Ferbe Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Identifying clauses and phrases | clauses vs phrases
Hi.
I wanted to know the definitions of basic things regarding syntax.
I hope this is the right place to post this(I think it is).
A clause is a part of a sentence having its own subject and predicate, right?
In a sentence, which is a grammatical unit composed of one or more clauses, there are clauses and phrases, right?
And phrases are syntactic structures consisting of more than one word but lacking the subject-predicate structure of a clause, right?
So: Sentence > Clause > Phrase
Please make corrections if anything is wrong or not enough clear.
How can I identify a clause in a sentence?
For example, in short sentences like these: 'I like swimming' and 'Swimming is fun'.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Subject Verb Object Subject Verb Object(I think)
Subject Predicate Subject Predicate
I can't identify where is the clause in these. It seems that the sentence and the clause are the same in these cases.
And as for phrases, how can I identify them?
In bigger sentences: 'I want to die, but not now'.
How can I make the syntactical analysis of this sentence?
I wanted to know the definitions of basic things regarding syntax.
I hope this is the right place to post this(I think it is).
A clause is a part of a sentence having its own subject and predicate, right?
In a sentence, which is a grammatical unit composed of one or more clauses, there are clauses and phrases, right?
And phrases are syntactic structures consisting of more than one word but lacking the subject-predicate structure of a clause, right?
So: Sentence > Clause > Phrase
Please make corrections if anything is wrong or not enough clear.
How can I identify a clause in a sentence?
For example, in short sentences like these: 'I like swimming' and 'Swimming is fun'.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Subject Verb Object Subject Verb Object(I think)
Subject Predicate Subject Predicate
I can't identify where is the clause in these. It seems that the sentence and the clause are the same in these cases.
And as for phrases, how can I identify them?
In bigger sentences: 'I want to die, but not now'.
How can I make the syntactical analysis of this sentence?
Top answer
I didn't mean to post this twice. Sorry.
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You are on the right track!
Some sentences have only one clause, as you have pointed out in the examples.
Sentence with two main clauses:
My mother works at the post office and my father stays home.
Sentence with one main clause and one dependant clause:
Because my mother works at the post office, my father must stay at home with the kids.
Some sentences have only one clause, as you have pointed out in the examples.
Sentence with two main clauses:
My mother works at the post office and my father stays home.
Sentence with one main clause and one dependant clause:
Because my mother works at the post office, my father must stay at home with the kids.
00
Because my mother works at the post office
Ok. So this is the dependent clause, right?
my father must stay at home with the kids
And this is the independent clause, right?
You said that 'with the kids' is a phrase.
How can I tell that this is a phrase?
As for this one: 'My mother works at the post office and my father stays home'.
My mother w
Ok. So this is the dependent clause, right?
my father must stay at home with the kids
And this is the independent clause, right?
You said that 'with the kids' is a phrase.
How can I tell that this is a phrase?
As for this one: 'My mother works at the post office and my father stays home'.
My mother w
00
FerbeBecause my mother works at the post office
Ok. So this is the dependent clause, right?
my father must stay at home with the kids
And this is the independent clause, right?
You said that 'with the kids' is a phrase.
How can I tell that this is a phrase?
As for this one: 'My mother works at the po
00