Explain how “clauses” are different from “phrases”. Give examples also.
Clauses vs Phrases
Phrases and clauses are the foremost important parts of a sentence. And sentences can not be complete without phrases and clauses.
Clause:-
The clause may be a part of a sentence that contains a verb. Clauses have a subject, a predicate, an object, and other modifiers. A clause is an actual part of a sentence.
Example:-
Finally we can rest after a long day.
Tom likes to eat meat at the nearest shop.
She laughed at funny people.
I eat buttery popcorn
( The bold part of the sentence is a clause)
Phrase: A phrase is part of a sentence that doesn’t have any verb. A phrase is not a sentence; it is just a group of words.
Example:-
There isn’t any ideal age to get married.
She laughed at funny people.
Finally we can rest after a long day.
Her earnest desire is to go to Italy.
(The bold part of the sentence is the phrase)
Now that you have a basic idea of phrase and clause, let’s learn the differences between them.
Differences of Phrase and Clause:-
A clause is a kind of sentence, but a phrase isn’t a sentence; it is a group of words.
The clause has a verb in it, but the phrase doesn’t have any verb.
Clauses have a subject and a predicate, but a phrase doesn’t have a subject or a predicate because it is not a sentence.
A clause can convey the complete thought of a sentence, but a phrase can not convey the complete thought of a sentence.
Clauses give the complete information about the subject and predicate, but phrases can not convey the information of the subject and predicate.
There are two types of clauses: independent clauses and dependent clauses. But there are eight kinds of phrases: noun, verb, gerund, infinitive, appositive, participial, prepositional, and absolute.
The independent clause can stand alone; on the other hand, any type of phrase can not stand alone.
– Written By Ishita Gupta
