Phrases and Clauses

• A group of words can be either a phrase or a clause.

• A PHRASE is a group of words that DOES NOT have
a subject and a predicate (AKA verb).
• A CLAUSE is a group of words that has BOTH a
subject and a predicate (verb).
Review: Subjects and Predicates
• The subject is person or thing that does the action.
• The predicate (or verb) describes what the subject
does.
• The predicate shows action (for action verbs)
• Or state of being (for linking verbs)
Underline the subject. Circle the
verb.
• The test was really difficult.

• My brother loves to eat tacos.

• The boys and girls are walking to school.

• Please, give me five dollars.

• Her parents call her every day after school.

Underline the subject. Circle the
verb.
• The test was really difficult.

• My brother loves to eat tacos.

• The boys and girls are walking to school.

You
• Please, give me five dollars.

• Her parents call her every day after school.

 Types of Clauses
A clause can be either DEPENDENT or INDEPENDENT.
 Dependent
This is Joe. Joe went to
college, but going to class
got in the way of playing
video games, so he dropped
out and moved back in with
his mom. Joe works just
enough to pay for his video
games. His mom asked him
to pay rent, but he knows
she’ll never kick him out if
he doesn’t pay.
Joe is DEPENDENT.
 Independent
This is JoAnn. JoAnn finished
college two years ago and got a
job working in marketing at a
tech firm. She lives alone in a
small, but comfortable
apartment while she works to
pay off her student loans.
JoAnn has been on a few days,
but she doesn’t want a serious
relationship because she wants
to focus on her career.

JoAnn is INDEPENDENT.
 DEPENDENT & INDEPENDENT
CLAUSES
• If a clause needs something else in order to make sense
and stand alone as a sentence, it is a DEPENDENT CLAUSE.
• If a clause can stand alone by itself as a sentence that
makes sense, it is an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE.

Dependent
Because Joe lives with his mother

Independent
JoAnn lives alone.