Page 2 - Microsoft Word - HA 1

PHRASES & CLAUSES
In any language, a sentence can be divided into various parts. Phrases and

clauses are one among the divisions that can be done. Phrases and clauses
are both used to build sentences.

Phrase: A phrase is a group of words that act together as a single unit but

don’t contain the things need to form a sentence: a subject and a predicate.
Phrases may contain nouns and verbs, but they cannot function by
themselves as complete sentences. If used alone, a phrase would be

a sentence fragment and not a sentence.
For example, the phrase “shiny gold watches” is clearly not a complete
sentence as it doesn’t have a predicate.

Examples of phrases in a sentence

 Running laps around the jogging track is really good exercise.
 The tired, old cat can’t catch mice anymore.

 Thinking quickly, we put out the fire with a hose.
 His last Christmas gift to her was a partridge in a pear tree.
 She quizzically rubbed her chin, thinking about how best to answer
the question.

Types of phrases:

 Noun Phrase: This is a phrase that acts as a noun in a sentence. A
noun or a pronoun and its modifiers make up a noun phrase.

Remember a noun phrase answers the question ‘what’.
For example: The man takes a bus every day to work.
Arif has a very beautiful bag with him.

 Adjective Phrase: An adjective phrase is a phrase that acts as an
adjective by describing a noun.