Phrases and Clauses
Phrase Clause Sentence Kindsof Clauses Clausesand Sentences Paragraphs
Phrase
A phrase is a group of words working together. Some examples of phrases are:
- in the office -- This is a prepositional phrase. (The meeting will be inthe office.)
- pick up -- This is a phrasal verb. (He picked up some pamphlets atthe conference.)
- a big profit -- This is a noun phrase. (MacCorp has a big profitthis year.)
Top Clause
A clause is a group of words working together with a subjectand a verb showing time (or tense).Some examples of clauses are:
- The budget was cut. (Independent Clause)
- The budget for advertising on the Internet was cut. (IndependentClause)
- because the ads didn’t focus locally (Dependent or Subordinate AdverbClause of Reason)
- Please book the flight connecting to Toronto. (Independent Clauseusing the Imperative Mood, or Command)
Top Sentence
A sentence- is a complete thought
- begins with a capital letter and ends with a period
- always has at least one main clause.
My computer crashed yesterday. (One Independent Clause -- a Simple
Sentence)
When the service man arrived, he discovered I had accidently pulledthe plug; it was very embarressing, and it cost me $80.
(This is a compound-complex sentence; its clauses, in order, are adependent adverb clause of time, an independent clause, a noun clause objectof the verb "discovered", and, after the semi-colon, two more independentclauses joined by the co-ordinating conjunction "and".)
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Kinds of Clauses
The type of clause depends on its completeness and its function in thesentence.- The shipment arrived at 5 p.m. (Independent Clause)
- after the shipment had arrived (Dependent Adverb Clause of Time)
- The shipment arrived late, but this did not cause any problems. (TwoIndependent Clauses joined by the co-ordinating conjunction "and".)
- After the shipment had arrived, the assembly line was restarted. (An Adverb Clause of Time and an Independent Clause)
TopClauses and Sentences
A
simple sentence has only one clause. This clause, by definition,must be an independent (or principle or main) clause.
- The shipment arrived at 5 p.m.
A compound sentence has two independent (or more) clausesjoined by one of the “fanboys” – the co-ordinating conjunctions "for, and,nor, but, or, yet, so". A semi-colon (;) can also join two main clauses to form a compound sentence; this sentence is an example.
- The shipment arrived late, but this did not cause any problems.
A complex sentence has at least one independent clause andat least one dependent (or subordinate) clause.
- After the shipment had arrived, the assembly line was restarted.
Sometimes when a complex sentence has two independent clauses aswell as one or more independent clauses, it is called a compound-complexsentence.
- When the service man arrived, he discovered I had accidently pulled theplug; it was very embarressing, and it cost me $80.
An independent clause stands by itself. By itself it is a simplesentence; in a compound sentence, there are two independent clauses joinedby one of the "FANBOYS" -- "and", "or", "but" and so on.
Notes:
A dependent clause needs an independent clause in thesame sentence for the sentence to express a complete thought. Ifthe dependent clause modifies a noun, it is an adjective (or relative)clause; if the dependent clause modifies a verb, then it is an adverbclause; if it is used like a noun in a sentence, either as a subject,object, or object of a preposition, then the clause is a noun clause. Any sentence which has a dependent clause with a main or principal clauseis a complex sentence. (If you analyze it, you will see thatthe previous sentence is a complex sentence.) If a sentence containstwo or more independent clauses, it is a compound sentence. If a sentence has one independent clause, then it is a simple sentence.
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Paragraphs
A paragraph is a unified group of related sentences expressing aspects
of one idea. The main idea is introduced in the topic sentence, and
the other sentences give supporting details. (In technical writing, if
all that needs to be expressed can be expressed in one sentence, this one
sentence is considered a paragraph.)
The topic sentence contains the most significant, or the broadest idea,
statement, concept, or question. All the other sentences in the paragraph
explain or support this main idea. Most often in technical writing, the
topic sentence is at the beginning of the paragraph.
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