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This grammar point video will address Clauses and phrase.
This grammar point video will address clauses and phrase.
Before discussing clauses and phrases, we must define a complete sentence.
What is a complete sentence?
A complete sentence has a subject and a verb (S+V).
Usually, the subject is at the beginning of the sentence,
and the verb follows the subject.
The sentence pattern is “S” (subject) plus (+) “V” (verb).
Also, many sentences have an object or object complement,
such as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb (S+V+O).
When the object is attached the sentence pattern is (S+V+O).
Therefore, the subject performs the action; the verb describes the action, and the object receives the action.
A complete sentence has a subject-verb relationship and expresses a compete thought.
Sentences that begin with dependent clauses or phrases sometimes confuse students
because the main subject and verb are delayed.
For example in these sentences
the main subject and verb are delayed because the sentence
starts with either a dependent clause or phrase
such as, “At the end of the day,”
“After many hours of rain,”
“Because traveling is technically an educational experience,”
“While time management is one of the essential skills for success.
As discussed earlier, many sentences also have an object or object complement, forming a S+V+O pattern.
As you can see in the example sentences, dependent clauses and phrases
can’t stand alone. They must be connected to an independent clause
in order to express a complete thought.
Therefore, sentences are a combination of clauses that are modified by phrases.
So, what are clauses?
There are two types of clauses: independent and dependent.
Both clauses have subjects and verbs with a subject-verb relationship,
but ONLY the independent clause expresses a complete thought.
A subject-verb relationship simply means that the subject and verb convey a meaningful statement,
such as in the following sentences: “Many students visit foreign countries (period).”
Or, “Traveling is technically an educational experience (period).”
One major difference between independent and dependent clauses is a subordinating conjunction.
Dependent clauses begin with a subordinating conjunction like the word because.
Once you attach the subordinating conjunction, creating a dependent clause,
you do not have a sentence with a complete thought.
It technically is a fragment sentence.
The dependent clause must be connected to an independent clause
in order to create a sentence with a complete thought.
Another difference between an independent and dependent clause
is the main subject and verb are always located in the independent clause.
A list of subordinating conjunctions is at the end of this video.
Phrases modify clauses. So, what is a phrase?
Sentences have phrases, and there are various types of phrases,
but phrases do NOT have subjects and verbs that form a relationship,
and they do NOT express a complete thought.
Phrases ONLY modify other words, phrases or clauses.
For example in the sentence, “Many students visit foreign countries during summer break,”
the phrase “during summer break” is a prepositional phrase of time.
It is modifying the whole sentence.
A list of various types of phrases is at the end of this video.
Understanding how clauses and phrases are constructed and how they function in a sentence
will improve your sentence structure and writing.
Here is a list of common subordinating conjunctions that usually start dependent clauses.
You should be able to recognize a pattern to dependent clauses (subordinating conjunction + subject + verb + object,).
Subordinating Conjunction plus (+) a subject plus (+) a verb and possibly an object.
Finally, here are the most common types of phrases, which modify words, clauses and other phrases.
Remember, you usually identify the type of phase by the first word in the phrase.
For example, a prepositional phrase starts with a preposition, such as the word before.
An infinitive phrase starts with an infinitive verb, such as to give,
and a participle phrase starts with either a past participle
such as interested
or a present participle such as interesting.