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Difference Between Phrase and Clause

phrase vs clauseIn English, there are two grammatical terms, that forms part of a sentence which may or may not be meaningful. These are phrase and clause, wherein the phrase implies a set of words, that acts as a single unit but does not have a subject and predicate.

On the contrary, a clause is also a group of words, which contains a subject and a predicate. Now, let’s have a look at the examples given below, to understand the difference between phrase and clause in a better way:

  • She lives in Gujarat, since 2012.
  • I went to my home, after returning from the party, last night.

In the first sentence, in Gujarat is just a phrase, as it does not have a subject-verb pairing, while she lives in Gujarat is a clause, as it contains both subject and verb. In the next sentence, I went to my home, is a clause because it has a subject and a verb, whereas to my home and from the party, are the phrases, as it is just a group of words, not making any sense.

Content: Phrase Vs Clause

  1. Comparison Chart
  2. Definition
  3. Key Differences
  4. Examples
  5. How to remember the difference

Comparison Chart

Basis for ComparisonPhraseClause
MeaningA phrase is a set of words, taken together in the form of a conceptual unit.A clause is a component of grammatical arrangement, that contains set of words having a subject and verb.
Component ofClause or sentenceComplete sentence
Does it convey a thought or idea?NoYes
ExampleI will see you at the court.The one who met you at Mc Donald's, is my neighbor.
Harry loves to travel alone.You can play, after watching TV.

Definition of Phrase

A phrase refers to a combination of two or more words, that are related to one another and acts as a single unit, but does not contain a subject-verb pairing. It forms a part of a clause or sentence which is used to provide further information.

A phrase does not carry any meaning of its own, due to the absence of subject and verb, but it clarifies the context, of the sentence when added to a clause. There are six types of clauses:

  • Noun Phrase: E.g. The lady at the store is my mother.
  • Verb Phrase: E.g. She must be singing, at the interschool talent hunt.
  • Adverbial Phrase: E.g. Anirudh told me the truth very honestly.
  • Gerund Phrase: E.g. Vaanya and her friends enjoyed a lot, dancing at the party.
  • Infinitive Phrase: E.g. Tarun likes to surprise others.
  • Prepositional Phrase: E.g. You can find the food on the table.

In the above examples, you might have observed, there are nouns and verbs too, but in no case, the nouns act as the subject of the sentence, doing a predicate verb.

Definition of Clause

When in a set of words, there is a subject actively performing an action (verb), then that combination of words, is called as a clause. A clause can function as a sentence, which may or may not be a complete one.

There are two parts in a clause, i.e. a subject and a predicate. The predicate expresses something with respect to the subject. There are various types of clauses which are given as under:

  • Adverbial clause: E.g. After the party was over, the band left for Mumbai, for the next concert.
  • Adjective (relative) clause: E.g. The child, who gave you chocolate yesterday, is my niece.
  • Independent (main) clause: E.g. Jane talks slowly, at the library.
  • Dependent (subordinate) clause: E.g. I had food before I left for the office.
  • Noun clause: E.g. I know what she is trying to hide.

Key Differences Between Phrase and Clause

The points given below are substantial so far as the difference between phrase and cause is concerned:

  1. A phrase is described as a group of two or more than two words related to one another, that constitute a single unit. On the other extreme, the clause is a part of a sentence, that contains a subject (noun phrase) that actively performs an action (finite verb form).
  2. A phrase is a part of a clause or a sentence. As against, a clause is a sentence fragment.
  3. A clause has a subject and predicate, whereas a phrase doesn’t.
  4. A phrase cannot stand-alone, as it does not convey meaning. In contrast, when a clause is an independent clause it is a stand-alone statement, which conveys a thought or idea, but if it is a dependent clause, it is not a stand-alone statement, as it requires something else to complete it.

Examples

Phrase

  • She lives near my friend’s home.
  • I was waiting, outside the hostel.

Clause

  • This is my last attempt for IAS examination.
  • She understands what you cannot explain in words.

How to remember the difference

You can easily find out, which set of words is a phrase or clause, by dividing them into various parts of speech. If the combination of words contains a subject and a verb, then it is regarded as a clause, otherwise, it is called as a phrase.

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Comments

  1. James Murray says

    October 20, 2018 at 4:01 pm

    Hi there,

    Thanks, this certainly cleared up the difference between clause and phrase for me.

    Thanks,
    James.

    Reply
  2. Rp says

    December 1, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    Thanks for clarifying the differences!

    Reply
  3. zaharaddeen umar says

    February 7, 2019 at 12:06 pm

    I clearly understood the difference between phrase and clause

    Reply
  4. Love, Salwa says

    March 13, 2019 at 9:49 pm

    Thx for the clarification… I have a test on this and didn’t even understand it that well from the teacher, but this is a life saver, Truly, I would have never understood the differences between phrases and clauses and the types of phrases and clauses.

    Reply
  5. emma says

    November 23, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    thank you! I would never understand that without you!

    Reply
  6. olayinka says

    January 2, 2020 at 3:54 am

    thanks so much, this is the best

    Reply
  7. Duane Pittman says

    January 25, 2020 at 5:44 am

    Nice explanation

    Reply
  8. Someone says

    March 29, 2020 at 10:08 pm

    So helpful its really detailed and organized!! good job. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Suja Menon says

    October 14, 2020 at 12:28 am

    Hello Surbhi. I have been teaching for the past two and a half decades and I certainly can recognise a good teacher when I see one. Your explanation is very clear and concise. You have all the making of an excellent teacher. God bless you.

    Dr. Sujatha Menon

    Reply
    • Surbhi S says

      October 14, 2020 at 11:41 am

      Thank You, Ma’am, for your kind words and appreciation.

      Reply
  10. Joseph Salaki. says

    April 30, 2021 at 2:25 am

    Thanks a lot. It’s given me exactly what I need. I advice you discover more.😎

    Reply
  11. Wunmi says

    September 19, 2022 at 8:32 pm

    This has really been helpful

    Reply
  12. Banex peter says

    September 10, 2023 at 8:08 am

    You guys are the best I love you.

    Reply

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