9th std English Unit 3 grammar clauses and phrases
Answers
A phrase is any collection of words that behaves like a part of speech, like a noun phrase (“my brother Stu”), an adjectival phrase (“in a different shade of blue”), or an adverbial phrase (“with elegance and tact”). A clause is any noun phrase plus a verb; they can be sentences, but they don't always have to be.
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Grammar Clauses
Isn't it marvelous that a finite system like the English language can be manipulated in an infinite number of ways? Grammar clauses help make this true, and they're particularly helpful for students as they learn more about writing and reading comprehension. Teachers can also focus on clauses to call attention to specific problems in their students' writing. Let's learn about the different types of clauses in grammar and how they work.
Define Clause vs. Phrase
Words and phrases make up clauses. Clauses are units of grammar that contain at least one predicate (verb) and a subject. This makes a clause different than a phrase, because a phrase does not contain a verb and a subject.
In fact, the essential component of a clause is the verb -- and a clause only contains one verb or verb group. A verb group can consist of a single word (such as "played," "cooked," and "swam") or contain helping verbs (as in "will excel" and "has been dreaming").
If we look at a simple sentence, we see it only contains one clause. Here are some examples of simple sentences that consist of just a single clause:
Darby played.
Jamie cooked the dinner.
A man in Cincinnati swam in the river.
Sammy will excel on the varsity team.
Jennifer has been dreaming during class.
Types of Clauses in Grammar
We'll begin with the two main types of clauses: independent and dependent clauses. Then, we'll dive into the various parts of speech that can also band together to form clauses.
Independent Clauses
An independent clause can stand as a sentence by itself or it can be combined with other clauses. These clauses will always contain a subject and a predicate. They can join with a dependent clause or other independent clauses to make a complex sentence. Here are some examples, with the independent clause in bold:
I love opening the windows while the warm breeze blows.
Since we enjoyed this book, we'll be sure to pay it forward.
She walked to the grocery store to buy a bouquet of flowers.
Dependent Clauses
By itself, a dependent clause can't be considered a sentence. Standing alone, it would be considered a sentence fragment, or an incomplete sentence. It needs to be combined with an independent clause to form a complete thought.
Let's take a look at some examples with the dependent clause in bold:
If that's a burrito, I'm having it.
He's mean mainly because he's unhappy.
Let's go for a walk while the sun's still out.
More specifically, dependent clauses take three forms: adverb clauses, adjective clauses, and noun clauses.
Adverb Clauses
Adverb clauses are groups of words that function like an adverb. They modify verbs, other adverbs, or adjectives. These clauses are typically used to elaborate when, where, why, how, how much, or under what condition the action of the sentence took place.
Here are some example sentences using adverb clauses:
Since it's just me, I'll eat in tonight.
My dog, although she is shy, loves people.
I keep a suitcase packed, in case I find a great flight to Ireland.
For more, explore these Examples of Adverb Clauses.
Adjective Clauses
Adjective clauses are groups of words that modify nouns and pronouns. These clauses tend to begin with pronouns such as:
who
whose
that
which
Here are some adjective clauses in sentences:
The winners, whose names are posted on the bulletin board, will receive round trip airfare to Mexico City.
Money that is well spent will last forever.
Exercise, which many people dislike, is good for you.
For a deeper dive, enjoy these Examples of Adjective Clauses.
Noun Clauses
A noun clause is a group of words that band together and act like a noun. Nouns clauses are used when a single word isn't enough. They're always dependent clauses; they cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and they often begin with words like:
how
that
what
when
where
which
who
why
Here are some sentence examples using noun clauses:
How he behaved was not acceptable.
She didn't know where she was.
Her favorite part of the book was when the dragon turned into a boy.
These clauses are quite common and work well in many types of sentences. For more, be sure to read Noun Clause.