Phrases and Clauses
A phrase is a group of related words that represent a particular part of speech.
1) into the store (prepositional phrase)
2) to the lake (prepositional phrase)
(There are other types of phrases besides prepositional phrases, but I want you
to be able to identify those first.)
A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb.
1) Although we had no money (dependent)
2) we went to the store to ask the storekeeper to donate
some milk. (independent)
Independent
Dependent
or
or
Main
Subordinate
clauses
clauses
These can stand alone as complete
sentences.
These cannot stand alone as complete
sentences. They need an independent (or
main) clause for them to make sense.
Examples:
Examples:
We went into the store to convince the
storekeeper to give us some milk.
Although we had no money
The joy of these toys dates to their
origins hundreds of years ago
When they fascinated the youths of
Europe
I was angry
Because he yelled at me
NOTE: Clauses that begin with a subordinating conjunction (after, until, because, etc.)
OR a relative pronoun (who, which, that, etc.) are DEPENDENT. Dependent clauses must
be combined with an independent clause in order to form a complete sentence.
Types of Clauses
Dependent clauses can be identified and classified according to their role in the
sentence.
Noun clauses do anything that a noun can do. They can be subjects, objects, and objects of prepositions. They
answer the question “what?”
•
What Turveydrop has forgotten about American politics could fill entire libraries.
•
President Johnson finally revealed what he had in mind for his congressional leaders.
•
Sheila Thistlethwaite has written a marvelous book about how American politics and economic processes
often run counter to common sense.
ADVERB CLAUSES tend to tell us something about the sentence’s main verb: when, why, under what conditions.
•
After Jubal Early invaded the outskirts of Washington, Congressional leaders took the southern threat
more seriously.
•
Lincoln insisted on attending the theater that night because it was important to demonstrate domestic
tranquility.
ADJECTIVE CLAUSES modify nouns or pronouns in the rest of the sentence. They tell what kind or which one.
•
The Internet, which started out as a means for military and academic types to share documents, has
become a household necessity.
•
Tim Berners-Lee, who developed the World Wide Web, could never have foreseen the popularity of his
invention.
•
The graphical user interface (GUI) that we all take for granted nowadays is actually a late development in
the World Wide Web.
Notice, now, how the subject is often separated from its verb by information represented by the dependent
clause.
Practice: For the underlined clause in each sentence, indicate whether it functions as a noun, adjective, or
adverb.
1. Buford High school, which is an award-winning school, moved to AAA this year.
_____________
2. Even though he said he was sorry, I cannot forgive him.
_____________
3. Lately, I have realized that I am a jealous person.
_____________
4. Before I tell you my secret, you have to promise not to tell anyone.
_____________
5. What my opinion is on this matter isn’t what is important.
_____________
Types of Phrases: Cheat Sheet
Type of Phrase
Used as (part
of speech)
Definition
Examples
Prepositional
Adjective or
adverb
Prepositional phrases start with a
preposition and end with a noun
(the object). Prepositional phrases
function as adjectives, adverbs, or
nouns.
A noun phrase is a group of words
consisting of a noun and any words
that modify that noun.
An appositive is a noun or pronoun
which gives additional information
about another noun or pronoun. It
is set apart from the rest of the
sentence by commas.
Participial phrases are formed from
participles and all the related
words. Participles are formed from
verbs and end in "ing" or "ed."
Participles function as adjectives;
therefore, participial phrases also
function as adjectives. They often
describe the subject of the sentence.
A gerund phrase is formed from a
gerund plus its related words. A
gerund is a verb with an "ing"
ending that functions as a noun.
An infinitive phrase is formed from
an infinitive and other related
words. An infinitive is the word
"to" followed by a verb. This type
of phrase functions as a noun, an
adjective, or an adverb.
Yesterday, I ran by the
lake. (adverb)
Noun
Noun
(Noun)
Appositive
Adjective
(Verbal)
Participial
Adjective
(Verbal) Gerund
Noun
(Verbal)
Infinitive
Noun,
adjective, or
adverb
The house by the lake is
very large. (adjective)
The very tall man had a
hard time finding
clothes that fit well.
Mrs. McClure, my
teacher, wants me to
learn about phrases.
Eating slowly, the child
was finally quiet.
Competing successfully
requires much practice.
To sleep late on
Sundays is a big treat!
Practice: IDENTIFY TYPES OF PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES
Underline the prepositional phrase in each sentence. Circle the word or words that it modifies.
Then, in the blank, write ADJ or ADV to identify what kind of prepositional phrase it is.
1. Early phonograph records of Enrico Caruso are valuable today.
2. Computer animation produces special effects for many films.
3. Frank Lloyd Wright turned against traditional architectural styles.
4. Sculptures can be created from clay, wood, stone, plaster, or metal.
5. Artist George O’Keefe began painting the sky and clouds after an airplane ride
Practice: IDENTIFYING APPOSITIVE PHRASES
Underline the appositive phrase in each sentence. Circle the noun it identifies. Add necessary
commas.
6. Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard is an oceanographic engineer.
7. His father Auguste Piccard designed the bathyscaphe.
8. In 1953, the two Piccards descended 10,300 feet under the Mediterranean Sea in the
submarine Trieste.
9. The Great Barrier Reef a chain of coral reefs is located of the northeastern coast of Australia.
10. The coral is formed by polyps hardened skeletons of flowerlike water animals.
Practice: IDENTIFYING PARTICIPIAL PHRASES
In each sentence, find and underline the participial phrase that modifies the boldfaced noun or
pronoun.
11. Writing quickly, the students took the exam
12. The travelers saw a huge stone castle perched on the rocky cliff.
13. The boy performing a solo on the trumpet is my brother.
14. Swimming with his friend, Frances made it to the float.
15. Ed’s sailboat, damaged near the stern, was unusable.
Practice: IDENTIFYING GERUNDS
In each sentence, underline every gerund phrase. Circle the gerund.
16. Speeding down mountain slopes thrills many skiers.
17. Cross-country style identifies hiking on skis over snow-covered ground.
18. Norwegian immigrants introduced skiing into the United States in the mid-1800s.
19. Almost every ski area in the United States has machines for making snow.
20. Ski areas also have ski lifts, devices for transporting skiers to the tops of slops.
Practice: IDENTIFYING INFINITIVE PHRASES
In each sentence, underline the infinitive phrase. Circle the infinitive.
21. The tourists asked the bus driver to go slower.
22. Their purpose for taking the tour was to see the countryside.
23. The earliest attempts to fly ended in embarrassment, if not injury.
24. Robert’s plan to compete in a triathlon surprised everyone.
25. Yes, we packed supplies – enough to last a full week.
More Practice:
Identify the correct choice in each question and click on the to see whether your answer is correct.
1. Marta fell over the cat.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
2. Pretending to be asleep, the hiker escaped the bear.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
3. Susan Sarandon, a famous actress, has been very supportive of the striking workers.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
4. To finish the marathon in less than five hours is Tom's goal.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
5. She preferred eating at the local deli for lunch.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
6. He should discover a gift certificate for dinner at Cafe Sofia under his seat at the table.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
7. After learning the parts of speech, the class began studying punctuation.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
8. The candidate elected by the voters promised to put "a chicken in every pot."
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
9. Will someone be here soon to open the door?
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
10. Delivering the pizza on time became his single mission.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
11. The woman who led the workshop used to be a math teacher.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
12. Frustrated with the delays, Erin tried to break her dog out of quarantine.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
13. Tom visited India while studying the history of Indian art.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
14. While she looked behind the house, the rest of us searched the local parks for the puppy.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
15. Tom Hanks, star of "Philadelphia, will be appearing in a new film this holiday season.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
16. Before putting too much effort into the project, maybe you should get some guidance from your boss.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
e. clause
f. participial phrase
17. The car that Devon sold to the dealership has been wrecked twice.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
18. Does the captain want us to lower the sails before we enter the harbor?
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
19. She liked the shirt given to her by her grandmother.
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase
20. Did you really think that robbing a bank would solve your problems?
a. infinitive phrase b. appositive c. gerund phrase d. prepositional phrase