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Phrase and Clause: Difference
Every sentence in English is formed using phrases and clauses, but sometimes it can be tricky to differentiate between them.
Both phrases and clauses are groups of two or more words helping an individual construct an English sentence, but when it comes to their roles, they perform different functions. To better understand the difference between phrase and clause, it’s important to learn about their definition.
What is meant by Phrase?
A phrase can be defined as a group of two or more words in an English sentence related to each other or act as a single unit but doesn’t contain a subject and a verb.
What is meant by Clause?
A clause can be defined as the group of two or more words in an English sentence that contains both a subject and a verb.
Now coming to the difference, a single clause can form an independent sentence, but a single phrase is not capable of forming an independent sentence.
Phrases are not necessary to form the sentence. They add meaning to the sentences. On the other hand, clauses are considered a vital part of the sentence as removing the same from the sentence can affect the meaning.
Example to explain Phrase and Clause
Here is the sentence using both phrase and clause:
Wherever you go, she will follow.
In this sentence,
‘Wherever you go’ is a subordinate clause, and ‘she will follow’ is the main clause.
Analysis: ‘wherever you go’ only cannot convey a complete thought. It needs more information to substantiate. It uses the subject ‘you’ and the verb ‘go’.
When it comes to ‘she will follow’- it contains both a subject (she) and a verb (follow). It conveys a complete thought as well.
Again if we write,
Eating ice cream on a summer morning is bliss.
We have a gerund phrase here. ‘Eating ice cream’ does not contain a finite verb and does not convey a complete thought. It is a phrase.
Differences between the Phrase and Clause in Tabular Form
Following mentioned is the difference between a phrase and a clause in the form of a table:
Parameters of Differentiation | Phrase | Clause |
|---|---|---|
Meaning | A phrase is defined as a group of words having no verb | A clause is defined as a group of words having a subject and a verb |
Identification | If a sentence has either a subject or neither a subject nor a verb, then it is a phrase | A sentence having both a subject and a verb is identified as a clause |
Component | A phrase is just a component of the sentence | A clause can stand alone and make a complete English sentence with proper meaning |
Conveying the idea | A phrase does not give any idea of the meaning or context of the sentence | A clause conveys the idea about the meaning or context of the sentence |
Complete sense | If mentioned individually, a phrase does not make any proper sense | If mentioned individually, a clause provides complete sense to the words used |
Identifying a Phrase or a Clause
Both phrase and clause are used to frame a sentence. It can become a little tricky to identify them both. Knowing the difference between a phrase and a clause can make it much easier to identify both.
As mentioned above, phrases do not contain both a subject and a verb, whereas, a clause contains both a subject and a verb, the quickest way to identify whether a group of words is a phrase or clause is to look for both- a subject and a verb.
- If it is possible to find both- a subject and a verb, then the particular group of words is identified as a clause
- If it’s possible to find either a subject or a verb, or neither of them, then the particular group of words is identified as a phrase
Conclusion
Aspirants preparing for any competitive exam are asked to carefully read the article mentioned above based on the difference between phrase and clause, as English is a part of almost every examination. Knowing the rules differentiating clauses and phrases can help secure extra marks. One should be thorough with the knowledge of using phrases and clauses appropriately.
