How to Tell the Difference Between Clauses and Phrases
Table of Contents
Quick Summary
A clause contains both a subject and a verb, while a phrase lacks one of them, usually the verb. Let’s compare the following examples:
Eating a lot
This is a gerund phrase, which begins with a gerund (the “-ing” form of a verb). Since it doesn’t include a verb that matches the subject, this structure is considered a phrase, not a clause.
To turn it into a clause, we need to add a verb.
Eating a lot makes you gain weight.
Here, the verb “makes” is added, so this is now a clause. It has both subject (gerund phrase) and the verb.
- Subject: Eating a lot
- Verb: makes
- Object: you
In English grammar, there are two important concepts: clauses and phrases. They may seem similar at first, but knowing the difference between them is essential if you want to use more advanced sentence structures. On the SAT, distinguishing between them is key to selecting the correct answers.
This article breaks down the difference between clauses and phrases in a clear and simple way.
What are Clauses?
A clause is a group of words that contains both a subject and a verb. At first, it might seem like all clauses are complete sentences, but that’s not always the case. Some clauses can stand alone as a complete thought. These are called independent clauses. Others cannot stand on their own and need to be connected to a full sentence. These are known as dependent clauses.
Independent Clause
An independent clause is a group of words that can stand alone as a complete sentence. If it makes sense on its own and expresses a complete idea, then it’s an independent clause. Take the following sentence, for example,
Balancing the needs of drivers and pedestrians remains a central challenge in urban development, forcing planners to continually adapt their designs to meet the evolving demands of growing populations.
The first part, “Balancing the needs of drivers and pedestrians remains a central challenge in urban development,” is an independent clause. Here’s how we can break it down:
- Subject: Balancing the needs of drivers and pedestrians
- Verb: remains
- Complement: a central challenge in urban development
This part stands as a complete sentence on its own; thereby, it qualifies as an independent clause.
Dependent Clause
A dependent clause is a group of words that includes both a subject and a verb but doesn’t stand alone as a complete sentence. It needs to be connected to an independent clause to form a full sentence.
Although numerous economists have proposed theories explaining market fluctuations and wealth distribution, Amartya Sen’s contributions to the field of welfare economics and social choice theory are widely regarded as transformative.
Here, the first part beginning with “Although” is a dependent clause. When a sentence starts with a conjunction like “Although,” it must be followed by a comma and then an independent clause (a complete sentence).
What are Phrases?
Unlike clauses, phrases don’t contain a main verb, which means they can never stand alone as complete sentences. Let’s look at the following example:
Balancing the needs of drivers and pedestrians remains a central challenge in urban development, forcing planners to continually adapt their designs to meet the evolving demands of growing populations.
In this sentence, the second half, starting from forcing planners, is a phrase. It doesn’t contain a standalone verb acting as the main action of a subject. While it includes verbs like “to adapt” and “to meet,” these are part of infinitives, not main verbs that complete a sentence on their own.
Connecting Phrases and Clauses
Understanding the difference between phrases and clauses isn’t just about memorizing grammar terms. It’s about knowing how to properly join different parts of a sentence.
Each type of word group follows its own rule when combined with others. For example, if you’re connecting two independent clauses, you’ll need either a conjunction or the correct punctuation. However, if you’re simply adding a phrase to a sentence, a comma is usually enough.
Here’s a quick summary of how these structures work:
- A dependent clause can’t stand alone. It must be attached to an independent clause to form a full sentence.
- Two independent clauses must be joined with a conjunction (e.g., “and” or “but”) or proper punctuation (such as a semicolon).
- A phrase can be connected to an independent clause with just a comma in most cases.
Example: Connecting Phrase
Walking through the park, I saw a group of children playing soccer.
The first part of this sentence, “Walking through the park,” is an introductory phrase. As you can see, it doesn’t contain a subject–verb pair, so it cannot stand alone as a sentence. The second part, “I saw a group of children playing soccer,” is an independent clause that expresses a complete thought.
A comma is used to connect the introductory phrase and the independent clause.
Example: Dependent Clause
Because I was tired, I decided to go home early.
In this sentence, the first part “Because I was tired” is a dependent clause: it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
To use a dependent clause correctly, it must be attached to an independent clause. Here, the second part “I decided to go home early” serves as that independent clause, completing the sentence’s meaning.
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