole clause or sentence.
This absolute phrase has a noun (popcorn) and a participle (popping):
- Popcorn popping, the dog was ready for the movie.
- “Popcorn popping” modifies the clause “the dog was ready for the movie.”
Absolute phrases are optional parts of sentences, so if you one out, the sentence should still work normally—for instance, if you remove “popcorn popping,” “The dog was ready for the movie” still forms a complete sentence.
This absolute phrase has a noun phrase (the dog’s mouth), a participle (watering), and modifier (with excitement):
Mouth watering with excitement, the dog dreamed of eating popcorn.
Here, the absolute phrase modifies the clause “the dog dreamed of eating popcorn.”
4. How to Write a Phrase
Phrases are pretty easy to use in every day writing and speaking. In fact, most logical combinations of words (that aren’t clauses, of course) are phrases. They can take on all kinds of forms and combinations. They can be short, like “the furry dog,” or long, like “the furry dog that liked eating popcorn every day for breakfast.” Being able to distinguish phrases from clauses is what’s most important when writing and identifying them in writing or speech. The best way to do that is to break a sentence or group of words down into parts.
So, let’s make sure the difference between phrases and clauses is clear. To review, a phrase can contain a noun and a verb, but it doesn’t have the subject-predicate combination required to make a clause. A clause follows the pattern Subject + Predicate. Let’s look at this phrase:
The running dog
Here, “the running dog” is a phrase that includes the noun “dog” and the verb “running;” but, there is no predicate—it follows the pattern Verb + Noun, and does not have a subject. But, we can use this phrase to make a full sentence. To make a complete sentence, the phrase “the running dog” works as the subject:
The running dog is hungry.
Here, the subject “the running dog” combined with the predicate “is hungry” makes a full sentence. So, the phrase itself does not have a subject and a predicate, but is part of the subject-predicate combination that makes a sentence.
Have you ever wondered why we use particular words to communicate things and how we make them make sense? Grammar refers to the structure of a language, particularly how words are put together in different ways to express meaning. Words don’t stand alone; they are combined to form phrases (then clauses and then sentences). But what are the different types of phrases?
Fig 1. Types of phrases are an important part of English grammar
Types of phrases in grammar
There are several types of phrases in English grammar. A phrase is a group of words that form what the dictionary calls ‘a conceptual unit’ (an idea contained in a few words). Phrases normally form parts of clauses. A phrase is not a sentence on its own. The important thing to not is that phrases do not make sense on their own as they do not have a subject and predicate.
What are the different types of phrases?
Some different types of grammatical phrases are as follows:
-
Noun phrase
-
Adjective phrase
-
Adverb phrase
-
Verb phrase
-
Prepositional phrase
It is helpful to remember that phrases can include other phrases within them. There can also be more than one of the same phrases in a single sentence.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these types of phrases. But, before we do that, and in case you need a reminder…
A noun = a word that is used to name something, such as an object, place, person, idea etc. For example, ‘desk’, ‘city’, ‘woman’, ‘love’.
An adjective = a word that describes a noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence “the cat is grey”, the adjective is ‘grey’ and it is used to describe the noun (the cat).
A verb = a word that describes an action or state. For example, in the sentence “the teacher writes on the board” the verb is ‘writes’ as it indicates the action. In the sentence “the ball is rolling down the hill”, the auxiliary verb ‘is’ indicates the tense of the sentence, and the main verb ‘rolling’ expresses the action.
An adverb = a word that describes a verb, adjective, another adverb or a whole sentence. For example, in the sentence “she walks slowly” the adverb is ‘slowly’ as it adds information about the verb. In the sentence “he is really tall”, the adverb is ‘really’ as it adds information about the adjective.
A preposition = a word or group of words that indicate where things are in relation to one another. This can refer to direction, time, location and spatial relationships. For example, words like ‘on’, ‘in’, ‘under’, ‘over’, ‘before’, ‘after’.
Okay, let’s continue to look at the different types of phrases…
Examples of the different types of phrases
Below you will see some examples along with the different types of phrases so you can easily make sense of a sentence in the future.
Noun phrase
A noun phrase is a group of words that consists of a noun (or pronoun eg. he, she, it) and other words that modify the noun. Modifiers can refer to articles (a/an/the), quantifiers (some, a lot, a little), demonstratives (this, that, those), possessives (his, her, their), adjectives or adverbs.
Noun phrases are used to give more information about a noun. They can function as the subject, object or complement of a sentence.
Noun phrase examples
Here are some examples of the types of phrases known as noun phrases.
In the sentence:
“Your black cat is always outside.”
The noun phrase is
“Your black cat.”
It is used to add detail to the sentence, by indicating the subject (cat) and describing it (a cat that is black and belongs to someone).
In the sentence:
“I saw a scary movie at midnight.”
The noun phrase is:
“A scary movie.”
It is used to indicate the object of the sentence (a movie) and provide a description of it (scary).
It has been argued that a noun phrase CAN consist of only one word, which would be either a noun or pronoun.
“Beth is walking home from school”.
Here, Beth is the only noun in the sentence, so it can be considered a one-word noun phrase.
Adjective phrase
An adjective phrase (also known as an adjectival phrase) is a type of phrase which is a group of words that consists of an adjective and other words that modify or complement it. Adjective phrases have the purpose of an adjective and are used to describe or add more detail to a noun/pronoun. They can come before or after a noun.
Adjective phrase examples
Here are some examples of adjective phrases.
In the sentence
“The man with short hair is running in the park.”
The adjective phrase is
“Short hair.”
It appears after the noun and is used to provide more detail about the noun (the man).
In the sentence:
“I ate some sugar-coated
doughnuts.”
The adjective phrase is:
“Sugar-coated.”
It appears before the noun and is used to provide more information about the noun (doughnut) — it describes what they were like (sugar-coated).
Adverb phrase
An adverb phrase (also known as an adverbial phrase) is a group of words that consists of an adverb and often other modifiers. They have the function of an adverb in a sentence and are used to modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They can appear before or after the elements they modify.
Adverb phrase examples
Here are some examples of adverb phrases.
In the sentence:
“I go to the gym every weekend.”
The adverb phrase is:
“Every weekend.”
It gives more information about how often the action takes place.
In the sentence:
“He very carefully lifted the trophy.”
The adverb phrase is:
“Very carefully.”
It gives more detail about how the action (lifted) is carried out.
Verb phrase
A verb phrase is a group of words that consists of a head (main) verb and other verbs such as copular verbs (verbs that join the subject to the subject complement ie., seems, appears, tastes) and auxiliaries (helping verbs ie., be, do, have). It can also include other modifiers. A verb phrase has the function of a verb in a sentence.
Verb phrase examples
Here are some examples of verb phrases.
In the sentence:
“Dave was walking his dog.”
The verb phrase is:
“Was walking.”
It consists of the auxiliary verb ‘was’, which indicates the tense of the sentence, and the main verb ‘walking’, which indicates the action.
In the sentence:
“She will go to the party tonight.”
The verb phrase is:
“Will go.”
It consists of the modal verb ‘will’, which indicates a degree of certainty, and the main verb ‘go’ which indicates the future action.
Fig 2. ‘She will go to the party’ contains the verb phrase ‘will go’
Prepositional phrase
A prepositional phrase is a group of words that consists of a preposition and an object. It can also include other modifiers, but these are not essential. A prepositional phrase can either act as an adjective or adverb in a sentence. It is used to modify nouns and verbs and gives information about the relationships between subjects and verbs.
Prepositional phrase examples
Here are some examples of prepositional phrases.
In the sentence:
“The rat runs into the box.”
The prepositional phrase is:
“Into the box.”
It gives information about where the subject (the rat) goes.
In the sentence:
“The cut on my leg is painful.”
The prepositional phrase is:
“On my leg.”
It gives information about where the subject (the cut) is situated.
Types of Phrases — Key takeaways
- A phrase is a group of words that add meaning to a sentence. The different types of phrases include: noun phrase, adjective phrase, adverb phrase, verb phrase, and prepositional phrase.
- A noun phrase is a group of words that consists of a noun (or pronoun) and other words that modify the noun. It adds information about the noun.
- An adjective phrase is a group of words that consists of an adjective and other words that modify or complement it. It is used to add detail to a noun.
- An adverb phrase is a group of words that consists of an adverb and often its modifiers. It functions as an adverb in a sentence, with the purpose of modifying verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
- A verb phrase is a group of words that consists of the main verb and other verbs (such as copulas and auxiliaries). It can also include other modifiers.
- A prepositional phrase is a group of words that acts as either an adjective or adverb in a sentence. It consists of a preposition and an object, and can also include other modifiers.
Phrase definition: A phrase is a grammatical term referring to a group of words that does not include a subject and verb.
What is a Phrase? Examples, Definitions
What are phrases? A phrase is a group (or pairing) of words in English. A phrase can be short or long, but it does not include the subject-verb pairing necessary to make a clause.
Some examples of phrases include:
- after the meal (prepositional phrase)
- the nice neighbor (noun phrase)
- were waiting for the movie (verb phrase)
None of these examples contains a subject doing an action (subject-verb). Therefore, each example is merely a group of words called a phrase.
A phrase will always be more than one word.
Phrases vs. Clauses: a Hierarchy of Word Units
A phrase is any group of words that does not contain a subject completing an action.
When a group of words contains a subject doing an action (subject-verb), it becomes a clause.
Phrases can be added to sentences to make them more complex.
Concepts can begin with a single word and develop into a compound sentence.
Example:
- meal (word)
- after the meal (phrase)
- that mom prepared (clause)
- After the meal that mom prepared I felt full. (sentence)
- After the meal that mom prepared, I felt full because I ate too much. (complex sentence)
- After the meal that mom prepared I felt full, but my brother was still hungry. (compound sentence)
Before we go into different types of grammatical phrases, let’s look at a few more examples of phrases.
- In the air (prepositional phrase)
- Beside the bed (prepositional phrase)
- Along the road (prepositional phrase)
- To live and breathe (infinitive phrase)
- Looking stunning (participle phrase)
As you can see, English phrases can be just about any combination of words so long as they do not contain a subject-verb pairing.
Different Types of Phrase
What is a noun phrase? Noun phrases consist of a noun and its modifiers.
- the nice neighbor
- a soft, comfortable bed
What is a verb phrase? Verb phrases consist of a verb and its modifiers.
- were waiting for the movie
- felt a prick on his arm
What is an adverbial phrase? Adverbial phrases are phrases that act as adverbs. They modify verbs, adverbs, or adjectives.
- around the block (modifying where)
- after the meal (modifying when)
- in silence (modifying how)
What is a gerund phrase? Gerund phrases are essentially noun phrases that begin with a gerund.
- running through the woods
- jumping like a kangaroo
What is an infinitive phrase? Infinitive phrases begin with a verb infinitive and include any modifiers. Infinitive phrases function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
- to run out of food
- to visit to the countryside
What is an appositive phrase? An appositive is essentially a noun phrase but one that renames another noun in the sentence.
- The tree, a tall redwood, was beautiful.
- The curtains were made of lace, a beautiful and delicate fabric.
What is a participle phrase? A participle phrase begins with a present (-ing) or past (-ed) participle. A participle phrase includes the participle and its modifiers. Participle phrases function as adjectives.
- The girls giggling and playing in the park never seemed to tire.
- Fatigued and dehydrated in the desert the men traveled on.
What is a prepositional phrase? A prepositional phrase is a group of words that includes a preposition and a noun. A prepositional phrase will function as either an adjective or an adverb.
- before church
- under the stairs
What is an absolute phrase? An absolute phrase includes a noun and a participle and any modifiers.
- the flag flying at half-mast
- her hair streaked with sunlight
Summary: What are Phrases?
Define phrase: The definition of phrase is any grouping of words that does not contain a subject and a verb. A phrase is a very basic word unit in English.
- Phrases Examples:
- Reading a book
- The tall basketball player
Contents
- 1 What is a Phrase? Examples, Definitions
- 2 Phrases vs. Clauses: a Hierarchy of Word Units
- 3 More Phrase Examples
- 4 Different Types of Phrase
- 5 Summary: What are Phrases?
Phrase and sentence are common structures in any language and are made up of a group of words. A phrase is a short or long group of words that does not convey a complete thought. A sentence is also a group of words, but it conveys a complete thought. This is the main difference between phrase and sentence.
What is a Phrase
A phrase is a group of words that does not convey a complete thought. As phrases do not express a complete idea, they can’t stand alone. They can only be used as parts of sentences. It lacks a subject or a verb or in some cases both. Therefore, it cannot form a predicate. In the English language, there are five main kinds of phrases. They are,
Noun Phrase: gives information about the noun
Examples: a cute baby, an old lady, many of the theories, a hot summer day, some teachers, etc.
Verb Phrase: gives more meaning to the verb
Examples: She has been eating, was walking, had to be hospitalized, singing a song etc.
Adjective Phrase: gives information about the adjective
Examples: very pretty, terribly long, not very healthy, exquisite handmade
Adverb Phrase: gives information about the adverb.
Examples: slowly and surely, formerly, beautifully, etc.
Prepositional Phrase: gives information about a time, location or condition. A preposition always appears at the front of the phrase.
Examples: down the road, after a long time, beside the lake, on the table, etc.
What is a Sentence
A sentence refers to a group of words that expresses a complete thought. A sentence necessarily contains a subject and a verb. There are four types of sentences. They are as follows,
Declarative Sentence
Declarative sentences state information and facts. A declarative sentence ends with a full stop. This article is mainly written in declarative sentences.
Example:
The Child is sleeping on the floor.
Radium was discovered by Marie Curie.
The dog barks.
Imperative Sentence
Imperative sentences issue commands or orders or they can express wishes or desires. These sentences can contain a single word, or they can be lengthier.
Example:
Stop!
Be Silent!
Turn left and go straight.
Interrogative Sentence
Interrogative sentences ask a question. They are easy to understand as they contain a question mark at the end. Example:
Are you crazy?
Is it raining?
Did you go to school yesterday?
Exclamatory Sentence
Exclamatory sentences express emotions or excitement. They end with exclamation marks.
I won the first place!
It’s a surprise!
Sentences can be further classified according to their structures. A sentence can have a single clause or several clauses. Sentence structures are classified according to these clauses.
Simple Sentence – contains one independent clause.
Complex Sentence – contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
Compound Sentence – contains two or more independent clauses.
Compound-Complex Sentence – contains at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Difference Between Phrase and Sentence
Definition
Phrase is a group of words that are arranged in a grammatical construction and acting as a unit in a sentence.
Sentence is a grammatical unit of one or more words that expresses an independent meaning.
Complete Thought
Phrase does not express a complete thought.
Sentence expresses a complete thought.
Subject and Predicate
Phrase does not contain both a subject and a predicate.
Sentence contains both subject and predicate.
Information
Phrase does not give complete information about the subject or the predicate.
Sentence gives complete information about the subject or the predicate.
Punctuation
Phrase does not begin with a capital letter or end in punctuation marks.
Sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.