Phrases and Clauses

What are phrases

Phrases are collections of words that do not have a verb, no subject, use verbal,
uses abstract nouns.
In the phrase "joyful anticipation of success":

- **Verbal Noun**: "anticipation" is a verbal noun derived from the verb

"anticipate," meaning it relates to the action of expecting or looking forward to
something. It functions as a noun in the sentence.

- **Abstract Noun**: "success" is an abstract noun because it represents a

concept or idea rather than something physical or tangible. It refers to the
achievement of a goal or the accomplishment of something.

The phrase contains "anticipation" as a verbal noun and "success" as an abstract

noun, both conveying non-physical concepts.

What are Clauses?

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate (verb).
Clauses can be independent or dependent:

Example
The cat sleeps on the couch.

In this clause, "the cat" is the subject, and "sleeps" is the verb.

Coming to another important thing is FUNCTION of any set of words

Independent Clause:
An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb,
and it expresses a complete thought. It can stand alone as a sentence.

Example: - "She enjoys reading."

Explanation: In this example, "She" is the subject, "enjoys" is the verb, and the
clause expresses a complete thought. It can function as a standalone sentence.
Dependent Clause: A dependent clause also contains a subject and a verb, but
it does not express a complete thought. It cannot stand alone as a sentence
because it starts with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun.

Example: - "Although she enjoys reading."

Explanation: In this case, "Although" is a subordinating conjunction, which makes

the clause unable to stand alone. It leaves the reader hanging and needs an
independent clause to complete the thought, like: "Although she enjoys reading,
she rarely has time for it."

Sentence 1: "Because it was raining, we stayed indoors."

Explanation: - Dependent Clause: "Because it was raining" cannot stand alone as
a complete thought; it tells us the reason for the following clause. -
Independent Clause: "We stayed indoors" is a complete sentence that can stand
alone. It explains what we did as a result of the rain.

Sentence 2: "Although he studied hard, he didn’t pass the exam."

Explanation: - Dependent Clause: "Although he studied hard" cannot stand alone
and sets up a contrast to the outcome. -
Independent Clause: "He didn’t pass the exam" is a complete thought that can
stand alone, indicating the result despite the hard work.

Sentence 3: "Whenever she goes to the gym, she feels energized."

Explanation: - Dependent Clause: "Whenever she goes to the gym" cannot stand
alone; it indicates the condition under which the following action occurs. -
Independent Clause: "She feels energized" presents a complete thought and can
stand alone, showing what happens when she goes to the gym.

Sentence 4: "Since I have finished my homework, I can watch television."

Explanation: - Dependent Clause: "Since I have finished my homework" cannot
stand alone and provides the reason for the next action. -
Independent Clause: "I can watch television" is a complete thought that can
stand alone, indicating what the speaker is now able to do.
Noun clauses are dependent clauses that function as a noun within a sentence.
They can serve various roles such as the subject, object, or complement. Here
are some examples:
1.Subject of the sentence: -
"What you decided is important."
In this sentence, the noun clause "What you decided" acts as the subject. It tells
us what is important.
Whether we will go on the trip remains uncertain." In this sentence, the noun
clause "Whether we will go on the trip" acts as the subject and indicates what
remains uncertain.
2. That you completed the project on time is impressive. Here, the noun
clause "That you completed the project on time" serves as the subject, informing
us about what is impressive.
3.What they choose for their leader will affect everyone. In this case, the
noun clause "What they choose for their leader" is the subject, revealing what will
affect everyone.
4. How we approach this problem matters. The noun clause "How we
approach this problem" functions as the subject of the sentence, emphasizing
what matters.
5. Why she left the party is still a mystery. The noun clause "Why she left the
party" acts as the subject, indicating what remains a mystery.

Object of the verb: -

"I believe that she will win the competition." Here, the noun clause "that she
will win the competition" is the direct object of the verb "believe." It answers the
question of what the speaker believes.
Subject complement: -
"The truth is that he was incorrect." In this example, the noun clause "that he
was incorrect" serves as a subject complement, providing more information about
the subject "the truth."

1.​Adverbial Clause
An adverbial clause answers the question of how, how important, when,
how frequently, and where. This clause is with submission conjunction
later, since, or unless.
 These are of two types:
1.​ Adverbial Clause of condition
2.​ Adverbial Clause of Place
3.​ Adverbial Clause of Time
4.​ Adverbial Clause of Reason
5.​ Adverbial Clause of Contrast

These examples illustrate how adverbial clauses can convey various nuances
regarding conditions, places, times, reasons, and contrasts, enriching the
meaning of sentences.Here are sentences classified by different types of
adverbial clauses, along with explanations for each type:

1. Adverbial Clause of Condition

Sentence: "If it rains tomorrow, we will cancel the picnic."
Explanation**: The adverbial clause "If it rains tomorrow" sets a condition that
must be met for the action in the main clause ("we will cancel the picnic") to
occur.

2. Adverbial Clause of Place

Sentence: "You can find me wherever you look."
Explanation: The adverbial clause "wherever you look" indicates the place in
relation to the action of the main verb ("can find"), specifying where the speaker
can be found.

3. Adverbial Clause of Time

Sentence: "I will finish my report before the deadline."
Explanation The adverbial clause "before the deadline" provides information
about the timing of the action in the main clause ("I will finish my report"),
indicating when the report will be completed.

4. Adverbial Clause of Reason

Sentence: "She stayed home because she was feeling unwell."
**Explanation**: The adverbial clause "because she was feeling unwell" explains
the reason for the action in the main clause ("She stayed home"), providing
context for her decision.

5. Adverbial Clause of Contrast

Sentence: "Although he practiced hard, he did not win the competition."
**Explanation: The adverbial clause "Although he practiced hard" shows a
contrast between the expectation of winning due to hard work and the reality of
not winning, modifying the main clause ("he did not win the competition").

These examples illustrate how adverbial clauses can convey various nuances
regarding conditions, places, times, reasons, and contrasts, enriching the
meaning of sentences.Adverbial clauses are dependent clauses that function as
adverbs in a sentence, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They often
provide information about time, place, condition, reason, or manner. Here are
some examples along with explanations:

1. "I will call you when I arrive."

- Explanation: The adverbial clause "when I arrive" modifies the verb "call,"
indicating the time at which the action will occur.

2. "Although it was raining, we went for a hike."

- Explanation: The clause "Although it was raining" provides a condition for the
main action "we went for a hike," explaining the contrasting circumstance under
which the action took place.

3. "She sings as if she were a professional."

- Explanation: The adverbial clause "as if she were a professional" modifies the
verb "sings," describing the manner in which she sings.

4. "I study hard because I want to succeed."

- Explanation: The clause "because I want to succeed" answers the question of
why the speaker studies hard, thus modifying the verb "study."

5. "If you finish your homework, we can watch a movie."

 - Explanation: The adverbial clause "If you finish your homework" sets a
condition that must be met for the action in the main clause ("we can watch a
movie") to take place.

Adjective clauses (also called relative clauses) are dependent clauses that
modify nouns or pronouns. They typically begin with relative pronouns like "who,"
"whom," "whose," "which," "that," or relative adverbs like "where," "when," "why."

Here are examples with explanations:

Using "who" (for people as subjects):

●​ The teacher who lives next door is very kind.

○​ The adjective clause "who lives next door" modifies "teacher" and
tells us which teacher we're talking about.

Using "whom" (for people as objects):

●​ The student whom I tutored passed the exam.

○​ The clause "whom I tutored" modifies "student" and explains which
student passed.

Using "whose" (showing possession):

●​ The woman whose car broke down called for help.

○​ "Whose car broke down" modifies "woman" and shows the
relationship between the woman and the car.

Using "which" (for things):

●​ The book which you recommended was fascinating.

○​ The clause "which you recommended" modifies "book" and specifies
which book was fascinating.

Using "that" (for people or things):

●​ The movie that we watched was thrilling.

○​ "That we watched" modifies "movie" and identifies which movie was
thrilling.
Using "where" (for places):

●​ This is the restaurant where we first met.

○​ The clause "where we first met" modifies "restaurant" and provides
additional information about the location.

Using "when" (for time):

●​ I remember the day when you graduated.

○​ "When you graduated" modifies "day" and specifies which day is
being remembered.

Key points:

●​ Adjective clauses always contain a subject and verb

●​ They can be essential (restrictive) or non-essential (non-restrictive)
●​ Non-essential clauses are set off by commas: "My brother, who is a doctor,
lives in Chicago."
●​ Essential clauses have no commas: "The brother who is a doctor lives in
Chicago."

Practice exercises

Q1.Read each group of words carefully and identify whether it is a PHRASE or

a CLAUSE.

1.​ under the old bridge

2.​ when the rain started
3.​ running through the forest
4.​ because she was tired
5.​ in the morning
6.​ the dog barked loudly
7.​ after finishing homework
8.​ which costs too much
9.​ during the summer vacation
10.​ he studied all night
 11.​walking down the street
12.​ where we used to live
13.​ at the shopping mall
14.​ since you asked nicely
15.​ broken beyond repair
16.​ the children were playing
17.​ before the movie begins
18.​ near the old church
19.​ what she said yesterday
20.​ sitting by the window

Q2 .Read each sentence carefully and identify the type of adverbial clause.

1.​ If you study hard, you will pass the examination with flying colors.
2.​ The children played happily wherever their parents took them during the
vacation.
3.​ While she was cooking dinner, her husband set the table for the family.
4.​ The project was cancelled because the funding was insufficient for
completion.
5.​ Although it was raining heavily, the football match continued as scheduled.
6.​ Unless you submit your assignment on time, you will lose marks from your
final grade.
7.​ The tourists took photographs wherever they found beautiful scenery
during their trip.
8.​ Before the meeting starts, please make sure all the documents are ready.
9.​ The team worked overtime since the deadline was approaching quickly
and they were behind schedule.
10.​ Though he practiced every day, he couldn't improve his piano playing
significantly.
11.​If the weather permits, we will organize a picnic in the park this weekend.
12.​ She always feels nervous where large crowds gather for public events.
13.​ After the storm passed, the residents began cleaning up the debris from
their yards.
14.​ The restaurant closed early because the chef fell ill and couldn't
prepare meals.
15.​ Whereas traditional methods take hours, modern technology completes
the task in minutes.
Q3. Read each sentence carefully and:Identify the adjective clause (also
called relative clause)Name the noun it modifies (the antecedent)Identify the
relative pronoun or adverb (who, whom, whose, which, that, where, when,
why)

1.​ The book that I borrowed from the library was very interesting.
2.​ The woman who lives next door is a famous novelist.
3.​ The car which broke down yesterday needs expensive repairs.
4.​ Students whose grades are excellent will receive scholarships.
5.​ The restaurant where we had dinner serves authentic Italian food.
6.​ Do you remember the day when we first met at the conference?
7.​ The teacher whom everyone respects is retiring next month.
8.​ The reason why he left early remains a mystery to us.
9.​ The house that was built in 1920 has been renovated recently.
10.​ The artist whose paintings hang in the gallery won several awards.
11.​The park where children play every evening needs better lighting.
12.​ The moment when she announced her engagement was truly magical.
13.​ The laptop which I bought last year is already outdated.
14.​ The person who called this morning didn't leave a message.
15.​ The explanation why the project failed was never given to the team.