The Phrase and The Clause with Examples

Hello Friends ! Today we are going to talk about “The Phrase and The Clause with Examples“. Questions based on The Phrase and The Clause are often asked in Competitive Exams.

Today we will understand What is the Phrase and the Clause ? What is the difference between them? We will also know how many types of Phrase and Clauses are there and how they are used in a sentence? So let’s understand :

Definition of The Phrase and The Clause

What is The Phrase and The Clause with Examples : The definition of the phrase and the clause is as follows :

Phrase :

A group of words that must have some meaning, but that meaning is not complete. Such a group of words is called Phrase. It also does not contain a subject or predicate. like :

Phrase	Phrase
in blue dress	again and again
near my home	in the North

Clause :

A group of words that expresses a complete meaning. is called a Clause. There is a finite verb in it. Also, this clause is part of a larger sentence. like :

Sr.	Clause
1.	I don’t know who she is.
2.	What he says is right.

You can see in the examples that The bold word set here is “Clause”.

Difference between The Phrase and The Clause

What is the difference between the Phrase and the Clause : Now you have come to understand the difference between these two, that both are only a group of few words. But,

The Phrase does not give complete sense, while Clause has complete sense or meaning.

Notice that the phrase does not contain the Subject or Predicate, while the Clause contain the Subject or Predicate.

The Phrase cannot stand alone as a Simple sentence. While the clause can stand alone as a Simple sentence or it can be part of a larger sentence.

Kinds of The Phrase and The Clause

How many types of The Phrase and The Clause with Examples : The Phrase and the Clauses are mainly of three types :

Sr.	Kind of the Phrase	Kind of the Clause
1.	Noun Phrase	Noun Clause
2.	Adjective Phrase	Adjective Clause
3.	Adverb Phrase	Adverb Clause

To understand them better we see some examples:

Sr.	Phrase	Sr.	Clause
1.	I am sure of my success.	2.	I am sure that I shall succeed.
3.	She writes the notes given in the book.	4.	She writes the notes which are given in the book.
5.	He returned home at sun set.	6.	He returned home when the sun set.

In the first sentence, “of my success” is a phrase, acting as a Noun. Therefore we call this phrase, Noun Phrase.

In the second sentence “that i shall succeed” is a clause, acting as a Noun. Therefore, we call this clause, Noun Clause.

In the third sentence, “given in the book” is a phrase, acting as an Adjective. Therefore, we call this phrase, an Adjective Phrase.

In the fourth sentence “which are given in the book” is a clause, acting as an Adjective. Therefore, we call this clause, an Adjective Clause.

In the fifth sentence, “at sun set” is a phrase, acting as an Adverb. Therefore, we call this phrase, an Adverb Phrase.

In the sixth sentence “when the sun set” is a clause, acting as an Adverb. Therefore, we call this clause, an Adverb Clause.

Noun Clause :

As you can understand from the name itself, if it is a Noun Clause, then the clause acts like a noun. There are also subject and predicate. The noun clause can be used in many ways. Let us know all the ways that the noun clause can be used :

The Subject of a verb :

Sr.	Noun Clause
1.	What she speaks is wrong.
2.	That he is not criminal is quite clear.

The Object of a verb :

Sr.	Noun Clause
1.	She spends whatever she earns.
2.	He fears that he may fail.

The Object of an Infinitive Verb :

Sr.	Noun Clause
1.	I try to earn whatever I can.
2.	We are glad to know that he passed his exam.

The Object of a Preposition :

Sr.	Noun Clause
1.	I don’t believe in what she says.
2.	I am very happy with what you have found.

The Object of a Participle :

Sr.	Noun Clause
1.	Thinking that she would accept my offer, I went to her room.
2.	Believing that the story was true, I helped her.

The Object of a Gerund :

Sr.	Noun Clause
1.	I am not afraid of speaking that she does not love you.
2.	He is not ready in confessing that he made this mistake.

In Apposition to Noun or Pronoun :

Sr.	Noun Clause
1.	The news that the result has been declared is not true.
2.	The rumour that the Prime Minister has resigned is fake.

Complement of a verb of incomplete predication :

Sr.	Noun Clause
1.	Her desire is that she should become an Assistant Professor.
2.	My belief is that she will succeed.

Adjective Clause :

As you know, an adjective is a word or group of words that qualifies a noun or pronoun. So you will be able to understand that the clause in it acts like an Adjective and qualifies the noun or pronoun in some other clauses.

Relative Pronoun :

(Adjective clauses that are introduced as relative pronoun)

Sr.	Adjective Clause
1.	This is the girl who purchased this book.
2.	This is the boy whom you want to meet.
3.	This is the teacher whose bike was stolen.
4.	She lost the notes which you gave her.
5.	This is the same car that I saw yesterday.

Here who, whom, whose, which, that etc. are relative pronouns.

Adverb Pronoun :

(Adjective clause which is introduced as adverb pronoun)

Sr.	Adjective Clause
1.	The time when she wakes up is not sure.
2.	I still know the house where I was born.
3.	She knows the reason why I did not eat ice cream.
4.	The manner how I solved this question is really commendable.

Here when where why how etc. are adverb pronouns.

Adverb Clause :

An adverb always describes a verb or adjective or adverb. So this clause also acts like an Adverb. An adverb clause can be used in the following sense:

Manner :

(introduced by as, as if, as though)

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	You can do as you like.
2.	She talks as if she is intelligent.

Place :

(introduced by where, wherever)

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	He should go where he can feel free.
2.	I help the poor wherever I go.

Time :

(introduced by when, whenever, while, before, after, till, until, since, as)

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	I was cooking when she came to the kitchen.
2.	She may come here whenever she wants.
3.	Do not bother while he is studying.
4.	Please wait till I return.

Reason / Cause :

(introduced by because, since, as)

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	She could not attend this party because she was ill.
2.	Since you are my friend, I will always be with you.

Comparison :

(introduced by than, as, so-as, as-as)

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	She is more beautiful than she looks.
2.	She is as innocent as a cow.

Condition :

(introduced by if, whether, unless, In case, provided (that), Suppose (that))

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	If you trust me, I will always help you.
2.	She cannot learn English unless she practices well.
3.	I will marry you provided that you love me honestly.
4.	In case I die, my property should be distributed among the poor.

Contrast / Concession :

(introduced by though, although, even if, even though, however, notwithstanding)

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	Though he studied hard, he could not pass the exam.
2.	Although he is rich, he does not help the poor.
3.	I will go to college even if it rains.
4.	I like him even though he is naughty.

Purpose :

(introduced by so that, that, lest, in order)

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	We study so that we can get success.
2.	Work hard lest you should fail.

Result / effect :

(introduced by that)

Sr.	Adverb Clause
1.	She is so beautiful that everyone likes her.
2.	He is such a liar that nobody believes him.

Common Errors based on The Clauses

Let us now see how the questions are asked in the competitive examinations regarding the clause. Read the following sentence carefully :

#Error : 1.

Sr.	Incorrect
1.	Whoever works hard, he will pass in the exam.

Points to note :

After reading the above sentence carefully, tell what is the subject in it? Most of you will have the answer – “he” But, it is not so at all. The reality is that the subject of this sentence is a Noun Clause – “whoever works hard”. Therefore it is wrong to use “he” here. Similar small mistakes are asked in the exam.

Friends! We often make this mistake because we translate the sentence into Hindi – “जो कोई भी कठिन परिश्रम करता है, वह परीक्षा में पास हो जायेगा।” And so we write that in English. Which is wrong.

Now it is worth remembering that whenever Noun Clause is being used as a Subject in a sentence, then you should not use any other subject. Therefore, this sentence will be written as follows :

Sr.	Correct
1.	Whoever works hard will pass in the exam.

#Error : 2.

Similarly, now we see another mistake regarding noun clause :

Sr.	Incorrect
1.	when will she come is not known.

Points to note :

In this sentence you see that the subject of this sentence is a clause. And in this helping verb – “will” is used in the wrong place.

It is not correct to write the helping verb of the clause before the subject. It should be written after the subject. The correct sentence would be as follows :

Sr.	Correct
1.	When she will come is not known.

#Error : 3.

One thing that you should always keep in mind is that when a noun clause is used as a subject in a sentence, always use a singular verb with it. The noun clause is always singular. And the same question is asked in the exam as well. like :

Sr.	Incorrect
1.	How they are reading books are beyond my knowledge.

Point to note :

In the above sentence, the noun clause is used as a subject. Hence only the singular verb will be used with it. Write the correct sentence as :

Sr.	Correct
1.	How they are reading the books is beyond my knowledge.

Thus friends! You must have understood the various aspects of The Phrase and The Clause with Examples well. Study this chapter thoroughly so that you do not have any confusion about the phrase and the clause.